King Kang of Zhou

Posthumous depiction from the Qing dynasty.

King Kang of Zhou (Chinese: 周康王; pinyin: Zhōu Kāng Wáng), personal name Ji Zhao (姬釗), was the third sovereign of the Chinese Zhou dynasty. He reigned from approximately 1020–996 BC or 1005–978 BC, succeeding his father, King Cheng of Zhou. His reign, along with that of his father, is often remembered as the "Rule of Cheng and Kang" (Cheng Kang Zhi Zhi), a golden age of stability, prosperity, and peace during the Western Zhou period.

During his rule, King Kang continued his father's successful policies of consolidation and expansion. He expanded Zhou territory in the north and west and effectively repressed a rebellion in the eastern parts of the kingdom. His government was known for its stability and apparent lack of crime; historical texts famously claim that during this period, penal law was not needed for over forty years due to the peaceful and prosperous conditions. He also issued edicts, such as the "Announcement of Prince Kang," to admonish regional rulers to maintain the instructions of the dynastic founders.

King Kang's administrative actions included proclaiming the Duke of Bi to oversee the eastern capital of Chengzhou (modern-day Luoyang). Inscriptions on bronze vessels from his reign show further organization of the feudal state, including orders for various marquises and noblemen to take charge of different regions and military campaigns against nomadic "barbarians" (such as the Guifang in the north). Upon his death, he was succeeded by his son, King Zhao of Zhou.