or Chou-kung
flourished 11th century BC, China
Political figure who solidified the power of the Zhou dynasty .
On the death of his brother Wuwang , founder of the Zhou, he resisted the temptation to seize the throne and chose instead to serve as counselor to his nephew, the second Zhou ruler. When Zhougong stepped down after seven years, the Zhou political and social system had been stabilized. Confucius so admired Zhougong's wisdom and virtue as a minister, that he proffered him as a model for rulers of his own time to emulate.