[30], King Wu maintained the old capital for ceremonial purposes but constructed a new one for his palace and administration nearby at Hao. The state theology of the Zhou dynasty used concepts from the Shang dynasty and mostly referred to the Shang god, Di, as Tian, a more distant and unknowable concept, yet one that anyone could utilize, the opposite view of the Shang's spirituality. At this point, the many lords had no intention of toppling the king; rather, seeing his military weakness, the most powerful ones stepped in to enforce order. Although chariots had been introduced to China during the Shang dynasty from Central Asia, the Zhou period saw the first major use of chariots in battle. The Dao is mysterious: it is beyond sense perception and yet the source of life and the universe, the ultimate truth transcending the polarities that make up life and yet pervades them, empty and yet the mother of all things. Later kings' campaigns were less effective. Eventually, the noble lords of the most powerful states also declared themselves kings, and fought to gain control over all of China. The last Zhou king is traditionally taken to be Nan, who was killed when Qin captured the capital Wangcheng[1] in 256 BC. The capital was moved eastward to Wangcheng,[1] marking the end of the "Western Zhou" (, pX Zhu) and the beginning of the "Eastern Zhou" dynasty (, pDng Zhu). Whoosh! [40] After the Zhou came to power, the mandate became a political tool. These kinsmen took their families, contingents of soldiers, and emblems of nobility to the granted territory and set up palaces and ancestral temples in walled towns. For example, in 771 BCE, King You [yo] was attacked by the allied forces of the lord of Shen and tribal peoples residing out west. First, they established a secondary capital farther east at Luoyang [low-yawng], closer to the North China Plain. With King You dead, a conclave of nobles met at Shen and declared the Marquis's grandson King Ping. The capital was sacked, and he was killed. Second, they issued proclamations explaining to conquered peoples why they should accept Zhou rule. One description of an elite soldier states that he wears heavy armor, shoulders a large crossbow and fifty arrows, straps a halberd to his back, buckles a helmet to his head, and places a sword to his side.) But they fought even more fiercely. Upon being elected as their leader, the Zhou king conferred the title of hegemon. As the frequency and scale of warfare escalated, and states gradually gobbled each other up, the way feudal lords governed their states and conducted military campaigns changed. Soldiers were equipped with armor, crossbows, halberds, dagger-axes, and swords manufactured from bronze, iron, leather, and wood in royal workshops located at capital cities. The beginning date of the Zhou has long been debated. Over the next two centuries, this title changed hands several times, going to the lord of the most powerful state. The armies campaigned in the northern Loess Plateau, modern Ningxia and the Yellow River floodplain. Instead, this warrior nobility engaged in an escalating contest for power and prestige. [35] When King You demoted and exiled his Jiang queen in favor of the beautiful commoner Bao Si, the disgraced queen's father the Marquis of Shen joined with Zeng and the Quanrong barbarians to sack Hao in 771 BC. Qin's unification of China concluded in 221 BC with Qin Shihuang's annexation of Qi. In 1059, upon witnessing five planets align, the Zhou ruler declared himself king and proceeded to engage in military conquests that made his kingdom a regional power to be reckoned with. Their central concept is the Dao (Way). The Zhou dynasty (Chinese: ; pinyin: Zhu [o]; Old Chinese (B&S): *tiw[4]) was a royal dynasty of China (1046 BC 256 BC) that followed the Shang dynasty. Accessibility StatementFor more information contact us atinfo@libretexts.orgor check out our status page at https://status.libretexts.org. [22] For example, Chinese philosopher Mencius (372289 BCE) acknowledged that King Wen of Zhou had ancestry from among the Xirong, as King Wen's descendants, the Zhou kings, claimed ancestry from the legendary cultural hero Hou Ji, who might be related to the Xirong through his mother Jiang Yuan;[23][24][25][26] additionally, the historical narrative and commentary work Zuo Tradition (late 4th-century BCE) mentioned that the baron of Li Rong (Chinese: ) (in today western China), after being defeated by Jin, married off his daughter Li Ji (Chinese: ; lit. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Prior to the Warring States Period, it was the norm for nobility to hand out land in their states to kinsmen, just as it had been for the king during the Western Zhou. The Zhou coexisted with the Shang dynasty (c. 16001046 bce) for many years, living just west of the Shang territory in what is now Shaanxi province. After announcing the impending campaign at the ancestral temple, a lord and his kinsmen, accompanied by farmer foot soldiers, would proceed in their chariots to a prearranged location and engage in a skirmish. [citation needed]. [] On one hand, every son who is not the eldest and hence not heir to the lineage territory has the potential of becoming a progenitor and fostering a new trunk lineage (Ideally he would strike out to cultivate new lineage territory). This Heaven, however, is less a deity than a higher moral order, a kind of beneficent presence. The original Zhou capital had been located near present-day Xian in Shaanxi on the Wei River above its confluence with the Huang He (Yellow River). The LibreTexts libraries arePowered by NICE CXone Expertand are supported by the Department of Education Open Textbook Pilot Project, the UC Davis Office of the Provost, the UC Davis Library, the California State University Affordable Learning Solutions Program, and Merlot. [2], China's first projects of hydraulic engineering were initiated during the Zhou dynasty, ultimately as a means to aid agricultural irrigation. Eventually, the noble lords of the most powerful states declared themselves as kings, and fought to gain control over all of China. He believed that Heaven ordains a certain course of life for each individual, including becoming a moral person. In 1059, upon witnessing five planets align, the Zhou ruler declared himself king and proceeded to engage in military conquests that made his kingdom a regional power. Zhou, Wade-Giles romanization Chou, also called Zi Zhou, or Dixin, (born early 11th century? Brashier writes in his book "Ancestral Memory in Early China" about the tsung-fa system of patrilineal primogeniture: "The greater lineage, if it has survived, is the direct succession from father to eldest son and is not defined via the collateral shifts of the lesser lineages. Sources. [21] Cultural artifacts of the Western Rong coexisted with Western Zhou bronze artifacts, displaying influences between them. During the third century BCE, the Zhou Kingdom was destroyed and one of these warring states, the Qin [Cheen] Dynasty, prevailed over the rest. In the latter period, the Zhou court had little control over its constituent states that were at war with each other until the Qin state consolidated power and formed the Qin dynasty in 221 BC. Eventually, a Daoist church developed, with its own ordained priesthood, temples, and monasteries. Since rulers claimed that their authority came from heaven, the Zhou made great efforts to gain accurate knowledge of the stars and to perfect the astronomical system on which they based their calendar. [57], In traditional Chinese astrology, Zhou is represented by two stars, Eta Capricorni (; Zhu y; 'the First Star of Zhou') and 21 Capricorni (; Zhu r; 'the Second Star of Zhou'), in "Twelve States" asterism. The king and his regent did so by implementing three policies. He believed that a golden age existed in the past and wished to transmit the ethical values of that time. Literature flourished with Confucius and other great Chinese philosophers. He held this title (duke) and fief (Qi) because his distant ancestor had served as a commander under King Wu during the Zhou founding. Historians call this method of governing Zhou kinship feudalism. The Zhou Dynasty collapsed slowly, over a period of hundreds of years, as the feudal rulers of outlying provinces gained more authority. The Qin absorbs the remains of the Zhou state. That involved not only teaching individual techniques for preserving the life spirit, but included the use of exorcism and faith healing to remove malevolent influences. However, he only managed to hold some minor offices in Lu and generally failed in his political aspirations. For him, nobility was defined not by birth but rather by character and conduct. He assumed the throne upon his fathers death and, in 1046, led three-hundred chariots and 45,000 foot soldiers equipped with bronze armor and pole-mounted dagger-axes to a location just outside the Shang capital, where he met with and decisively defeated the last Shang king and his army. End of the Zhou Dynasty. The system, also called "extensive stratified patrilineage", was defined by the anthropologist Kwang-chih Chang as "characterized by the fact that the eldest son of each generation formed the main of line descent and political authority, whereas the younger brothers were moved out to establish new lineages of lesser authority. 1046 BCE - 771 BCE. As they did so, their lands evolved into powerful states (see Map \(\PageIndex{2}\)). Zhou Dynasty Timeline. According to the Duke of Zhou, Heaven had decreed that Shang kings must fall and Zhou rulers should replace them. Lords of the seven most powerful states lost respect for the Zhou kings and even assumed the same title, thus claiming the right to unify all of China under their rule. The later Wei statesman Ximen Bao, who served Marquis Wen of Wei (445396 BC), was the first hydraulic engineer of China to have created a large irrigation canal system. Attending lords cemented their agreements by swearing oaths and drinking the blood of sacrificed animals. However, he only managed to hold some minor offices in Lu and generally failed in his political aspirations. Chinas three major pre-modern philosophical and religious traditions are Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. In later generations, lords simply became more interested in and identified with their own territories, and they had little sense of solidarity with distant cousins ruling neighboring feudal states. Therefore, they devised better ways to control land in their realms. Under this system, it was the prerogative of spiritual authority to withdraw support from any wayward ruler and to find another, more worthy one. Finally, one of those small kingdoms, Qin (from which derives modern Chinas name), succeeded in conquering the rest of the states and establishing the Qin dynasty (221207 bce). Those who could not find employment would often end up teaching young men who aspired to official status. The Dong Zhou itself is often further subdivided into the Spring and Autumn (Chunqiu) period (770476 bce), when China consisted of many small squabbling states, and the Warring States (Zhanguo) period (475221 bce), when the small states consolidated into several larger units, which struggled with one another for mastery. Zhou dynasty, Wade-Giles romanization Chou, dynasty that ruled ancient China for some eight centuries, establishing the distinctive political and cultural characteristics that were to be identified with China for the next two millennia. The Zhou Dynasty succeeded the Shang Dynasty. Thus, a dynasty once sanctioned by Heaven had lost this sanction; now, Heaven had called upon Zhou rulers to overthrow the Shang dynasty and initiate a new era of just rule. The Zhou Dynasty was the longest-lasting dynasty in Chinese history. Over the next 250 years, during what is referred to as the Warring States Period (475 221 BCE), these states averaged one major battle per year until, at the very end, only one remained standing. Rather, they created a class of military commanders and specialists whose promotion was based on their ability to produce victories in the field. Corrections? Second, Zhou kings were unable to impose their will on feuding feudal lords and were even defeated by them in several military campaigns. Legal. 2. It is so divided because the capital cities in the Western Zhou of Fengyi (presently in the . Those who belonged to it are Confuciansindividuals distinguished by their commitment to the ideas articulated by Confucius, classical learning, and the value they place on character and conduct as the key to a good society and political order. Kings also militarized their kingdoms landscapes by building forts at strategically critical passes, walls to mark off boundaries, and watch towers to signal the enemys approach. In addition, he insisted that such virtues as humanity are most fully demonstrated when individuals observe good etiquette. Two major philosophical traditions emerged to address these issues: Confucianism and Daoism. Great lines and lesser lines continually spin off new lesser lines, founded by younger sons". [39], Zhou legitimacy also arose indirectly from Shang material culture through the use of bronze ritual vessels, statues, ornaments, and weapons. So thoroughly did the Han dynasty establish what was thereafter considered Chinese culture that "Han" became the Chinese word denoting someone who is ethnically Chinese. All farming lands were owned by nobles, who then gave their land to their serfs, a situation similar to European feudalism. The dynasty ended in 256 bce. Established during the Western period, the Li (traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: l) ritual system encoded an understanding of manners as an expression of the social hierarchy, ethics, and regulation concerning material life; the corresponding social practices became idealized within Confucian ideology. Rather than give those posts to kinsmen, kings appointed men from the lower ranks of the nobility or commoners based on their loyalty and merit. In contrast, the Legalists had no time for Confucian virtue and advocated a system of strict laws and harsh punishments. The system was canonized in the Book of Rites, Zhouli, and Yili compendiums of the Han dynasty (206 BC220 AD), thus becoming the heart of the Chinese imperial ideology. The communication system was also greatly improved through the construction of new roads and canals. At their royal palaces, Zhou kings conducted ceremonies of investiture during which they sacrificed to Heaven and the spirits of deceased ancestors, held banquets, and then bestowed noble titles and grants of land upon members of the royal family and relatives by marriage. In later generations, lords simply became more interested in and identified with their own territories, and they had little sense of solidarity with what were at best distant cousins ruling neighboring feudal states. In later centuries, the Daoism of these early philosophers was taken in new directions. This political theory, which is known as the Mandate of Heaven, would also be used by founders of later dynasties to justify their actions, as well as by theorists to explain the rise and fall of dynasties. [56] However, a rebellion broke out before the whole Shang territory could be consolidated by the Zhou. Master Zhuang, however, lived during the fourth century BCE. The remains of many of the feudal capitals during the Zhou period have been uncovered and reveal great buildings with rammed-earth floors and walls. The first qualification for a ruler or one who serves is moral rectitude. However, aside from the presence of royal overseers, a hereditary lord enjoyed relative sovereignty in his own domain. [21] At the same time, the Zhou may also have been connected to the Xirong, a broadly defined cultural group to the west of the Shang, which the Shang regarded as tributaries. These Daoists largely rejected Confucian ideas about human moral development and social order as artificial constructs. In later centuries, in China, Confucius was revered as a sage and teacher, and even today outside of China some people might think of him as a stern pedant, perhaps calling to mind sayings beginning with The Master said. However, in the context of his time, Confucius was anything but stiff and rather a dynamic individual who believed he was mandated by Heaven to return the world to a more socially and politically harmonious time. Pottery continued Shang traditions and expanded greatly in variety of shapes and finishes during the Warring States period. This practice meant that lesser but related aristocratic lineages lived in estates across each nobles territory, while also serving as ministers at his court. bc, Chinadied 1046 bc, China), last sovereign ( c. 1075-46 bc) of the Shang dynasty ( c. 1600-1046 bc ), who, according to legend, lost his empire because of his extreme debauchery. According to Chinese mythology, the Zhou lineage began when Jiang Yuan, a consort of the legendary Emperor Ku, miraculously conceived a child, Qi "the Abandoned One", after stepping into the divine footprint of Shangdi. K.E. In 1046 BCE, the Shang Dynasty was overthrown at the Battle of Muye, and the Zhou Dynasty was established. Rather, they pointed to a natural condition that both individuals and society can recover, one that existed before desires trapped people in a world of strife. In return, the ruler was duty-bound to uphold heaven's principles of harmony and honor. When King Ping was relocated to Luoyang, he ruled from a much smaller royal domain surrounded by approximately 150 feudal states and their lords. His young son took the throne, but was placed under the regency of Wus capable brother, the Duke of Zhou. To achieve these goals, techniques were developed, including special dietary regimens, yoga, Chinese boxing, meditation, and alchemy. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.. Another was China's distinct class system, which lacked an organized clergy but saw Shang-descent yeomen become masters of ritual and ceremony, as well as astronomy, state affairs and ancient canons, known as ru (). The magistrates job would then be to register the population, maintain law and order, collect tax revenue, and conscript people for labor projects and military campaigns. The two most important early books belonging to this tradition are named after their putative authors: the Laozi (Old Master) and Zhuangzi (Master Zhuang). Major philosophies and religions emerged that were the basis of Chinese belief in later eras, such as Confucianism and Daoism. Around 1046 BC, Wen's son Wu and his ally Jiang Ziya led an army of 45,000 men and 300 chariots across the Yellow River and defeated King Zhou of Shang at the Battle of Muye, marking the beginning of the Zhou dynasty. The Zhou created the Mandate of Heaven: the idea that there could be only one legitimate ruler of China at a time, and that this ruler had the blessing of the gods. The fighting went on for three years before the rebellion was put down, and finally the Zhou solidified their reign over all of China. To govern is to rectify. For more than 800 years (9-17 centuries), the Central Plains dynasty failed to effectively control Xinjiang (the Xinjiang was directly under the jurisdiction of Chahe Tai Khan during the Yuan Dynasty). Marriage and Family, Shanghai. The Shang ruled from 1600 to 1046 B.C. The beginning date of the Zhou has long been debated. So Han Dynasty abolished the Qin legal system and advocate Confucianism to make the government friendly to its people and make the people obey the rules of government. Soldiers were equipped with armor, crossbows, halberds, dagger-axes, and swords manufactured from bronze, iron, leather, and wood in royal workshops located at capital cities. Zhou kings remained there for the next five hundred years, during the period called the Eastern Zhou. Over time, Zhou kings lost their ability to control these lords, and the lords became increasingly independent. The decline of Zhou Dynasty was mainly caused by the corruption of the government. Now, the Zhou royal court was faced with the task of governing newly conquered territory, including the former lands of the Shang Dynasty. According to the Duke of Zhou, Heaven had decreed that Shang kings must fall and Zhou rulers should replace them. For this, Sunshu is credited as China's first hydraulic engineer. During the Warring States, rulers introduced large armies composed of mass infantry and cavalry. Confucianism and Daoism were both responses to the crisis presented by the breakdown of the Zhou feudal order and escalating warfare in China. The Zhou dynasty also spans the period in which the written script evolved from the oracle script and bronze script into the seal script, and then finally into an almost-modern form with the use of an archaic clerical script that emerged during the late Warring States period. The final battles were said to have been extremely bloody, and Shang survivors may well have served as Chinese culture bearers to places as far removed as Korea. Prior to the Warring States Period, it was the norm for nobility to hand out land in their states to kinsmen, just as it had been for the king during the Western Zhou. The most famous of these was Confucius, who taught a system of mutual duty between superiors and inferiors. Putting away his emotions, Jing Wudao's right hand flicked in the air, and the flexible sword on the Wu Ji patriarch's back returned to his hand. Paradoxically, although the Dao is indescribable and cant be seen or heard, the goal of the Daoist is to accord with and follow it. Historians believe the Old Master was a fictional sage invented by Warring States Period philosophers who compiled the book attributed to him. Their central concept is the Dao (Way). Noble lords loved to demonstrate their prowess and raise their prestige through success in hunting and battling. Centralization became more necessary as the states began to war among themselves and decentralization encouraged more war. First, they established a secondary capital farther east at Luoyang [low-yawng], closer to the North China Plain. This manual of military strategy and tactics stresses the importance of formulating a strategy that ensures victory prior to any campaigning. The rulers of this epoch were no strangers to battle, but they also created an environment where fascinating and long-standing cultural elements thrived. At their royal palaces, Zhou kings conducted ceremonies of investiture during which they sacrificed to Heaven and the spirits of deceased ancestors, held banquets, and then bestowed noble titles and grants of land upon members of the royal family and relatives by marriage. Daoists developed communal prayers and rituals that could cure illness, free souls from hell, win blessings from heaven, and eliminate sins from the community.