Jizi (箕子 ji1 zi3) or Viscount of Ji was a semi-legendary Chinese sage who is said to had ruled Korea in the 12th century BC. His family name was Zi (子) and given name was Xuyu (胥餘 xu1 yu2 or 須臾 xu1 yu2). Since the title of Viscount of Ji was bestowed on him, he is usually called Jizi.
He was a virtuous man of the Shang royal family who served as Grand tutor of Zhou, the last king of Shang. As Confucius said, he was highly admired as an ideal ruler in anchient China.
He is said to have fled to Chaoxian (朝鮮, Joseon in Korean) when Shang was overthrown by Zhou. He established the dukedom of Chaoxian and it was granted by King Wu of Zhou. This story was first appeared in the Records of the Great Historian by Sima Qian. Slightly more detailed ones were recorded in Hanshu[?] and Weilue[?]. The dukedom is called Jizi Chaoxian (Gija Joseon) today.
The legend of Jizi spread in the early stage of history. According to Weilue, the Chaoxian king who was banished in 192 B.C. by Wei Man[?], another Chinese moving into Chaoxian, claimed to be a descendant of Jizi.
Commanderies and kingdoms controlling northern Korea were regarded as successors of Jizi by the Chinese and Koreans. The Koreans, especially Confucians, considered the legend as a historical fact and felt proud of being successors of the sage. King Sukjong of Goryeo[?] identified a mound near P'yongyang as Jizi's tomb. He built a mausoleum to enshrine him in 1102. The name of the Joseon Dynasty[?], given by Ming, was derived from Jizi's dukedom.
