Zhou dynasty

• 1. Mythical Origins And Foundation

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  Jiang Yuan stepped into the divine footprint of Shangdi and miraculously conceived a child named Qi. This event marked the mythical beginning of the Zhou lineage according to Chinese mythology. Qi survived abandonment by his mother three times before improving agriculture enough to earn lordship over Tai. The Emperor Shun granted him the surname Ji and the title Houji, meaning Lord of Millet. He received sacrifice as a harvest god while the term Houji became a hereditary title attached to his family line. Buzhu abandoned his position as Agrarian Master in old age. His son Ju lived among the Xirong and Rongdi tribes after leaving their tradition behind. Liu led his people to prosperity by restoring agriculture at Bin. Tai later moved the clan from Bin to Zhou in the Wei River valley. Jili conquered several Xirong tribes before being treacherously killed by Shang forces under Wu Yi and Wen Ding. Taibo and Zhongyong fled to the Yangtze delta where they established the state of Wu. King Wen bribed his way out of imprisonment and moved the capital to Feng near modern Xi'an. Around 1046 BC, King Wu and Jiang Ziya led an army across the Yellow River. They defeated King Zhou of Shang at the Battle of Muye with 45,000 men and 300 chariots. This victory marked the official beginning of the Zhou dynasty.

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• 2. Western Zhou Political Structure

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  King Wu maintained the old capital for ceremonial purposes but constructed a new palace and administration at Haojing nearby. The Duke of Zhou assisted his nephew King Cheng in consolidating royal power after Wu's early death. Three Guards rose in rebellion against the regency despite gaining support from independent nobles and Dongyi tribes. The Duke quelled the uprising and expanded the kingdom eastward while establishing the fengjian system. He countered legitimacy crises by expounding the Mandate of Heaven doctrine alongside accommodating Shang rituals. Peripheral territories developed local power over generations as familial relationships between kings and regional dynasties thinned. Conflicts intensified with nomadic tribes like Xianyun, Guifang, and various Rong groups toward the end of the Western Zhou period. These tribes harassed Zhou territory while the Zhou encroached on their traditional lands in the Wei River valley. Archaeological evidence shows expansion to the north and northwest at the expense of the Siwa culture. King You demoted his Qiang queen Bao Si in favor of another commoner. Her father the Marquis of Shen joined forces with Zeng and the Quanrong tribe. The Quanrong sacked Haojing and killed King You in 771 BC ending the Western Zhou period. A conclave of nobles declared the Marquis's grandson King Ping at Shen. They moved the capital eastward to Wangcheng marking the start of the Eastern Zhou.

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• 3. Eastern Zhou Fragmentation

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  The Spring and Autumn Annals gave its name to the early years of this decentralized process. Power became increasingly centralized as royal authority collapsed during the Eastern Zhou period from 771 to 256 BC. The partition of Jin initiated the subsequent Warring States period around the mid-5th century BC. In 403 BC the Zhou court recognized Han, Zhao, and Wei as fully independent states. Duke Hui of Wei claimed the title king for himself in 344 BC setting a precedent for other rulers. Rulers stopped entertaining pretense of vassalage while proclaiming themselves fully independent kingdoms instead. Zhou remained a minor player in most conflicts as series of states rose before falling in turn. The last Zhou king Nan was killed when Qin captured Wangcheng in 256 BC. Duke Wen declared himself King Hui but his splinter state disassembled by 249 BC. Qin's wars of unification concluded with Shi Huang annexing Qi in 221 BC founding the imperial Qin dynasty. The Jixia Academy led rival lords patronizing itinerant scholars during this golden age of philosophy. Nine Schools dominated including Confucianism interpreted by Mencius, Legalism, Taoism, Mohism, Agriculturalism, Diplomacy strains, Military School, Names School, and Naturalists.

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• 4. Bronze Craftsmanship And Technology

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  The Zhou period represents the zenith for Chinese bronzeware craftsmanship according to Nicholas Bodman. Bronze smelting became integral to making weapons and farming tools under noble direction. Many Shang members formed tribute labor forces producing bronze ritual objects distributed across lands. Sunshu Ao dammed a river creating an enormous irrigation reservoir in northern Anhui province serving as China's first hydraulic engineer project. Ximen Bao created large irrigation canal systems diverting Zhang River waters up the Yellow River while serving Marquis Wen of Wei from 445 to 396 BC. Seal script evolved from earlier oracle bone and bronze scripts becoming the predominant written form. An immature clerical script emerged by the dynasty's end. The Six Armies of the west and Eight Armies of Chengzhou campaigned in the northern Loess Plateau and Yellow River floodplain. King Zhao died on campaign around the Han River when his six armies were wiped out in the 19th year of his reign. Recent archaeological finds show similarities between horse burials of Shang and Zhou dynasties with steppe populations like Saka and Wusun. Fighting styles, head-and-hooves burials, art motifs, and myths may reflect contact with Iranic people of Central Asia.

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• 5. Philosophical Schools Of Thought

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  Native Chinese philosophy developed during the 6th century BC with origins tracing back to this era. Confucius founded Confucianism while Laozi established Taoism as the greatest impacts on later generations. Mozi created Mohism and Mencius became known as the second sage of Confucianism. Shang Yang and Han Fei developed ancient Chinese Legalism alongside Xunzi who centered intellectual life during his time. The state theology used concepts from the Shang referring to Di as Tian a distant unknowable concept anyone could utilize. Zhou wanted to increase enlightenment seekers mystics and learners interested in distancing people from Shang-era paradigms. Li ritual systems encoded manners expressing social hierarchy ethics and material regulation becoming idealized within Confucian ideology. The Book of Rites compiled during Han dynasty canonized these concrete regulations into imperial ideology. Fragmentation led rituals toward moralization regarding five orders of nobility ancestral temple sizes ceremonial vessel counts musical instruments dancing troupe numbers. Mohists found little interest in meritocracy praise but much acceptance for defensive siege warfare mastery. Their arguments against nepotism later supported establishing the imperial examination system despite initial lack of patronage.

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• 6. Social Hierarchy And Daily Life

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  Agricultural land tied aristocratic lineages rather than held as private noble property throughout the Western Zhou period. Farming occurred mainly by ordinary rural households forming core agricultural production forces. These households owed labor service taxes and military obligations depending on the specific period. Various dependent laborers and slaves existed constituting only a minority of the rural population. Classical texts describe an idealized well field system dividing plots into nine squares farmed for public grain storage. Modern historians view this conceptual model rather than documented administrative system of the Zhou period. Patrilineal primogeniture recognized eldest sons continuing indefinitely while younger brothers established new lesser lines. Ebrey defines descent-line systems where great lines spin off new lesser lines founded by younger sons. Five peerage ranks below royal included dukes marquis counts viscounts and barons descending in order. Hereditary classes lacked organized clergy seeing Shang-descent yeomen become masters of ritual astronomy state affairs ancient canons known as ru. Some traveled peddling schemes while others taught young men aspiring to official status. Confucius taught mutual duty between superiors and inferiors contrasting sharply with Legalist strict laws harsh punishments. Kings married Di princesses acknowledging importance of barbarian troops like Red Di people supporting their rule.

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