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Jizi (Gija in Korean) or Viscount of Ji was a semi-legendary Chinese sage who is said to have ruled Korea in the 12th century BC. His family name was Zi (子) and given name was Xuyu (胥餘/서여 xūyú/seoyeo, or 須臾/수유 xūyú/suyu). Since the title of Viscount of Ji was bestowed on him, he is usually called Jizi.
Legend and analysis
As time has passed, legends about Jizi have become more and more numerous, leading many to argue that much of his story is fictional.
Pre-Han-Dynasty documents simply say that he was a virtuous man of the Shang royal family who was an uncle of and served as Grand Tutor (太師/태사) and of Zhou, last king of Shang. As Confucius said, he was highly admired as an ideal ruler in ancient China.
Chinese document during the Han Dynasty or later add another record. According to Sima Qian's Shi Ji, he is said to have fled to Joseon when Shang was overthrown by Zhou. King Wu of Zhou appointed Jizi to Chaoxian, though he was not a vassal of Wu (於是武王乃封箕子於朝鮮而不臣也). He taught Chinese civilization to the natives. Strangely enough, Shi Ji by Sima Qian put this story at the section of the Song ruling family but does not mention it at section of Joseon, leading some to suggest that Joseon of Wi Man, recorded by Sima Qian, was not the state established by Jizi.
Weilue, which was complied during the Kingdom of Wei (220-265) or later, inserts a record about Jizi's descendants. According to it, Jizi's descendants remained in Chaoxian and referred themselves as king after the Zhou Dynasty declined. Last king Zhun (準) was expeled in 192 B.C. by Wei Man, who was a Yan Chinese and had fled to Chaoxian. Zhun fled to the south and proclaimed himself the King of Han (韓). This story seems to have spread to China because of the implication of a Chinese rule of the Korean peninsula. Some in China trust it while others think it is a fiction, due to the record in Geography of Hanshu from Han Dynasty that Jizi settled in western part of Manchuria west of Liao River.
Archaeological evidences suggest that a small city state in Liaoning was ruled by Jihou or Lord Ji. Jihou may be the model of Jizi.
"Jizi"