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

Again, these industries were dominated by the nobility who directed the production of such materials. Although (with the exception of a few works on silk) no painting survives from the Zhou, written descriptions of paintings evidence their themes, including figures, portraits, and historic scenes. [11] He even received sacrifice as a harvest god. As the empire was breaking up, arts and culture were flowering in the various component states, encouraged and stimulated by the highly localized interests that fed the impulse toward independence of the empire. Zhou Li Wang was a money grabber and out for his own personal interest. 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. King Xuan fought the Quanrong nomads in vain. 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. Finally, these rulers no longer relied solely on close kinsmen to wage war alongside them. 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. 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. 2. Confucianism and Daoism were both responses to the crisis presented by the breakdown of the Zhou feudal order and escalating warfare in China. King Wu then returned to his capital in the Wei River Valley, where he passed away in 1043 BCE. [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. 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. [56] 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. According to the Duke of Zhou, Heaven had decreed that Shang kings must fall and Zhou rulers should replace them. A series of states rose to prominence before each falling in turn, and Zhou was a minor player in most of these conflicts. The first two had their origins in the later centuries of the Eastern Zhou, while Buddhism only began to arrive from South Asia in the first century C.E. As they did so, their lands evolved into powerful states (see Map \(\PageIndex{2}\)). [46] At times, a vigorous duke would take power from his nobles and centralize the state. These hegemons periodically convened interstate meetings to manage such matters as misbehaving states or foreign invasions. Like other young men of similar background, he had access to an education and could aspire to serve in some capacity in a feudal state, perhaps at the lords court, or as an official or soldier. [39] As the Zhou emulated the Shang's large scale production of ceremonial bronzes, they developed an extensive system of bronze metalworking that required a large force of tribute labor. 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. The Nine Schools of Thought which came to dominate the others were Confucianism (as interpreted by Mencius and others), Legalism, Taoism, Mohism, the utopian communalist Agriculturalism, two strains of Diplomatists, the sophistic Logicians, Sun-tzu's Militarists, and the Naturalists. Now, the Zhou royal court was faced with the task of governing newly conquered territory, including the former lands of the Shang Dynasty. Here are a few of the important statements Confucius made, and what they meant: 1. 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. He believed that Heaven ordains a certain course of life for each individual, including becoming a moral person. By 475 BCE, in the wake of 540 wars fought over the course of two centuries, only fifteen states remained (see Map \(\PageIndex{2}\)). This dynasty was the longest in Chinese history. 2. The Warring States Period lasted 254 years. 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. Han dynasty, Wade-Giles romanization Han, the second great imperial dynasty of China (206 bce-220 ce), after the Zhou dynasty (1046-256 bce). Other states came to the rescue, relocating the kings son, Prince Ping, to the eastern capital at Luoyang. Some would travel from state to state peddling schemes of administrative or military reform. Daoists even entertained the idea that one could become immortal. Legal. [12] Ju's son Liu,[13] however, led his people to prosperity by restoring agriculture and settling them at a place called Bin,[c] which his descendants ruled for generations. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Later generations of Chinese have regularly studied the Zhou dynasty for information regarding the origin of their civilization. But they fought even more fiercely. In the 8th century bce the political system, which had essentially consisted of a network of extended family, began to weaken seriously. Rather, they created a class of military commanders and specialists whose promotion was based on their ability to produce victories in the field. Eventually, a Daoist church developed, with its own ordained priesthood, temples, and monasteries. In 1046, with three-hundred chariots and 45,000 foot soldiers equipped with bronze armor and pole-mounted dagger-axes, he met and decisively defeated the last Shang king and his army. In 1046 BCE, a Zhou king overthrew the last Shang ruler and established control over much of north China. These lords dukes, marquis, earls, and baronsthen took their families, contingents of soldiers, and emblems of nobility to the granted territory and set up palaces and ancestral temples in walled towns. His young son took the throne, but was placed under the regency of Wus capable brother, the Duke of Zhou. Being appointed, they could move from one state to another. Over the next two centuries, this title changed hands several times, going to the lord of the most powerful state. How did warlords weaken the Zhou Dynasty? Eventually, these states acquired more power than the king, beginning a period of conflict that is known, appropriately, as the Warring States Period. The wars of the Warring States were finally ended by the most legalist state of all, Qin. Large bronzes were cast to commemorate these occasions (see Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\)). They did this by asserting that their moral superiority justified taking over Shang wealth and territories, and that heaven had imposed a moral mandate on them to replace the Shang and return good governance to the people.[38]. Like other young men of similar background, he had access to education and could aspire to serve in some capacity in a feudal state, perhaps at the lords court, or as an official or soldier. 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. Over the next two centuries, this title changed hands several times. All farming lands were owned by nobles, who then gave their land to their serfs, a situation similar to European feudalism. 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. 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. But unexpected events such as solar eclipses or natural calamities threw the ruling house's mandate into question. The capital was sacked, and he was killed. Over time, this decentralized system became strained as the familial relationships between the Zhou kings and the regional dynasties thinned over the generations. Hence, battles became increasingly bloody and bitter, and victory went to those kings who could field the most effective killing machines. They presented a universe with multiple heavenly and hellish realms populated with divinities and demons. This Heaven is less a deity than a higher moral order, a kind of beneficent presence. Heaven has given birth to the virtue that is in me. 1 (7.22) Interpreters of Confucius have rightly noted that he is quite silent about the supernatural and what happens after death, rather emphasizing the life we have and serving others. A "King Hui" was declared, but his splinter state was fully removed by 249 BC. Instead, this warrior nobility engaged in an escalating contest for power and prestige. 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. Rather, the mind must be emptied out, calmed, and purified, until desires are absent and a primordial, natural condition is restored. Lacquerware including gold and silver inlay became finely developed, and bronzework carried on from the great legacy of the Shang. The Sui Dynasty was a short, intense dynasty, with great conquests and achievements, such as the Grand Canal and the rebuilding of the Great Wall. Finally, these rulers no longer relied solely on close kinsmen to wage war alongside them. After a series of wars among these powerful states, King Zhao of Qin defeated King Nan of Zhou and conquered West Zhou in 256 BCE; his grandson, King . [2], China's first projects of hydraulic engineering were initiated during the Zhou dynasty, ultimately as a means to aid agricultural irrigation. In 1046 BCE, the Shang Dynasty was overthrown at the Battle of Muye, and the Zhou Dynasty was established. Both the purpose and conduct of warfare changed. [51] Other possible cultural influences resulting from Indo-European contact in this period may include fighting styles, head-and-hooves burials, art motifs and myths. To achieve these goals, techniques were developed, including special dietary regimens, yoga, Chinese boxing, meditation, and alchemy. Two major philosophical traditions emerged to address these issues: Confucianism and Daoism. The partition of the Jin state created seven major warring states. Second, they issued proclamations explaining to conquered peoples why they should accept Zhou rule. Confucius lived just prior to the Warring States Period (551-479 BCE). The manual of military strategy and tactics attributed to him stresses the importance of formulating a strategy that insures victory prior to any campaigning. Rather, they created a class of military commanders and specialists whose promotion was based on their ability to produce victories in the field. In 771 BCE, in what became a telling sign of weakness, the Zhou king was murdered and his young successor was compelled to relocate farther east, to a capital closer to the heart of the North China Plain. But this goal wont be accomplished through more seeking and more knowledge. After 540 wars were fought over two centuries, only fifteen states remained by 475 BCE (see Map \(\PageIndex{2}\)). It lasted for over 800 years and included the reigns of 37 emperors. In this capacity, Duke Huan had the authority to resolve disputes between nobles on behalf of the king. This period, in the second half of the Eastern Zhou, lasted from about 475-221 BCE, when China was united under the Qin Dynasty. Chinas three major pre-modern philosophical and religious traditions are Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. [41][42] According to Tao (1934: 1731), "the Tsung-fa or descent line system has the following characteristics: patrilineal descent, patrilineal succession, patriarchate, sib-exogamy, and primogeniture"[43]. This official document defined times for undertaking agricultural activities and celebrating rituals. To support the empire in the east and its loyal feudal rulers, an eastern capital was built at Luoyang on the middle reaches of the Huang He. 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. His father died about the time Confucius was born, and he was raised by his mother, who also passed away when Confucius was young. 5. For him, nobility was defined not by birth but rather by character and conduct. Ji Zhao, a son of King Nan, led a resistance against Qin for five years. . Instead, he gained an avid following of 70 students, whom he accepted regardless of their social status. During the Warring States, rulers introduced large armies composed of mass infantry and cavalry. Decorum was important to Confucius. The principal purpose of these Daoists was to attend to a persons physical and psychological well-being. After he died, they passed on his teachings, and a school of thought emerged from his teachings known as Confucianism. ), known as the Western Zhou (1046-771 B.C. Now, many generations later, his state was a formidable power on the east coast. The noble man does not abandon humaneness for so much as the space of a meal. (4.5) For Confucius, the highest virtue is humanity, and many of his conversations center upon defining what it is that makes a person humane. Therefore, they devised better ways to control land in their realms. 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. Their central concept is the Dao (Way). It was technically the longest dynasty, though the Zhouhad effectively lost power by 770 BC. The Shang Dynasty is the earliest ruling dynasty of China to be established in recorded history, though other dynasties predated it. 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. The first qualification for a ruler or one who serves is moral rectitude. During the Zhou dynasty, centralized power decreased throughout the Spring and Autumn period until the Warring States period in the last two centuries of the dynasty. From there, these illustrious lineages governed a predominantly rural population of farmers living in villages where life was not easy. The noble person is concerned with rightness, the small person is concerned with profit. (4.16) Confucius redefined the meaning of nobility. The Mandate of Heaven was presented as a religious compact between the Zhou people and their supreme god in heaven. Thus, the dynasty had lost this sanction. [49][50] Recent archaeological finds demonstrate similarities between horse burials of the Shang and Zhou dynasties and Indo-European peoples in the west. Over time, ties of kinship lost their meaning. A noble looked for a pretext to engage in a vendetta with another lord, at which point a battle was arranged and then carried out according to the protocols of chivalry. King Hui of Zhou married a princess of the Red Di as a sign of appreciation for the importance of the Di troops. [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". A noble looked for a pretext to engage in a vendetta with another lord, at which point a battle was arranged and then carried out according to the protocols of chivalry. The greatest Chinese philosophers, those who made the greatest impact on later generations of Chinese, were Confucius, founder of Confucianism, and Laozi, founder of Taoism. They know the golden rule: what you would not want for yourself, he taught, do not do to others. (15.23) Confucius emphasized that a society cannot function if people are incapable of taking others perspectives and doing their best for them. (ed. According to Nicholas Bodman, the Zhou appear to have spoken a language not basically different in vocabulary and syntax from that of the Shang;[16] a recent study by David McCraw, using lexical statistics, reached the same conclusion. (View the image of a Warring States Period soldier at the following link: http://brandonqindynasty.weebly.com/9/8580061.jpeg. The third policy the Zhou court adopted was to dispatch royal kinsmen to strategically critical locations for the purpose of establishing colonies. The dukedom fell in 249 BC. NB: Dates in Chinese history before the first year of the Gonghe Regency in 841 BC are contentious and vary by source. Over time, however, Zhou kinship feudalism failed to function as intended by the founding rulers. 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. Taibo and Zhongyong had supposedly already fled to the Yangtze delta, where they established the state of Wu among the tribes there. [55] The Zhou wanted to increase the number of enlightenment seekers, mystics, and those who would be interested in learning about such things as a way to further distance their people from the Shang-era paradigm and local traditions. When King Ping was relocated to Luoyang, he ruled from a much smaller royal domain surrounded by approximately 150 feudal states and their lords. The king and his regent did so by implementing three policies. For a king, however, these men might become an obstacle or pose a threat because they held this land hereditarily. During the Zhou dynasty, China underwent quite dramatic changes. From there, they governed a predominantly rural population of farmers living in villages where life was not easy. [51], The Zhou army also included "Barbarian" troops such as the Di people. Upon being elected as their leader, the Zhou king conferred the title of hegemon. [17][e] The Zhou emulated extensively Shang cultural practices, perhaps to legitimize their own rule,[20] and became the successors to Shang culture. Many of its members were Shang, who were sometimes forcibly transported to new Zhou to produce the bronze ritual objects which were then sold and distributed across the lands, symbolizing Zhou legitimacy.[38]. 1: From Earliest Times to the Present, 44-63. 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. The noble person, filial piety, humaneness, etiquette, Heaven, and government by men of virtue are just some of the ideas Confucius discussed as he traveled the feudal states seeking to advise their lords. Updates? The definition of the Way was broadened to include the idea that individuals have a spiritual essence in need of harmonizing and liberation. 256 BCE. His father died about the time Confucius was born, and he was raised by his mother, who also passed away when Confucius was young. There were also two-story buildings and observation towers, and Laozi mentions a nine-story tower. Fengjian. In addition, he insisted that such virtues as humanity are most fully demonstrated when individuals observe good etiquette. Over time, Zhou kings ability to control the noble lords diminished over time, and their prestige suffered accordingly. Instead, this warrior nobility engaged in an escalating contest for power and prestige. Daoists also developed communal prayers and rituals that could cure illness, free souls from hell, win blessings from heaven, and eliminate sins from the community. Among them, the most successful was the state of Qin, which eventually conquered all of China and became an empire. Corrections? Living in hovels and with little opportunity to leave their lords manors, these farmers were required to work his lands and also to submit a portion of the harvest from their own small farms. These nobles were allowed to rule their own lands hereditarily, so long as they observed certain obligations to their king. This was King Wen (Cultured King), a ruler revered as the founder of the Zhou dynasty. After the move, the Zhou dynasty was weakened even more by a threat from within. In 771 BCE, in what became a telling sign of weakness, the Zhou king was murdered and his young successor was compelled to relocate farther east, to a capital closer to the heart of the North China Plain. Second, Zhou kings were unable to impose their will on feuding feudal lords and were even defeated by them in several military campaigns. The last Zhou king is traditionally taken to be Nan, who was killed when Qin captured the capital Wangcheng[1] in 256 BC. After the Xia and Shang, the next major dynasty in Chinese history is the Zhou Dynasty (1045 256 BCE). 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. A lesser line is the line of younger sons going back no more than five generations. He taught how a person becomes moral because a good society only develops when composed of and led by virtuous people. 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. Stratagem is critical. When the Qin dynasty fell and was replaced by the Han dynasty, many Chinese were relieved to return to the more humane virtues of Confucius. Men farmed, and women spun cloth. Historians believe the Old Master was a fictional sage invented by Warring States Period philosophers who compiled the book attributed to him.