Reign 877–841 BC Father King Yi of Zhou House Zhou dynasty Issue King Xuan of Zhou Parents King Yi of Zhou | Successor Gong He Died 828 BC, Shanxi, China Predecessor King Yi of Zhou Name King of Grandparents King Yi of Zhou | |
Children King Xuan of Zhou, Duke Huan of Zheng Grandchildren Duke Huan of Zheng, King You of Zhou, Trinh Vu cong Great grandchildren Bofu, King Ping of Zhou, Trinh Vu cong | ||
King Li of Zhou (died in 828 BC) (Chinese: 周厲王; pinyin: Zhōu Lì Wáng) was the tenth king of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. Estimated dates of his reign are 877–841 BC or 857–842 BC (Cambridge History of Ancient China).
King Li was a corrupt and decadent king. To pay for his pleasures and vices, King Li raised taxes and caused misery among his subjects. It is said that he barred the commoners from profiting from the communal forests and lakes. He enstated a new law which allowed him to punish anyone, by death, who dared to speak against him. King Li’s bad rule soon forced many peasants and soldiers into revolt, and Li was sent into exile at a place called Zhi near Linfen (842 BC). His son was taken by one of his ministers and hidden. When Li died in exile in 828 BC, power was passed to his son.