Background
Duke of Zhou was born in 1099. He was the fourth son of Duke Wen of Zhou and Queen Tai Si. His eldest brother Boyi Kao predeceased their father; the second-eldest defeated the Shang at Muye around 1046 BC, ascending the throne as King Wu, first of the Zhou dynasty. Wu distributed many fiefs to his relatives and followers and Dan received the ancestral territory of Zhou near present-day Luoyang. Only two years after assuming power, King Wu died and left the kingdom to his young son King Cheng. The Duke of Zhou successfully attained the regency and administered the kingdom himself, leading to revolts not only from disgruntled Shang partisans but also from his own relatives, particularly his older brother Guan Shu. He was credited with elaborating the doctrine of the Mandate of Heaven, which countered Shang propaganda that as descendants of the god Shangdi they should be restored to power. The Duke of Zhou is also known as the "God of Dreams.