Duke De of Qin

Biography

Royal Lineage and Early Upheavals

Ying Jia was born into the ancestral Ying royal clan as the second son of Duke Xian (also known as Duke Ning) and Consort Lujizi. In 704 BCE, Duke Xian passed away. Although his elder brother, Duke Wu, was crown prince, three powerful ministers—Fuji, Weilei, and Sanfu—deposed the heir and enthroned the young Duke Chuzi. During these turbulent court maneuvers, Ying Jia and Duke Wu survived quietly. In 698 BCE, the ministers assassinated Chuzi and restored Duke Wu, who promptly executed the rogue officials and their clans.

Succession and Capital Relocation to Yongcheng

In 678 BCE, Duke Wu died. Rather than confirming Wu's son Prince Bai, the court grandees acclaimed Ying Jia as Duke De of Qin. To maintain domestic stability, Duke De enfeoffed Prince Bai at Pingyang. In 677 BCE, Duke De undertook his defining state action: relocating the ducal capital to Yongcheng. Divination yielded an oracle that his descendants would "water their horses in the Yellow River," forecasting Qin's eastward expansion. Duke De took up residence in the Dazheng Palace, conducted solemn sacrifices at the Fu altar, and received homage from the neighboring rulers of Liang and Rui.

Establishment of the Fu Day and Demise

In 676 BCE (the second year of his reign), Duke De formally instituted the "Fu Day" sacrificial system, ordering the slaughter of dogs at the four city gates to counteract stifling summer heat and atmospheric plagues. Later that year, Duke De passed away at the age of thirty-five and was interred at Yang. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Duke Xuan.

Major Activities

Strategic Relocation of the Capital to Yongcheng

In 677 BCE, Duke De established Yongcheng as Qin's primary administrative, commercial, and ritual capital, securing an expansive agricultural base in the Guanzhong basin that underpinned Qin's rise for nearly three centuries.

Institutionalization of the Fu Day Festival

Duke De established the ancient calendar and sacrificial custom of Fu Day, which influenced seasonal observances across ancient China.

Personal Relations

• Father: Duke Xian of Qin (ruler of Qin)
• Mother: Lujizi (consort of Duke Xian)
• Elder Brother: Duke Wu of Qin (predecessor ruler of Qin)
• Younger Brother: Duke Chuzi of Qin (deposed ruler)
• Son: Duke Xuan of Qin (eldest son and successor)
• Son: Duke Cheng of Qin (second son and subsequent ruler)
• Son: Duke Mu of Qin (youngest son, renowned Hegemon of Spring and Autumn)
• Nephew: Prince Bai (son of Duke Wu, enfeoffed at Pingyang)

Historical Assessment

Sima Qian recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) that the auspicious prophecy regarding Duke De's move to Yongcheng accurately presaged Qin's inevitable march toward the Yellow River. Later historians noted that despite the brevity of his reign, his decision to anchor Qin at Yongcheng provided the structural foundation for the subsequent western hegemony achieved by his son Duke Mu.