Jie and Zhou; archetypal tyrants
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
Jie of Xia and Zhou of Shang, legendary tyrants of ancient China; by extension, any cruel despot
formalRefers specifically to the last rulers of the Xia (Jie) and Shang (Zhou) dynasties, who serve as the traditional archetypes of tyranny and bad governance in Chinese historiography. Often used in formal or literary contexts to criticize despotic rule.
Jié桀
Zhòu纣
zhī之
bào暴
，
shèn甚
yú于
chái豺
láng狼
。
The cruelty of Jie and Zhou exceeded that of jackals and wolves.
Lì历
shǐ史
shàng上
de的
Jié桀
Zhòu纣
，
dōu都
shì是
wáng亡
guó国
zhī之
jūn君
。
Jie and Zhou in history were both monarchs who lost their kingdoms.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
Ruò若
zhǔ主
shàng上
hūn昏
yōng庸
，
biàn便
chéng成
Jié桀
Zhòu纣
。
If the ruler is fatuous and incompetent, he becomes a Jie or Zhou.