Duke Huan of Qi (; died 643 BC), personal name Xiǎobái (小白), was the ruler of the State of Qi from 685 to 643 BC. Living during the chaotic Spring and Autumn period, as the Zhou dynasty's former vassal states fought each other for supremacy, Duke Huan and his long-time advisor Guan Zhong managed to transform Qi into China's most powerful polity. Duke Huan was eventually recognized by most of the Zhou states as well as the Zhou royal family as Hegemon of China. In this position, he fought off invasions of China by non-Zhou peoples and attempted to restore order throughout the lands. Toward the end of his more than forty-year-long reign, however, Duke Huan's power began to decline as he grew ill and Qi came to be embroiled in factional strife. Following his death in 643 BC, Qi completely lost its predominance.

Early life and rise to power 
Xiǎobái was born as one of Duke Xi of Qi's sons, though not in line of succession for the throne as he had at least two older brothers: Zhu'er and Jiu. In his youth, Xiǎobái was tutored by Bao Shuya. When Duke Xi eventually died, Zhu'er became Qi's next ruler as "Duke Xiang" but his reign was fraught with internal conflicts and scandals. Recognizing this and fearing for his pupil's life, Bao Shuya took Xiǎobái and fled with him to the state of Ju where they went on to live in exile.

Duke Xiang was assassinated in 686 BC, which allowed his cousin, Wuzhi, to ascend the throne. After just one month in office, however, Wuzhi was also murdered. With these two dead, Xiǎobái returned to Qi with the goal of becoming the next duke. He faced opposition in the form of his older brother Jiu however. Prince Jiu, by then also in exile, managed to gain the support of several high-ranking officials in Qi, his tutor Guan Zhong and Duke Zhuang of Lu. Before Jiu could be installed as new duke of Qi, however, Xiǎobái managed to seize control of Qi's government as well as its army, and was crowned as "Duke Huan of Qi" in 685 BC. The army of Lu under Duke Zhuang promptly invaded in order to install Prince Jiu on the throne, but the invading force suffered a crushing defeat at Qianshi and had to retreat. Qi's army under Bao Shuya in turn invaded Lu, and demanded Jiu and his supporters be handed over. To appease Duke Huan, Duke Zhuang then executed the rogue prince and delivered Guan Zhong to Qi as a prisoner.

Reign

Rise to hegemon 
Though he was now secure on the throne, the question that remained for Duke Huan was what to do with Guan Zhong who had so prominently supported his rival brother. Bao Shuya asked his newly crowned ruler to not just spare Guan Zhong, but to even employ him as chief minister due to his great talents. Duke Huan followed this advice, and Guan Zhong became his most important and capable advisor. The two went on to reorganize Qi's government and society, dividing both the land as well as the people into regulated units and enforcing a meritocratic system of governance. This greatly strengthened Qi, as it allowed the state to "mobilize human and material resources more effectively than other Zhou states, which remained loosely structured." As Qi had already been a powerful polity in a favorable strategic situation before, these reforms managed to bring Qi to "an unprecedented status of leadership in the entire Zhou world". Together, Duke Huan and Guan Zhong worked toward achieving dominance over the other Zhou states, and as time went on ever more of them became followers of Qi.

Hegemony 
Eventually Duke Huan invited the rulers of Lu, Song, Chen, and Zheng to a conference in 667 BC, where they elected him as their leader. After hearing of this, King Hui of Zhou appointed Duke Huan hegemon (ba) with the authority to operate militarily in the name of the royal court. Duke Huan and Guan Zhong envisioned the office of "hegemon" not just as mere position of military power, but rather as one that was supposed to "restore the authority of the Son of Heaven" or, more practically, restabilize the old realm of the Zhou dynasty under the leadership of Qi.

Consequently, Duke Huan intervened in matters that concerned the interstate relationships of the Zhou polities, both on behalf of King Hui as well as to assert his own position as hegemon. Such interventions included a punitive expedition against Wey in 671 BC, because this state had defied King Hui, as well as involvement in a power struggle in Lu in order to cement Qi's power. Another major concern for Duke Huan was the threat that outside powers (derogatorily called the "Four Barbarians") posed to the Zhou states, and he would launch numerous campaigns to fend off these "barbarians". Most notably, he saved the states of Yan, Xing and Wey from invasions by non-Zhou groups, and tried to stop the expansion of Chu in the south. In 656 BC he led an alliance of eight states against a satellite state of Chu, Cai, and defeated it. The alliance then proceeded to invade Chu itself, and eventually a pact was concluded. Chu stopped its northward expansion and agreed to take part in an compulsory interstate meeting at Shaoling. This meeting, the first of its kind, set a precedent.

Over the following years, Duke Huan convened numerous interstate meetings under the auspices of the Zhou royal family. Points of discussion during these meetings ranged from military matters to economics to general orders concerning governance and laws. Overall, the ruler of Qi managed to restore some stability in the volatile and fractious Zhou realm. Historian Cho-yun Hsu summarizes that Duke Huan "used his Ba [hegemon] leadership to set up a new order for an interstate community that was to be guarded by consensus rather than authority."

Decline in power and death 

After almost forty years on the throne, however, Duke Huan's dominance began to gradually decline. His efforts to completely stop Chu's expansion failed, as the southern state had simply shifted its attention from the north to the east. There, along the Huai River, Chu conquered or invaded several states allied with Qi. The last major anti-Chu military alliance assembled by Duke Huan failed to stop this development, and was even defeated during the Battle of Loulin in 645 BC. Guan Zhong also died in that year, depriving the ruler of Qi of his most important advisor. Having grown ill, Duke Huan was increasingly ignored by the leaders of other states, and even his authority over Qi itself declined as various political factions began to vie for power.

These factions were formed by high officials as well as six of the duke's sons. These six, namely Zhao, Wukui, Pan, Shangren, Yuan, and Yong, were all the children of different concubines, as Duke Huan's three main wives bore him no sons. As a result, all of them felt themselves entitled to the throne. Though Qi's ruler had designated Prince Zhao as his heir and even charged Duke Xiang of Song with ensuring that he would ascend the throne, this did not stop the other five from plotting their own rise to power. According to the Guanzi, the elderly duke had also to deal with four powerful officials: Tang Wu, the court sorcerer; Yiya, the chief cook; Shu Diao, the chief of the eunuchs; and Gongzi Kaifang, a leading courtier. Shortly before his death, Guan Zhong had advised that they should be sent into exile. Duke Huan did so, but he found himself missing their particular talents at the court and allowed them to return. They then conspired against him, and locked him in his room, secretly starving him to death. Other notable sources for these events, such as the Zuo Zhuan and the Records of the Grand Historian do not mention this purported assassination.

Duke Huan of Qi finally died in late 643 BC, and the capital Linzi quickly descended into violence. His six sons, supported by various officials, took up arms against each other in order to size the throne, starting a war of succession. In this chaos, Duke Huan could not be buried and his corpse was left unattended in his bedchamber for between seven days and three months. By the time he was finally encoffined, the corpse had begun to rot. With Duke Huan's sons fighting for the throne, Qi was severely weakened and lost its status as China's predominant state. Although Zhao, by then ruling as Duke Xiao of Qi, eventually attempted to regain his father's hegemony, he failed and Duke Wen of Jin became the next hegemon.

Family
Wives:
 Wang Ji, of the Ji clan of Zhou (), a princess of Zhou by birth
 Xu Ying, of the Ying clan of Xu ()
 Cai Ji, of the Ji clan of Cai ()

Concubines:
 Wey Gong Ji, of the Ji clan of Wey (), the mother of Prince Wukui
 Shao Wey Ji, of the Ji clan of Wey (), the mother of Prince Yuan
 Zheng Ji, of the Ji clan of Zheng (), the mother of Crown Prince Zhao
 Ge Ying, of the Ying clan of Ge (), the mother of Prince Pan
 Mi Ji, of the Ji clan of Mi (), the mother of Prince Shangren
 Song Hua Zi, of the Zi clan of Song (), the mother of Prince Yong

Sons:
 Prince Wukui (; d. 642 BC), ruled as the Duke of Qi in 642 BC
 Prince Yuan (; d. 599 BC), ruled as Duke Hui of Qi from 608–599 BC
 Crown Prince Zhao (; d. 633 BC), ruled as Duke Xiao of Qi from 641–633 BC
 Prince Pan (; d. 613 BC), ruled as Duke Zhao of Qi from 632–613 BC
 Prince Shangren (; d. 609 BC), ruled as Duke Yì of Qi from 612–609 BC
 Prince Yong ()
 Granted the fiefdom of Gu () in 634 BC
 Seven sons who served as Grand Masters () of Chu

Daughters:
 Qi Jiang ()
 Married Duke Wu of Jin (d. 677 BC)
 Married Duke Xian of Jin (d. 651 BC), and had issue (Crown Prince Shensheng, Mu Ji (the wife of Duke Mu of Qin and mother of Duke Kang of Qin))

Ancestry

References

Notes

Bibliography 

Monarchs of Qi (state)
643 BC deaths
7th-century BC Chinese monarchs
Deaths by starvation
Year of birth unknown
제 환공(齊 桓公, 기원전 720년 ? ~ 기원전 643년, 재위: 기원전 685년 ~ 기원전 643년)은 중국 춘추시대의 제(齊)나라의 제16대 임금이다. 성은 강(姜), 씨는 여(呂)·제(齊), 휘는 소백(小白), 강태공의 12세손이며, 시호는 환공(桓公). 춘추시대의 패자이다. 고혜와 포숙아의 활약에 의해 공자 규와의 군위 계승 분쟁에서 승리해 제나라의 군주가 되었다. 관중을 재상으로 삼고 제나라를 강대한 나라로 만들었으며, 실권을 잃어버린 중국 동주 왕실을 대신해 회맹을 거행했다.

즉위 전 상황 
아버지는 희공(僖公), 형은 양공(襄公)으로, 양공은 이복동생 문강과 내연 관계를 맺어, 문강이 노나라의 환공(桓公)에게 시집갔지만, 장공을 낳은 후에도 관계가 계속되었다. 화난 노 환공이 문강을 꾸짖자 문강이 양공에게 밀고하였고 이에 양공은 공자 팽생(公子彭生)에게 명령하여 노 환공을 죽이게 했다. 노나라에 소문이 돌자, 팽생을 죽여 변명을 하였다. 그 이외에도, 양공은 자기 마음에 들지 않는 사람을 차례차례로 죽였기 때문에 제나라는 혼란했다.

공자 소백은 거(莒)에, 형 공자 규는 노나라에 망명했다. 양공은 그 후, 사촌 공손 무지에게 암살되었다. 양공이 죽은 후에, 공손 무지가 제나라 임금에 즉위했다고 칭하고 국정을 관리하지만, 공손 무지도 또 곧바로 암살되었다. 공손 무지 사후, 소백과 같이 노에 망명한, 노를 후원자로 얻은 형 공자 규와의 사이에 군위 쟁탈전이 생겼다.

이때, 공자 규의 심복인 관중이 매복해 소백을 암살하려고 하고 있었다. 관중은 활을 쏘아 맞혔다. 화살은 소백의 배에 맞아, 소백은 쓰러졌다. 이에 관중은 기뻐하고, 공자 규에게 소백을 죽였다고 보고했다. 소백이 죽어 경쟁 상대가 사라진 공자 규는 노의 군사를 뒤로 천천히 제나라에 들어오려고 했다. 그러나, 고혜(高傒, 중국 고씨와 중국 노씨의 공동시조)는 소백과 친했으므로, 국(國)씨와 함께 비밀리에 소백을 제나라로 불러들여 임금으로 삼고자 했다. 소백이 노나라의 지원을 받는 공자 규를 따돌리고 먼저 입국하자, 고혜는 소백을 제나라 임금으로 세웠고, 공자 규가 제나라에 들어 갔을때는 소백이 이미 먼저 제나라 임금이 되어 있었다. 공자 규는 기다리고 있던 소백에게 공격을 받고 노나라로 도망쳤다. 실은 관중의 화살은 소백의 배에 명중된 것처럼 보였지만, 실은 허리띠의 쇠고리에 꽂혔었던 것이었다.

제 환공의 업적 
환공은 관중이 자신을 죽이려고 한 사실에 화를 내어 관중도 죽이려 하고 있었다. 그러나 환공의 심복이며, 관포지교라는 말의 뿌리가 될 만큼 관중의 좋은 친구이기도 한 포숙아의 설득으로 환공은 관중을 살려주었으며 재상으로 임명했다.

환공의 생각은 현명했다. 재상이 된 관중은 개혁을 추진해, 국력, 군사력, 문화 향상에 성공했다. 벌써 주왕실은 쇠퇴하고 있어, 제후 사이의 대립을 억제하는 일도 마음대로 되지 않았다. 관중의 개혁을 받아 들인 제 환공은 주변 국가에 그 명성이 전해져, 주변 제후는 제후 사이의 문제를 환공에게 묻게 되었다. 장강 유역의 현재의 호북성을 중심으로 한 지대를 지반으로 해 남방에서 세력을 늘려, 주왕실이나 제후를 위협하기 시작하고 있던 초나라를 환공은 제후를 인솔하고 초나라를 공격하였다. 기원전 651년 환공은 회맹을 거행해 춘추오패 중 제일 첫번째 패자(覇者)가 되어 중국 천하를 호령하였다.

관중의 사후 
기원전 645년, 재상인 관중이 죽으면서, 국정을 돌아보지 않게 되어 방탕하게 되었다. 관중이 죽을 때에 등용을 하지마라고 한 간신들도 등용해, 국정은 흐트러졌다. 환공이 병이 들자, 공자들의 후계자 싸움에서 숨을 거두어, 67일간 그 사체는 방치된 채로 있어, 그의 관이 구더기가 솟기 시작했다고 한다. 제나라는 이후에도 가끔 후계자 싸움이 일어나, 패권은 진(晋)나라, 초나라로 옮겨졌다.

후계 미결 
환공에겐 적자는 없고, 다만 사랑하는 여인이 많아, 서자로 장위희의 아들 무궤, 소위희의 아들 원(혜공), 정희의 아들 소(효공), 갈영의 아들 반(소공), 밀희의 아들 상인(의공), 송화자의 아들 옹이 있었다. 환공은 관중과 함께 소를 세자로 세웠으나, 두 위희와 한 편인 옹무와 수초의 힘으로 무궤를 세우는 것을 허락했으며, 관중 사후 다섯 공자들이 전부 자신들을 세울 것을 구했다. 환공 사후, 역아와 수초가 여러 관리들을 살해하고 무궤를 군위에 앉혔으며, 소는 송나라로 도망했다. 이후 다섯 공자 간의 군위 분쟁을 통해, 제나라는 패권국의 지위를 잃었으며, 군위 다툼을 한 여섯 공자 중 다섯 공자나 임금이 되었다.

가계 
 아버지 : 제 희공
 형 : 제 양공
 형 : 공자 규
 누나 : 선강
 누나 : 문강
 제 환공
 정비(正妃)：왕희(王姬)
 정비(正妃)：서영(徐嬴)
 정비(正妃)：채희(蔡姬)
 첩(妾) : 장위희(長衛姬). 아들 제후 무궤
 첩(妾) : 소위희(少衛姬). 아들 제 혜공
 첩(妾) : 정씨. 정희(鄭姬). 아들 제 효공
 첩(妾) : 갈씨. 갈영(葛嬴). 아들 제 소공
 첩(妾) : 밀씨. 밀희(密姬). 아들 제 의공
 첩(妾) : 송씨. 송화자(宋華子). 아들 공자 옹

같이 보기 
 춘추오패
 전국칠웅
 애강
 위 혜공

생년 미상
기원전 7세기 사망
기원전 643년 사망
무궤,제
춘추 시대의 군주
중국의 군인
기원전 7세기 중국 사람
기원전 7세기 중국의 군주