Wu wang (died ca. 1116 BC) was the first ruler of the third Chinese dynasty, the Chou. He was the leader of the forces that overthrew the Shang dynasty.

The original name of Wu wang was Chi Fa. His family had settled in the Wei River valley of Shensi Province during the final years of the Shang dynasty. Archeologists have examined the cultural remains of the area but are yet uncertain to what extent the preconquest Chou people differed from the ruling Shang.

Wu wang's father, known as Wen wang, or the Cultured King, held a ministerial post under Chou Hsin, the Shang ruler. Chou Hsin is depicted in the Chinese tradition as an evil despot and debauchee who delighted in torturing and abusing his subjects. Wen wang, who then held the title of Earl of the West (Hsi po), became alienated from the Shang ruler and established a...