Shang Yang (Chinese: 商鞅; c. 390 – 338 BC), also known as Wei Yang (Chinese: 衞鞅) and originally surnamed Gongsun, was a statesman, chancellor and reformer of the See more

Shang Yang was born as the son of a concubine to the ruling family of the minor state Wey (衞). His surname (氏, lineage name) was Gongsun and his personal name Yang. As a … See more

He is credited by Han Fei, often considered to be the greatest representative of Chinese Legalism (法家), with the creation of two theories;
1. "fixing the standards" (Chinese: 定法)
2. "equality before the law" (Chinese: … See more

Yang introduced land reforms, privatized land, rewarded farmers who exceeded harvest quotas, enslaved farmers who failed to meet … See more

Yang was deeply despised by the Qin nobility and became vulnerable after the death of Duke Xiao. The next ruler, King Huiwen, ordered the nine familial exterminations against … See more

• Portrayed by Shi Jingming in The Legend of Mi Yue (2015) as a guest appearance, depicting his execution.
• Portrayed by Wang Zhifei in the TV series The Qin Empire as a main character. See more

• Shizi See more