King Zhao of Zhou

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King Zhao of Zhou (ch 周昭王 zhōu zhāo wáng) or King Chao of Chou was the fourth sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty.

Zhao's reign occurred at a point when the Zhou Dynasty had expanded across the Zhouyuan or central plains of China and turned its attention to South China. Zhao was killed and his campaigning army were wiped out south of the Han river, establishing the limit of direct control of the south during the Western Zhou Dynasty.

According to the traditional, moralistic rendition of Zhao's life, he loved pleasure and disregarded politics. As a result, the Zhou Dynasty began to falter under his inept rule. King Zhao especially liked rare plants and animals, and decided to go on a trip to Chu, a state, after an emissary claimed that Chu caught a rare bird. After crossing Han River, King Zhao realized that this is a trick. After several inconclusive battles with Chu forces, he began to retreat, looting and raiding the countryside as he went. While on a boat on Han River, the boat sprung a leak and King Zhao drowned, marking the end of his reign.

[edit] Personal information

Family name	Ji (姬 jī) in Chinese
Given name	Xia (瑕 xía) in Chinese
Era name	none
Father	King Kang of Zhou
Mother	unknown
Wife	unknown
Children	King Mu of Zhou
Approximate duration of reign	996-977 BC
Tomb	unknown
Temple name	unknown
Courtesy name	unknown
Posthumous name	Zhao 昭 (pinyin zhāo), literary meaning: "shining"