Tai Jia

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Tai Jia (太甲) was king of the Shang Dynasty of China. Zi Zhi (子至) is his name.

Zi Zhi was installed as the new ruler by Yi Yin(伊尹), the Shang Prime Minister. After he became king for about 2 years, his performance was poor and he treated his people badly.

On the 3rd year 1538 BC, there is internal disorder among the court, Zi Zhi, who is being the king also broke the Shang's laws himself. Yi Yin advised him to change but he did not want to follow to his advices. Yi Yin had no other choice but to exile Zi Zhi to Tong Palace(桐宫)(Present Henan Southwest YanShi county(偃師縣) near Tang of Shang’s tomb to repent.

This incident is historically known as Yi Yin Exile Tai Jia. During this period, Yi Yin assisted to rule the empire. Indeed after 3 years, 子至 (Zi3 Zhi4) become a changed person. Yi Yin invited him back to the capital and return the throne to him.

Tai Jia took care of his people and managed the government well. On the 10th year of Zi ZHi, 1531 BC, Yi Yin resigned from his post. Zi Zhi ruled for total of 11 years and died of sickness in autumn 1529 BC. After his death, Yi Yin honored him as Zhong1 Zong(中宗).

But as described in the unofficial Bamboo Annals, after Yi Yin exiled Tai Jia, he took the throne and acted as king himself. 7 years later, Tai Jia retured to the palace secretly and killed Yi Yin. Afterwards Tai Jia assigned Yi Yin's land and castle to Yi Yin's two son, Yi She (伊陟) and Yi Fen (伊奋). It is hard to know what exactly happend at that time but as inscribed by the later Shang Oracle Bones, Yi Yin had been still worshipped by the Shang people several hundred years later, thus the descriptions by Sima Qian are widely considered more reliable. In the 10th year of his regime, he remembered his ancestor at Royal's Temple (太庙).

According to both Records of Grand Historian and Bamboo Annals, He ruled 12 years.