宋康王 / 宋君偃 / King Kang of Song
宋君偃 / Lord Yan of Song appears in 《资治通鉴·周纪》34丨秦国总理如何玩转六国 through the 329 BCE Song coup notice. The episode says Yan, the younger brother of 宋剔成, overthrows him; Song Ticheng flees to 齐国, and Yan establishes himself as ruler.
The source frames 宋国 as outside the Seven Warring States but not politically negligible. It previews Song Jun Yan as a surprisingly forceful small-state ruler who will receive more attention later, so this page keeps him as both a succession-usurpation marker and a signal that smaller states can still matter in the larger 战国时期 field.
《资治通鉴·周纪》45｜以史为鉴，君王到底该不该杀人成性？ supplies that sequel and identifies him as 宋康王 after he claims kingly title in 318 BCE. The episode says he is physically forceful, aggressively expansionist, and briefly successful: he takes cities from 齐国, land from 楚国, cities from 魏国, Huai-north territory from 薛地, and destroys Teng. This makes Song look like a “strong Song” in military scale, but also makes it surrounded by enemies.
The same source makes his cruelty the episode’s negative test for 不爱杀人者能一之. Song Kang Wang humiliates or kills remonstrating ministers, harms ordinary people for curiosity, and becomes known as “桀宋.” When Qi, Chu, and Wei attack, Song’s people scatter rather than defend him; he is captured and killed, and Song is partitioned. In this reading, his violence destroys people-based political security before it destroys the state formally.
Connections
- 宋国 - polity he seizes and later loses.
- 宋剔成 - brother and displaced ruler.
- 齐国 - exile destination for Song Ticheng.
- 齐国, 楚国, and 魏国 - attackers who destroy Song after his violent expansion.
- 不爱杀人者能一之 and 民心型政治安全 - concepts illuminated by his failure.
- 《资治通鉴》 and 周显王 - annalistic frame.
- Early Warring States Interstate War / 战国早期诸侯混战 and Territorial Control Churn / 城池反复易手 - broader instability patterns around small and mid-sized states.