Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou dynasty ( Chinese 周朝 , Pinyin Zhōucháo , W.-G. Chou ) is divided into a western dynasty with the capital Zongzhou / Hao (around 1122 / 1045–770 BC) and an eastern dynasty with the capital Chengzhou at Luoyang (770-256 BC) divided. The relocation of the capital followed the invasion of nomads , who killed King You in 771 and sacked the old capital.
The Zhou dynasty followed the Shang dynasty and was replaced by the Qin dynasty .
To the chronology
Another traditional division relates to the existence of imperial annals in the Duchy of Lu for the years 722–481, according to which one can divide into a period of spring and autumn annals (770–476 BC) and the subsequent Warring States period ( 476–221 BC). This classification is an alternative to the "time of the late / eastern Zhou".
The historical dating is to 841 BC. Chr. Unclear. Only for the following period does the historian Sima Qian (145–84 BC) begin with a generally accepted dating. For this reason, for example, there are still different dates for the establishment of the Western Zhou today. The two traditional dates for this are 1122 BC. BC and 1111 BC BC, but in more recent times, based on new investigations into the Zhou bronze inscriptions and the bamboo annals, the tendency is to go to a later date, around 1050 BC. BC to 1045 BC This fact should be noted for the following dates.
The early / western Zhou
The ancestry of the dynasty is traced back to an agriculture minister of the mythological emperor Shun , who received a fiefdom in Shaanxi . His descendant Dan-fu became Duke of Zhou, and his great-grandson Fa alias King Wu overthrew the Shang or (more precisely) Yin dynasty.
The last Yin king Zhouxin (1154–1122 BC) was a tyrant who is said to have committed various atrocities. In addition, he imprisoned the Zhou Duke Chang (posthumously: Wen Wang, Zhōu Wén Wáng 周文王) for two years until his relatives could obtain the release with all sorts of gifts. While in captivity, Chang is said to have studied the Fu Xi trigrams and even started the I-Ching . After Chang was reinstated due to the difficult situation, he left his son Fa with instructions to overthrow the Yin.
In the meantime, King Zhouxin lost many followers and had to deal with the Huai barbarians , which Fa took advantage of to invade Henan . He beat rebels in the immediate vicinity of the capital, which revealed the balance of power in the empire to everyone and led to a general uprising. In the battle of Muye (chariot, infantry), King Zhouxin was defeated by Duke Fa alias King Wu (r. 1122–1117 BC), whereupon he committed suicide by defeating the palace Lu Tai (Chin.. ) set on fire.
The Zhou rule initially remained uncertain. Various barbarian tribes surrendered, namely the I-barbarians on the coast in the east, the inhabitants in the south under the term Man barbarians and the Lü barbarians in the west. Zongzhou / Hao in the Wei Valley ( Shaanxi Province ) became the capital. Numerous heirs of well-known origins were appointed feudal lords - and rose at the first opportunity. The new Zhou King Cheng (r. 1115-1078 BC) remained victorious with the help of the regent Dan (his uncle, sat in Lu in Shandong ) and his son Bo-kin. An imperial constitution was introduced under King Cheng, and the first copper money is said to have been poured.
King Chao (1052–1001 BC) repeatedly led military campaigns against the barbarians in the Yangtze region and appears to have drowned on the last one. King Mu (1001–946 BC) introduced a new penal code, which included that one could buy oneself out of corporal punishment (and so fill the state coffers). Mu also dealt with the Quanrong (i.e. canine) barbarians in the northwest and, according to tradition, tried to advance to the Tarim Basin . It is a time of expansion and colonization in all directions. Mu is also said to have visited Xi Wang Mu .
Nothing significant is reported from the time of the following four rulers, apart from the establishment of the Duchy of Qin in 936 BC. Chr.
The fifth successor to King Mu, King Li (878–827 BC), was a tyrant who also unsuccessfully led fourteen armies against the barbarians in the south and southeast. When Li was chased out of the capital by a revolt, the Duke of Zhao saved his son. This, King Xuan (827-782 BC), was made king in exile and had to hold back the neighbors in the north, especially the Jiangrong and Quanrong barbarians (the latter also: Yanyun), who may have been horsemen. Xuan, who had become vicious and vicious towards the end of his life, was followed by his son You (781–771 BC), who lost all support in the empire due to such an attitude.
King You found no help when the Quanrong from northwest Shaanxi attacked. He was killed and the capital Hao ransacked.
The late / eastern Zhou
An army of feudal lords then drove out the barbarians and the new King Ping (770–719 BC, son of King You) moved the capital to Chengzhou near Luoyang ( Henan Province ) to protect himself from further attacks. Xiang Qin covered his retreat and was in favor of King Ping with old core countries of the Zhou invested . At this point the rise of Qin State began as the border guard of the Chinese heartland to the northwest. The state of Jin expanded to the north and the state of Qi to the northeast . While the princes of the aforementioned border countries grew on the periphery, the Chinese heartland itself remained subdivided into the fiefdoms of the long-established princes.
When Zhuang von Zheng , the ruler of Zheng , what Zhou King Huan (719–696 BC) saw as inappropriately great power, Huan wanted to put Zheng in his place. After Huan's defeat in 707 BC. BC, during which the king was also injured, but his authority was finally shattered. A few years later, Wu von Chu , prince in the mighty southern Chu , also assumed the title of king ( Wang ), since his title at court ("vice count") was humiliating in dealing with his own vassals and the barbaric kingdoms of distant southern China. In the period that followed, Chu, as an initially underdeveloped border region in the south, formed the powerful opposite pole to the northern border countries Qin, Jin and Qi, which stood on the side of the Zhou court and saw in Chu the threat to the old feudal order - but also its own independence from Royal court. Very soon the Zhou were just one power factor among many, and from around 450 BC. Only of cultural and ceremonial importance.
The conflicts between the most powerful princes of the Zhou Empire, who fought with each other in changing alliances for supremacy ( hegemony ), were at the same time the backdrop of an era of fundamental innovations in economy, culture and philosophy, in which concepts such as centralization and state monopolies were to be found and developed the schools of Confucianism and Taoism . Contemporary authors complained in the Spring and Autumn period and then in the Warring States Period but rather a neglect of public order or betrayal, assassination, civil war and attacks by barbarians . The long disempowered (eastern) Zhou dynasty was founded in 256 BC. Eliminated by the Qin Dynasty .
State and economy, changes / developments
The empire was divided into 9 provinces and around 1700 fiefdoms. There were 5 classes of feudal lords, a court with royal inspection trips and a diplomatic protocol for the dealings between the king and his liege lords. Three grand dukes and six ministers acted as state administration.
The power of the feudal lords was based on the number of their chariots, their religious privileges (sacrifices, dances, hymns), the age of their traditions, their relationship with the royal family and of course their wealth. Bronze vessels were used for the cult of ancestors, their inscriptions contained references to the rank of the family concerned. Overall, the cohesion of the state was determined by a complex system of cult hierarchies and rites .
There were taxes ("middle square"), forced labor (3 out of 10 days) and military service. In the 6th century. v. For example, one records the agricultural tax in the states of Lu and Zheng , weapons and grain taxes replace military service. This contrasted with the Yin period , when the people were less burdened with labor and taxes, and was explained by the constant clashes of large families.
The laws were now written in bronze, but there were few officials to oversee them. One was content with the setting of examples.
The philosophy blossomed through Laozi , Confucius , Mengzi , Mo Zi , especially during the spring and autumn annals and the warring states due to the difficult circumstances. Wandering advisors (Confucius alone had 72 important students) tried to organize the partial states more effectively and to consolidate inner peace.
The tighter organization of the duchies led in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. BC also led to an economic boom and technical innovations. Agriculture was intensified, manure , cast iron tools (iron casting proven in 513 BC) and the chest harness, which no longer pushed the draft animals off the windpipe, were used. Furthermore, a distinction was made between several types of soil, irrigated and drained in large systems, whose designers have also been handed down by name.
As a result, the population increased in contrast to the early Zhou period. The way of waging war also changed from the ritualized privilege of the nobility to the unscrupulous use of large peasant armies, which could number more than 100,000 men. In this changed environment, the bases of power of the future Qin dynasty were formed .
Kings of the Zhou period
| Personal name | Posthumous name | Reign 1 | common name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ji Fa 姬發 |
Wuwang 武王 |
1046 BC Chr. - 1043 BC Chr. 1 | Zhou Wuwang (King Wu ) |
| Ji Song 姬 誦 |
Chengwang 成 王 |
1042 BC BC - 1021 BC Chr. 1 | Zhou Chengwang (King Cheng ) |
| Ji Zhao 姬 釗 |
Kangwang 康王 |
1020 BC Chr. - 996 BC Chr. 1 | Zhou Kangwang (King Kang ) |
| Ji Xia 姬 瑕 |
Zhaowang 昭王 |
995 BC Chr. - 977 BC Chr. 1 | Zhou Zhaowang (King Zhao ) |
| Ji Man 姬 滿 |
Muwang 穆王 |
976 BC BC - 922 BC Chr. 1 | Zhou Muwang (King Mu ) |
| Ji Yihu 姬 繄 扈 |
Gongwang 共 王 |
922 BC BC - 900 BC Chr. 1 | Zhou Gongwang (King Gong ) |
| Ji Jian 姬 囏 |
Yiwang 懿王 |
899 BC Chr. - 892 BC Chr. 1 | Zhou Yiwang ( King Yi ) |
| Ji Pifang 姬 辟 方 |
Xiaowang 孝王 |
891 BC Chr. - 886 BC Chr. 1 | Zhou Xiaowang (King Xiao ) |
| Ji Xie 姬 燮 |
Yiwang 夷 王 |
885 BC BC - 878 BC Chr. 1 | Zhou Yiwang ( King Yi ) |
| Ji Hu 姬 胡 |
Liwang 厲王 |
877 BC BC - 841 BC Chr. 1 | Zhou Liwang (King Li ) |
| Gonghe ( regent ) 共和 |
841 BC BC - 828 BC Chr. | Gonghe | |
| Ji Jing 姬 靜 |
Xuanwang 宣王 |
827 BC Chr. - 782 BC Chr. | Zhou Xuanwang (King Xuan ) |
| Ji Gongsheng 姬 宮 湦 |
Youwang 幽王 |
781 BC Chr. - 771 BC Chr. | Zhou Youwang (King You ) |
| End of Western Zhou / Beginning of Eastern Zhou | |||
| Ji Yijiu 姬 宜 臼 |
Pingwang 平王 |
770 BC Chr. - 720 BC Chr. | Zhou Pingwang (King Ping ) |
| Ji Lin 姬 林 |
Huanwang 桓王 |
719 BC Chr. - 697 BC Chr. | Zhou Huanwang (King Huan ) |
| Ji Tuo 姬 佗 |
Zhuangwang 莊王 |
696 BC Chr. - 682 BC Chr. | Zhou Zhuangwang (King Zhuang ) |
| Ji Huqi 姬 胡 齊 |
Xiwang 釐 王 |
681 BC Chr. - 677 BC Chr. | Zhou Xiwang (King Xi ) |
| Ji Lang 姬 閬 |
Huiwang 惠王 |
676 BC Chr. - 652 BC Chr. | Zhou Huiwang (King Hui ) |
| Ji Zheng 姬 鄭 |
Xiangwang 襄王 |
651 BC BC - 619 BC Chr. | Zhou Xiangwang (King Xiang ) |
| Ji Renchen 姬 壬 臣 |
Qingwang 頃 王 |
618 BC BC - 613 BC Chr. | Zhou Qingwang (King Qing ) |
| Ji Ban 姬 班 |
Kuangwang 匡 王 |
612 BC Chr. - 607 BC Chr. | Zhou Kuangwang (King Kuang ) |
| Ji Yu 姬 瑜 |
Dingwang 定 王 |
606 BC Chr. - 586 BC Chr. | Zhou Dingwang (King Ding ) |
| Ji Yi 姬 夷 |
Jianwang 簡 王 |
585 BC BC - 572 BC Chr. | Zhou Jianwang (King Jian ) |
| Ji Xiexin 姬 泄 心 |
Lingwang 靈王 |
571 BC BC - 545 BC Chr. | Zhou Lingwang (King Ling ) |
| Ji Gui 姬 貴 |
Jingwang 景 王 |
544 BC BC - 521 BC Chr. | Zhou Jingwang ( King Jing ) |
| Ji Meng 姬 猛 |
Daowang 悼王 |
520 BC Chr. | Zhou Daowang (King Dao ) |
| Ji Gai 姬 丐 |
Jingwang 敬王 |
519 BC Chr. - 476 BC Chr. | Zhou Jingwang ( King Jing ) |
| Ji Ren 姬 仁 |
Yuanwang 元 王 |
475 BC Chr. - 469 BC Chr. | Zhou Yuanwang (King Yuan ) |
| Ji Jie 姬 介 |
Zhendingwang 貞 定 王 |
468 BC Chr. - 442 BC Chr. | Zhou Zhendingwang (King Zhending ) |
| Ji Quji 姬 去 疾 |
Aiwang 哀王 |
441 BC Chr. | Zhou Aiwang (King Ai ) |
| Ji Shu 姬 叔 |
Siwang 思 王 |
441 BC Chr. | Zhou Siwang (King Si ) |
| Ji Wei 姬 嵬 |
Kaowang 考 王 |
440 BC BC - 426 BC Chr. | Zhou Kaowang (King Kao ) |
| Ji Wu 姬 午 |
Weiliewang 威烈 王 |
425 BC Chr. - 402 BC Chr. | Zhou Weiliewang (King Weilie ) |
| Ji Jiao 姬 驕 |
Anger 安 王 |
401 BC Chr. - 376 BC Chr. | Zhou Anwang (King An ) |
| Ji Xi 姬 喜 |
Liewang 烈 王 |
375 BC BC - 369 BC Chr. | Zhou Liewang (King Lie ) |
| Ji Bian 姬 扁 |
Xianwang 顯 王 |
368 BC BC - 321 BC Chr. | Zhou Xianwang (King Xian ) |
| Ji thing 姬 定 |
Shenjingwang 慎 靚 王 |
320 BC BC - 315 BC Chr. | Zhou Shenjingwang (King Shenjing ) |
| Ji Yan 姬 延 |
Nanwang 赧 王 |
314 BC BC - 256 BC Chr. | Zhou Nanwang (King Nan ) |
| Huiwang 惠王 |
255 BC BC - 249 BC Chr. | Zhou Huiwang (King Hui ) |
|
| 1 The first generally accepted year is 841 BC. The previous years are not certain and are controversial. The dates given here come from the Xia-Shang-Zhou Chronological Project initiated by the Chinese government , which published these numbers in 2000; they are used here for reference only. | |||
literature
- Li Feng: Landscape and power in early China. The crisis and fall of the Western Zhou, 1045-771 BC. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2006.
- Michael Loewe, Edward L. Shaughnessy (Eds.): The Cambridge History of Ancient China. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1999.
Web links
- Ah Xiang: Zhou Dynasty ( uglychinese.org )