The Zhou Dynasty
Zhou Dynasty quick facts:
- The Zhou Dynasty is divided into two distinct periods: Western Zhou (1046-771BCE) and Eastern Zhou (771-256BCE).
- The longest dynasty in Chinese history.
- Within the Eastern Zhou Dynasty are two major cultural periods, the Autumn and Spring Period (721-481BCE), and the Warring States Period (475-221BCE).
- The Zhou Dynasty developed the Mandate of Heaven to legitimise overthrowing the Shang Dynasty.
- Established the Chinese feudal system.
- Marked the origin of some of the most influential Chinese philosophies such as Confucianism and Taoism.
- Developed the compass and geographical maps.
- Introduced iron tools and weapons.
- Further refined Chinese artwork through bronze casting, and inlaying gold, silver, and glass.
The Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty is divided into two distinct dynastic periods, marked by the shift of the Zhou Dynasty's capital city from Haojing in central China, to Luoyang further to the East. Within the second half of the Zhou Dynasty, Eastern Zhou, being split into the Spring and Autumn Period (1046-771 BCE), and the Warring States period (771-256 BCE). The former of which is placed around a boom in China's cultural and philosophical development, as well as a decline in the Zhou king's power. While the Warring States period was an extended era of civil war, as the Zhou king's lost complete control over their states, and the noble lords of powerful states battled for China.
Western Zhou
In 1046 BCE when King Wu of Zhou defeated the Shang Dynasty he distributed his kingdom into a number of different fiefs (an area of land held on a condition of feudal service, or a fee), and in charge of each fief was placed either a relative or supporter of Zhou.
Unfortunately for King Wu, two years after he took power he died, leaving the rule to his son, Cheng. When Cheng took the throne he was extremely young, so King Wu's brother, the Duke of Zhou was made reagent, and absolute control of the country was passed to him. Historical records show that the Duke of Zhou was a capable and loyal reagent, who not only expanded his brother's empire, but solidified the feudal system (fengjian). The Duke of Zhou is also credited with elaborating on the Mandate of Heaven, presenting the idea that Kings of China wee not descendants of the God's, but instead chosen by them.
Despite being a respected leader, a number of remaining Shang loyalists, along with a group of regional rulers lead by the Duke of Zhou's younger brothers grew concerned with his growing, unchecked power and attempted to remove him. The Duke of Zhou was able to defeat this uprising within five years, and as a result extended the Zhou borders further out towards the West, conquering the regional rulers who had stood against him. When King Cheng came of age, the Duke of Zhou stepped down as reagent, and the remainder of Cheng's reign was both peaceful and prosperous.
The decline of the Western Zhou Dynasty began when the borders of the empire stretched beyond the royal families sphere of control. Slowly, Zhou armies began to lose outlying territories to barbarians, and small scale invasions. However, the biggest hit to the Western Zhou's power came as the familial relationships that once existed between the king and the regional rulers began to thin over many generations. Rulers who were once closely related to the King, as brothers, or close cousins, were now third and fourth cousins, and these territories began to gain prestige within their area equal to that of the Zhou Kings.
As the Zhou Kings lost control over various regions, they also began to lose access to armies, food, and income that was once supplied to them by loyal regions. Eventually a complete collapse in power during the reign of the 14th Zhou King forced the Zhou empire to shift its empire further East, surrounding itself with its most loyal supporters, and allowing stronger regions and states to increase in power an size.
Western Zhou
In 1046 BCE when King Wu of Zhou defeated the Shang Dynasty he distributed his kingdom into a number of different fiefs (an area of land held on a condition of feudal service, or a fee), and in charge of each fief was placed either a relative or supporter of Zhou.
Unfortunately for King Wu, two years after he took power he died, leaving the rule to his son, Cheng. When Cheng took the throne he was extremely young, so King Wu's brother, the Duke of Zhou was made reagent, and absolute control of the country was passed to him. Historical records show that the Duke of Zhou was a capable and loyal reagent, who not only expanded his brother's empire, but solidified the feudal system (fengjian). The Duke of Zhou is also credited with elaborating on the Mandate of Heaven, presenting the idea that Kings of China wee not descendants of the God's, but instead chosen by them.
Despite being a respected leader, a number of remaining Shang loyalists, along with a group of regional rulers lead by the Duke of Zhou's younger brothers grew concerned with his growing, unchecked power and attempted to remove him. The Duke of Zhou was able to defeat this uprising within five years, and as a result extended the Zhou borders further out towards the West, conquering the regional rulers who had stood against him. When King Cheng came of age, the Duke of Zhou stepped down as reagent, and the remainder of Cheng's reign was both peaceful and prosperous.
The decline of the Western Zhou Dynasty began when the borders of the empire stretched beyond the royal families sphere of control. Slowly, Zhou armies began to lose outlying territories to barbarians, and small scale invasions. However, the biggest hit to the Western Zhou's power came as the familial relationships that once existed between the king and the regional rulers began to thin over many generations. Rulers who were once closely related to the King, as brothers, or close cousins, were now third and fourth cousins, and these territories began to gain prestige within their area equal to that of the Zhou Kings.
As the Zhou Kings lost control over various regions, they also began to lose access to armies, food, and income that was once supplied to them by loyal regions. Eventually a complete collapse in power during the reign of the 14th Zhou King forced the Zhou empire to shift its empire further East, surrounding itself with its most loyal supporters, and allowing stronger regions and states to increase in power an size.
Eastern Zhou
During the Eastern Zhou period, after the collapse of Western Zhou, the Zhou Royal family retreated to the relative safety of their new capital city in Chengzhou. The Eastern Zhou Period was controlled by the Zhou royal line only in name, as the more powerful Gong slowly divided China into seven separate states which were kingdoms in their own right. This division of China sent the country spiraling into an era of war, chaos, and civil unrest. While The Eastern Zhou Dynasty marked a dark and terrible time in China's history, it was also a period of great philosophical thinking and creativity, and was ultimately an era that shaped China's identity as a nation.
Spring and Autumn Period
During the Eastern Zhou period, an increase in the efficiency in which produce could be farmed through irrigation and advanced tools meant that less time needed to be spent toiling the fields to get a crop yield that was equal to or greater than previous seasons. This resulted in the citizens of Ancient China having more leisure time at their disposal, and was one of the primary reasons why, during this period, China saw a boom in artistic pursuits. As this was also a period where work in metallurgy was becoming more advanced, it is during this period that some of the most ornate, and detailed works were created. An example of such an artefact is The Sword of Goujian [pictured right]. The Sword of Goujian was uncovered in a tomb in 1965, and belonged to the king of the State of Yue. What is remarkable about this sword is that, because of its remarkable craftsmanship, it remained completely rust free, and sharp more than 2,500 years after it had been buried. The perfectly fitted scabbard and quality work protected it from being damaged, down to the inscription at its base which reads: 'This sword belongs to Goujian, King of the Yue state.'
The Spring and Autumn Period also saw an increase in scholarly pursuits, as more Chinese citizens were seeking education, and thinking for themselves. Out of this environment of free thought came two of the most prominent Chinese philosophies: Confucianism, and Taoism. Despite this however, The Spring and Autumn Period was a time of intense fighting and civil war, as the Gong of the separate states fought over the power vacuum left by the removal of the Zhou rulers from power. While originally there was a multitude of states fighting for control, by the end of this period there were seven: Qin, Wei, Zhao, Han, Chu, Qi, and Yan, and it was the 250 year war between these seven states that made up the Warring States Period.
Spring and Autumn Period
During the Eastern Zhou period, an increase in the efficiency in which produce could be farmed through irrigation and advanced tools meant that less time needed to be spent toiling the fields to get a crop yield that was equal to or greater than previous seasons. This resulted in the citizens of Ancient China having more leisure time at their disposal, and was one of the primary reasons why, during this period, China saw a boom in artistic pursuits. As this was also a period where work in metallurgy was becoming more advanced, it is during this period that some of the most ornate, and detailed works were created. An example of such an artefact is The Sword of Goujian [pictured right]. The Sword of Goujian was uncovered in a tomb in 1965, and belonged to the king of the State of Yue. What is remarkable about this sword is that, because of its remarkable craftsmanship, it remained completely rust free, and sharp more than 2,500 years after it had been buried. The perfectly fitted scabbard and quality work protected it from being damaged, down to the inscription at its base which reads: 'This sword belongs to Goujian, King of the Yue state.'
The Spring and Autumn Period also saw an increase in scholarly pursuits, as more Chinese citizens were seeking education, and thinking for themselves. Out of this environment of free thought came two of the most prominent Chinese philosophies: Confucianism, and Taoism. Despite this however, The Spring and Autumn Period was a time of intense fighting and civil war, as the Gong of the separate states fought over the power vacuum left by the removal of the Zhou rulers from power. While originally there was a multitude of states fighting for control, by the end of this period there were seven: Qin, Wei, Zhao, Han, Chu, Qi, and Yan, and it was the 250 year war between these seven states that made up the Warring States Period.
The Warring States Period
The Warring States period is one of the defining moments in Chinese history, and is the focus of much of China's culture, and mythology. There is no definitive 'start' to The Warring States Period, but is rather marked by the absolute decay of the Zhou royal family, and the formation of the seven states. It is during this time that Ying Zheng, later Qin Shi Huangdi, the King of the Qin state, conquered the remaining six states of China, completely unifying it for the first time as a single nation under one ruler.
This period also saw the widespread use of the crossbow, which revolutionised the way in which armies were constructed, allowing peasants and farmers to take up arms and become deadly soldiers with very little training. The simplicity of the crossbow's 'point and shoot' operation, meant that soldiers no longer needed to be specialised warriors, and the armies of the Chinese states were able to grow from the 100's of thousands, into the millions. Not only were the armies now larger, but with more specialised metal work, and the widespread use of iron, the armies of China were also better equipped, and more deadly. It was a time in China's history where every civilian could be taught to fight, so it was those with an innate, and un-teachable intelligence that became valued, as military strategists such as Sun Tzu rose to prominence.
One of the most important developments of this period was the collapse of the feudal state system of government. As the Gong's became more powerful and distant from the Zhou, they rejected their titles and adopted the new title of 'King', ruling over a kingdom in their own right. As these new state kings had observed first hand how violently the old feudal system could collapse, they began to adopt an early form of bureaucracy. Now, instead of delegating power to noble lords who retained that power through inheritance, the new kings took a more active role in the running of their kingdom, putting in place government officials that answered directly to the king, and could be hired and fired as needed. This new system allowed for a much more central seat of power, and removed the risk of another uprising of powerful lords. The Warring States Period came to an eventual end in 221 BCE, when Zheng Zhao of the Qin state successfully conquered and unified all of China through a long, and costly military campaign.
The Warring States period is one of the defining moments in Chinese history, and is the focus of much of China's culture, and mythology. There is no definitive 'start' to The Warring States Period, but is rather marked by the absolute decay of the Zhou royal family, and the formation of the seven states. It is during this time that Ying Zheng, later Qin Shi Huangdi, the King of the Qin state, conquered the remaining six states of China, completely unifying it for the first time as a single nation under one ruler.
This period also saw the widespread use of the crossbow, which revolutionised the way in which armies were constructed, allowing peasants and farmers to take up arms and become deadly soldiers with very little training. The simplicity of the crossbow's 'point and shoot' operation, meant that soldiers no longer needed to be specialised warriors, and the armies of the Chinese states were able to grow from the 100's of thousands, into the millions. Not only were the armies now larger, but with more specialised metal work, and the widespread use of iron, the armies of China were also better equipped, and more deadly. It was a time in China's history where every civilian could be taught to fight, so it was those with an innate, and un-teachable intelligence that became valued, as military strategists such as Sun Tzu rose to prominence.
One of the most important developments of this period was the collapse of the feudal state system of government. As the Gong's became more powerful and distant from the Zhou, they rejected their titles and adopted the new title of 'King', ruling over a kingdom in their own right. As these new state kings had observed first hand how violently the old feudal system could collapse, they began to adopt an early form of bureaucracy. Now, instead of delegating power to noble lords who retained that power through inheritance, the new kings took a more active role in the running of their kingdom, putting in place government officials that answered directly to the king, and could be hired and fired as needed. This new system allowed for a much more central seat of power, and removed the risk of another uprising of powerful lords. The Warring States Period came to an eventual end in 221 BCE, when Zheng Zhao of the Qin state successfully conquered and unified all of China through a long, and costly military campaign.