Western Zhou
Encyclopedia
The Western Zhōu period (1046–771 BCE) was the first half of the Zhou Dynasty
of ancient China. It began when King Wu of Zhou
overthrew the Shang Dynasty
at the Battle of Muye
. C.H. Wang refers to the account of King Wu's victory over the Shang Dynasty in the Chinese Book of Songs as the "Weniad" (a name that parallels The Iliad), seeing it as part of a greater narrative discourse in China that extols the virtues of wén over more military interests.
The dynasty was successful for about seventy-five years and then slowly lost power. The former Shang lands were divided into hereditary fiefs which became increasingly independent of the king. In 771, barbarians drove the Zhou out of the Wèi River
Valley; afterwards that real power was in the hands of the king's nominal vassals.
King Wu died two or three years after the conquest. Because his son, King Cheng of Zhou
was young, his brother, the Duke of Zhou
assisted the young and inexperienced king as regent. Wǔ's other brothers (Shu Du of Cai
, Guan Shu, and Huo Shu), concerned about the Duke of Zhou's growing power, formed an alliance with other regional rulers and Shāng remnants in a rebellion. The Duke of Zhou stamped out this rebellion and conquered more territory to bring other peoples under Zhōu rule. The Duke of Zhou also formulated the Mandate of Heaven
doctrine to counter Shang claims to a divine right of rule and founded Luoyang
as an eastern capital. With a feudal fengjian
system, royal relatives and generals were given fiefs in the east, including Luoyang, Jin, Ying, Lu, Qi and Yan. While this was designed to maintain Zhou authority as it expanded its rule over a larger amount of territory, many of these became major states when the dynasty weakened. When the Duke of Zhou stepped down as regent, the remainder of Cheng's reign (1042–1021 BCE) and that of his son King Kang of Zhou
(1021–996 BCE) seem to have been peaceful and prosperous.
(996–977 BCE) led an army south against Chǔ
and was killed along with a large part of the Zhōu army. The fifth king, King Mu of Zhou
(977–922 BCE) is remembered for his legendary visit to the Queen Mother of the West. Territory was lost to the Xu Rong in the southeast. The kingdom seems to have weakened during Mù's long reign, possibly because the familial relationship between Zhou Kings and regional rulers thinned over generations so that fiefs that were originally held by royal brothers were now held by third and fourth cousins; peripheral territories also developed local power and prestige on par with that of the Zhōu royal family.
The reigns of the next four kings (King Gong of Zhou
, King Yi of Zhou (Ji Jian)
, King Xiao of Zhou
, and King Yi of Zhou (Ji Xie)
) (922-878 BCE) are poorly documented. The ninth king is said to have boiled the Duke of Qi in a cauldron, implying that the vassals were no longer obedient. The tenth king, King Li of Zhou
(877–841 BCE) was forced into exile and power was held for fourteen years by the Gonghe Regency. Li's overthrow may have been accompanied by China's first recorded peasant rebellion. When Lì died in exile, Gonghe retired and power passed to Li's son King Xuan of Zhou
(827–782 BCE). King Xuan worked to restore royal authority, though regional lords became less obedient later in his reign.
The twelfth and last king of the Western Zhou period was King You of Zhou
(781–771 BCE). When You replaced his wife with a concubine, the former queen's powerful father, the Marquess of Shen
, joined forces with Quanrong
barbarians to sack the western capital of Haojing
and kill King You in 770 BCE. Most of the Zhōu nobles withdrew from the Wei River
valley and the capital was reestablished downriver at the old eastern capital of Chengzhou near modern-day Luoyang. This was the start of the Eastern Zhou period.
It is possible that the Zhou kings derived most of their income from royal lands in the Wei valley. This would explain the sudden loss of royal power when the Zhou were driven east, but the matter is hard to prove. In recent decades, archaeologists have found a significant number of treasure hoards that were buried in the Wei valley about the time the Zhou were expelled. This implies that the Zhou nobles were suddenly driven from their homes and hoped to return, but never did.
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
of ancient China. It began when King Wu of Zhou
King Wu of Zhou
King Wu of Zhōu or King Wu of Chou was the first sovereign, or ruler of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. The dates of his reign are 1046-1043 BCE or 1049/45-1043. Various sources quoted that he died at the age of 93, 54 or 43. He was considered a just and able leader. Zhou Gong Dan was one of his...
overthrew the Shang Dynasty
Shang Dynasty
The Shang Dynasty or Yin Dynasty was, according to traditional sources, the second Chinese dynasty, after the Xia. They ruled in the northeastern regions of the area known as "China proper" in the Yellow River valley...
at the Battle of Muye
Battle of Muye
The Battle of Muye was fought in China perhaps 1046 BC. The battle led to the end of the Shang dynasty, and the beginning of the Zhou dynasty.-Background:...
. C.H. Wang refers to the account of King Wu's victory over the Shang Dynasty in the Chinese Book of Songs as the "Weniad" (a name that parallels The Iliad), seeing it as part of a greater narrative discourse in China that extols the virtues of wén over more military interests.
The dynasty was successful for about seventy-five years and then slowly lost power. The former Shang lands were divided into hereditary fiefs which became increasingly independent of the king. In 771, barbarians drove the Zhou out of the Wèi River
Wei River
The Wei River is a major river in west-central China's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It is the largest tributary of the Yellow River and very important in the early development of Chinese civilization....
Valley; afterwards that real power was in the hands of the king's nominal vassals.
Civil war
Few records survive from this early period and accounts from the Western Zhou period cover little beyond a list of kings with uncertain dates.King Wu died two or three years after the conquest. Because his son, King Cheng of Zhou
King Cheng of Zhou
King Cheng of Zhou or King Ch'eng of Chou was the second sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. The dates of his reign are 1042-1021 BC or 1042/35-1006 BC King Cheng was young when he ascended the throne...
was young, his brother, the Duke of Zhou
Duke of Zhou
The Duke of Zhou played a major role in consolidating the newly-founded Zhou Dynasty . He was the brother of King Wu of Zhou, the first king of the ancient Chinese Zhou Dynasty...
assisted the young and inexperienced king as regent. Wǔ's other brothers (Shu Du of Cai
Shu Du of Cai
Shu Du of Cai or Caishu Du, born as Ji Du , was the first ruler of the State of Cai from 1046 BC until his death. He was the fifth son of King Wen of Zhou and his wife Taisi...
, Guan Shu, and Huo Shu), concerned about the Duke of Zhou's growing power, formed an alliance with other regional rulers and Shāng remnants in a rebellion. The Duke of Zhou stamped out this rebellion and conquered more territory to bring other peoples under Zhōu rule. The Duke of Zhou also formulated the Mandate of Heaven
Mandate of Heaven
The Mandate of Heaven is a traditional Chinese philosophical concept concerning the legitimacy of rulers. It is similar to the European concept of the divine right of kings, in that both sought to legitimaze rule from divine approval; however, unlike the divine right of kings, the Mandate of...
doctrine to counter Shang claims to a divine right of rule and founded Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
as an eastern capital. With a feudal fengjian
Fengjian
Fēngjiàn is the political ideology of the Zhou Dynasty of ancient China. Fengjian is a "decentralized system of government," comparable to European feudalism, though recent scholarship has suggested that fengjian lacks some of the fundamental aspects of feudalism.-Ranks:The sizes of troops and...
system, royal relatives and generals were given fiefs in the east, including Luoyang, Jin, Ying, Lu, Qi and Yan. While this was designed to maintain Zhou authority as it expanded its rule over a larger amount of territory, many of these became major states when the dynasty weakened. When the Duke of Zhou stepped down as regent, the remainder of Cheng's reign (1042–1021 BCE) and that of his son King Kang of Zhou
King Kang of Zhou
King Kang of Zhou or King K'ang of Chou was the third sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. The dates of his reign are 1020-996 BC or 1005-978 BC ....
(1021–996 BCE) seem to have been peaceful and prosperous.
Further kings
The fourth king, King Zhao of ZhouKing Zhao of Zhou
King Zhao of Zhou or King Chao of Chou was the fourth sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. The dates of his reign are 995-977 BC or 977/75-957 ....
(996–977 BCE) led an army south against Chǔ
Chu (state)
The State of Chu was a Zhou Dynasty vassal state in present-day central and southern China during the Spring and Autumn period and Warring States Period . Its ruling house had the surname Nai , and clan name Yan , later evolved to surname Mi , and clan name Xiong...
and was killed along with a large part of the Zhōu army. The fifth king, King Mu of Zhou
King Mu of Zhou
King Mu of Zhou or King Mu of Chou or Mu Wang or Mu Wang was the fifth sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. The dates of his reign are 976-922 BC or 956-918 BC.-Life:...
(977–922 BCE) is remembered for his legendary visit to the Queen Mother of the West. Territory was lost to the Xu Rong in the southeast. The kingdom seems to have weakened during Mù's long reign, possibly because the familial relationship between Zhou Kings and regional rulers thinned over generations so that fiefs that were originally held by royal brothers were now held by third and fourth cousins; peripheral territories also developed local power and prestige on par with that of the Zhōu royal family.
The reigns of the next four kings (King Gong of Zhou
King Gong of Zhou
King Gong of Zhou or King Kung of Chou was the sixth sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. Estimated dates of his reign are 922-900 BC or 917/15-900 ....
, King Yi of Zhou (Ji Jian)
King Yi of Zhou (Ji Jian)
King Yi of Zhou or King I of Chou was the seventh sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. Estimated dates of his reign are 899–892 BC or 899–873 BC ....
, King Xiao of Zhou
King Xiao of Zhou
King Xiao of Zhou or King Hsiao of Chou was the eighth sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. Estimated dates of his reign are 891–886 BC or 872–866 BC ....
, and King Yi of Zhou (Ji Xie)
King Yi of Zhou (Ji Xie)
King Yi of Zhou or King I of Chou was the ninth sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. Estimated dates of his reign are 885–878 BC or 865–858 BC....
) (922-878 BCE) are poorly documented. The ninth king is said to have boiled the Duke of Qi in a cauldron, implying that the vassals were no longer obedient. The tenth king, King Li of Zhou
King Li of Zhou
King Li of Zhou was the tenth sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. Estimated dates of his reign are 877–841 BC or 857–842 BC ....
(877–841 BCE) was forced into exile and power was held for fourteen years by the Gonghe Regency. Li's overthrow may have been accompanied by China's first recorded peasant rebellion. When Lì died in exile, Gonghe retired and power passed to Li's son King Xuan of Zhou
King Xuan of Zhou
King Xuan of Zhou was the eleventh sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. Estimated dates of his reign are 827-782 BC or 827/25-782 BC.He worked to restore royal authority after the Gong He interregnum. He fought the 'Western Barbarians' and another group on the Huai River to the southeast. In...
(827–782 BCE). King Xuan worked to restore royal authority, though regional lords became less obedient later in his reign.
The twelfth and last king of the Western Zhou period was King You of Zhou
King You of Zhou
King You of Zhou was the twelfth sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty and the last of Western Zhou Dynasty. He reigned from 781 to 771 BCE.In 780 BCE, a major earthquake hit Guanzhong...
(781–771 BCE). When You replaced his wife with a concubine, the former queen's powerful father, the Marquess of Shen
Marquess of Shen
The Marquess of Shēn was a ruler of the State of Shēn during the Zhōu Dynasty period of Chinese history. A vassal state of the Zhōu Kings, Shēn state covered the area of modern day Nanyang City in Henan Province....
, joined forces with Quanrong
Quanrong
The Quǎnróng , literally "Dog Rong", were an ethnic group active in the north western part of China during the Zhōu and later dynasties. Their language is classified as part of the Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages family....
barbarians to sack the western capital of Haojing
Haojing
This article is about the ancient Zhou Dynasty capital, for Haojing'ao see MacauHaojing was one of the two settlements comprising the capital of the Western Zhou Dynasty , the other of which was Fēngjīng . Together they were known as Fēnghào and stood on opposite banks of the Feng River with...
and kill King You in 770 BCE. Most of the Zhōu nobles withdrew from the Wei River
Wei River
The Wei River is a major river in west-central China's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It is the largest tributary of the Yellow River and very important in the early development of Chinese civilization....
valley and the capital was reestablished downriver at the old eastern capital of Chengzhou near modern-day Luoyang. This was the start of the Eastern Zhou period.
It is possible that the Zhou kings derived most of their income from royal lands in the Wei valley. This would explain the sudden loss of royal power when the Zhou were driven east, but the matter is hard to prove. In recent decades, archaeologists have found a significant number of treasure hoards that were buried in the Wei valley about the time the Zhou were expelled. This implies that the Zhou nobles were suddenly driven from their homes and hoped to return, but never did.