why did the zhou dynasty last so long why did the zhou dynasty last so long

When did they finish building the Great Wall of China? The rulers of this epoch were no strangers to battle, but they also created an environment where fascinating and long-standing cultural elements thrived. In addition, he insisted that such virtues as humanity are most fully demonstrated when individuals observe good etiquette. As a vassal of the Shang kings Wu Yi and Wen Ding, Jili went to conquer several Xirong tribes before being treacherously killed by Shang forces. The dynasty was founded by Liu . (The line of Zhou kings had, however, already been extinguished in 256 BCE, so that date marks the end of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty.). 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. The Mandate of Heaven was presented as a religious compact between the Zhou people and their supreme god in heaven. Western Zhou dynasty replaces the Shang Dynasty in China. Great lines and lesser lines continually spin off new lesser lines, founded by younger sons". His and his successors power was, however, much reduced. It is divided into two periods: Western Zhou (1046-771 BCE) and Eastern Zhou (771-256 BCE). 1: From Earliest Times to the Present, 44-63. The range of applied decoration for the first time included pictorial subjectsfor example, hunting scenes and chariots and horsemen. Therefore, they devised better ways to control land in their realms. Upon being elected as their leader, the Zhou king conferred the title of hegemon. There were five peerage ranks below the royal ranks, in descending order with common English translations: gng "duke", hu "marquis", b "count", z "viscount", and nn "baron". 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. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. )%2F04%253A_China_and_East_Asia_to_the_Ming_Dynasty%2F4.07%253A_The_Long_Zhou_Dynasty_(1046-_256_BCE), \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}}}\) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\), 4.6: China from Neolithic Village Settlements to the Shang Kingdom, 4.8: The Qin Dynasty and the Transition from Ancient to Imperial China, University System of Georgia via GALILEO Open Learning Materials, 4.7.1: The Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 771 BCE), 4.7.2: The Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 256 BCE) and the Warring States Period (c. 475 221 BCE), 4.7.3: Philosophy in a Time of Turmoil: Confucianism and Daoism, 4.7.3.2: Philosophical and Institutional Daoism, http://brandonqindynasty.weebly.com/9/8580061.jpeg, status page at https://status.libretexts.org. Zhou | ruler of Shang dynasty | Britannica Thus, by the end of this period, largely owing to the demands of warfare, the Zhou feudal order had been supplanted by a small number of powerful territorial states with centralized monarchies. Daoist masters, claiming divine inspiration, composed esoteric texts for their followers that explained how the natural world originated from a primordial ether (qi) and its division into two polar forces: the yin and yang (see Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\)). READ: Zhou and Qin Dynasty China (article) | Khan Academy During the third century BCE, the Zhou Kingdom was destroyed and one of these warring states, the Qin [Cheen] Dynasty, prevailed over the rest. It was the last period of the Zhou Dynasty (1046-221 BC). Legal. During the third century BCE, the Zhou Kingdom was destroyed and one of these warring states, the Qin [Cheen] Dynasty, prevailed over the rest. These nobles were allowed to rule their own lands hereditarily, so long as they observed certain obligations to their king. Daoists developed communal prayers and rituals that could cure illness, free souls from hell, win blessings from heaven, and eliminate sins from the community. 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). (View the image of a Warring States Period soldier at the following link: http://brandonqindynasty.weebly.com/9/8580061.jpeg. Even though they garnered the support of independent-minded nobles, Shang partisans, and several Dongyi tribes, the Duke of Zhou quelled the rebellion, and further expanded the Zhou Kingdom into the east. Yet, although hegemons maintained a semblance of order, warfare remained constant because it was a way of life for the illustrious lineages of the Zhou realm. 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. Those below are those published by XiaShangZhou Chronology Project and Edward L. Shaughnessy's The Absolute Chronology of the Western Zhou Dynasty. 1046 BCE - 771 BCE. There were two principal reasons for this. In this capacity, Duke Huan had the authority to resolve disputes between nobles on behalf of the king. Major philosophies and religions emerged that were the basis of Chinese belief in later eras, such as Confucianism and Daoism. The first qualification for a ruler or one who serves is moral rectitude. For him, nobility was defined not by birth but rather by character and conduct. 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). Finally, these rulers no longer relied solely on close kinsmen to wage war alongside them. There were two principal reasons for this. During Confucius's lifetime in the Spring and Autumn Period, Zhou kings had little power, and much administrative responsibility and de-facto political strength was wielded by rulers of smaller domains and local community leaders. He held this title (duke) and fief (Qi) because his distant ancestor had served as a commander under King Wu during the Zhou founding. While the system was initially a respected body of concrete regulations, the fragmentation of the Western Zhou period led the ritual to drift towards moralization and formalization in regard to: The rulers of the Zhou dynasty were titled Wng (), which is normally translated into English as "king" and was also the Shang term for their rulers. Rather, they created a class of military commanders and specialists whose promotion was based on their ability to produce victories in the field. For this, Sunshu is credited as China's first hydraulic engineer. All farming lands were owned by nobles, who then gave their land to their serfs, a situation similar to European feudalism. The Mohists, for instance, found little interest in their praise of meritocracy but much acceptance for their mastery of defensive siege warfare; much later, however, their arguments against nepotism were used in favor of establishing the imperial examination system. Their central concept is the Dao (Way). 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. If a duke took power from his nobles, the state would have to be administered bureaucratically by appointed officials. In the eleventh century BCE, the Zhou state was a minor power on the western periphery of the Shang realm, located along the Wei [way] River. Zhou Dynasty Timeline. Eventually, these states acquired more power than the king, beginning a period of conflict that is known, appropriately, as the Warring States Period. Master Zhuang, however, lived during the fourth century BCE. 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. They did so . K.E. 4. [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. [58] Zhou is also represented by the star Beta Serpentis in asterism "Right Wall", Heavenly Market enclosure (see Chinese constellations).[59]. Here are a few of the important statements Confucius made, and what they meant: 1. This dynasty was the longest in Chinese history. The partition of Jin in the mid-5th century BC initiated a second phase, the "Warring States". It lasted for over 800 years and included the reigns of 37 emperors. The glue that held the Zhou feudal order together was deference to the king and his Mandate and reverence for their shared historyincluding, most importantly, the deceased spirits of their related ancestors. The Shang dynasty was conquered by the people of Zhou, who came from farther up the Yellow River in the area of Xi'an in Shaanxi Province. Instead, he gained an avid following of 70 students, whom he accepted regardless of their social status. Relocated to Luoyang, King Ping ruled from a much smaller royal domain surrounded by approximately 150 feudal states and their lords. Young men should be filial at home and respectful to their elders when away from home. (1.6) Filial piety is central to Confuciuss thought. First, they established a secondary capital farther east at Luoyang [low-yawng], closer to the North China Plain. Second, they issued proclamations explaining to conquered peoples why they should accept Zhou rule. The two most important early books belonging to this tradition are named after their putative authors: the Laozi (Old Master) and Zhuangzi (Master Zhuang). In 771 BCE, for instance, King You [yo] was attacked by the allied forces of the lord of Shen and tribal peoples residing out west. Centralization became more necessary as the states began to war among themselves and decentralization encouraged more war. In the early centuries of Zhou rule, during the Western Zhou (1046 771 BCE), Zhou kings dispatched kinsmen to territories he granted to them (see Map \(\PageIndex{1}\)). They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The principal purpose of these Daoists was to attend to a persons physical and psychological well-being. Now, many generations later, his state was a formidable power on the east coast. If you lead the people by being rectified yourself, who will dare not be rectified? (12.17) Confucius believed that good governing flows from good men. Their central concept is the Dao (Way). That was the state of Qin [cheen]. The Zhou heartland was the Wei River valley; this remained their primary base of power after conquering the Shang. Large bronzes were cast to commemorate these occasions (see Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\)). [51], The Zhou army also included "Barbarian" troops such as the Di people. There were also two-story buildings and observation towers, and Laozi mentions a nine-story tower. 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. Shang Dynasty - HISTORY 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. In 1046 BCE, a Zhou king overthrew the last Shang ruler and established control over much of north China. The Zhou kings contended that heaven favored their triumph because the last Shang kings had been evil men whose policies brought pain to the people through waste and corruption. These hegemons periodically convened interstate meetings to manage such matters as misbehaving states or foreign invasions. The Analects not only shows a serious and learned man, but also someone capable in archery and horsemanship, who loved music and ritual, and who untiringly traveled the feudal states in the hopes of serving in a lords retinue (see Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\)). [46] At times, a vigorous duke would take power from his nobles and centralize the state. Rise of Chinese dynasties (article) | Khan Academy The book of odes written during the Zhou period clearly intoned this caution.[38]. [27][28][f] According to the historian Li Feng, the term "Rong" during the Western Zhou period was likely used to designate political and military adversaries rather than cultural and ethnic "others". (ed. Historians call this method of governing Zhou kinship feudalism. 1. Why did the Zhou dynasty last so long? - Quora The stability of that arrangement lasted some 200 years before it began to collapse with the increasing local interests of the 20 or more feudal lords. During the turmoil of the Warring States period, other individuals developed a philosophy very different from Confucianism called Daoism. The communication system was also greatly improved through the construction of new roads and canals. The first was Duke Huan of Qi [who-an of chee]. The beginning date of the Zhou has long been debated. Kings also militarized their kingdoms landscapes by building forts at strategically critical passes, walls to mark off boundaries, and watchtowers to signal the enemys approach. The Shang ruled from 1600 to 1046 B.C. The Zhou Dynasty was the longest-lasting dynasty in Chinese history. [d] The Zhou enfeoffed a member of the defeated Shang royal family as the Duke of Song, which was held by descendants of the Shang royal family until its end. [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. Other states came to the rescue, relocating the kings son, Prince Ping, to the eastern capital at Luoyang. At that point, when the individual is in accord with the ineffable Way, life becomes spontaneous, natural, and effortless. Stated more simply, Warring States Period rulers created administrative units and a civil service. After he died, they passed on his teachings, and a school of thought emerged from his teachings known as Confucianism. The king and his regent did so by implementing three policies. Fengjian - Wikipedia Confucius chose to become learned and seek office. The Eastern Zhou, however, is also remembered as the golden age of Chinese philosophy: the Hundred Schools of Thought which flourished as rival lords patronized itinerant shi scholars is led by the example of Qi's Jixia Academy. 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. It is so divided because the capital cities in the Western Zhou of Fengyi (presently in the . Romanov Family Overview, History & Facts | Romanov Dynasty of Russia No longer able to impose their will on unruly noble lineages, Zhou kings failed to maintain a semblance of peace and order throughout the realm. A truly noble person is one who puts what is right before personal gain and the desire for wealth and fame. The line of Zhou kings had, however, already been extinguished in 256 BCE, so that date marks the end of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. In brief, Zhou kings ability to control the noble lords diminished over time, and their prestige suffered accordingly. Whoosh! As they did so, their lands evolved into powerful states (see Map \(\PageIndex{2}\)). Second, Zhou kings were unable to impose their will on feuding feudal lords and were even defeated by them in several military campaigns. During which dynasty did the system of feudalism emerge? This period of Chinese history produced what many consider the zenith of Chinese bronzeware making. Zhou Dynasty Timeline - World History Encyclopedia The early Western Zhou supported a strong army, split into two major units: "the Six Armies of the west" and "the Eight Armies of Chengzhou". However, with the onset of the Warring States Period in the fifth century BCE, the level of violence was no longer contained by the hegemon system and codes of chivalry. An array of feudal states was created within the empire to maintain order and the emperors hold on the land. There was also a great philosophical flowering: the schools of Confucianism, Daoism, and legalism developed in that period. Peripheral territories developed local power and prestige on par with that of the Zhou. [30], King Wu maintained the old capital for ceremonial purposes but constructed a new one for his palace and administration nearby at Hao. [36] Although only the first three of these went on to receive imperial patronage in later dynasties, doctrines from each influenced the others and Chinese society in sometimes unusual ways. He thought that a golden age existed in the past and wished to transmit the ethical values of that time. A "King Hui" was declared, but his splinter state was fully removed by 249 BC. The noble person is concerned with rightness, the small person is concerned with profit. (4.16) Confucius redefined the meaning of nobility. Daoists even entertained the idea that one could become immortal. Over time, this decentralized system became strained as the familial relationships between the Zhou kings and the regional dynasties thinned over the generations. These hereditary classes were similar to Western knights in status and breeding, but unlike the European equivalent, they were expected to be something of a scholar instead of a warrior. Over the long course of this half millennium, Zhou nobility engaged in escalating warfare with each other over matters small and large.