why did the zhou dynasty last so long

He believed that Heaven ordains a certain course of life for each individual, including becoming a moral person. The fighting went on for three years before the rebellion was put down, and finally the Zhou solidified their reign over all of China. NB: Dates in Chinese history before the first year of the Gonghe Regency in 841 BC are contentious and vary by source. This period of Chinese history produced what many consider the zenith of Chinese bronzeware making. But unexpected events such as solar eclipses or natural calamities threw the ruling house's mandate into question. Prior to the Warring States Period, it was the norm for nobility to hand out land in their states to kinsmen, just as it had been for the king during the Western Zhou. Qi's son, or rather that of the Huj, Buzhu is said to have abandoned his position as Agrarian Master (Chinese: ; pinyin: Nngsh) in old age and either he or his son Ju abandoned their tradition, living in the manner of the Xirong and Rongdi (see HuaYi distinction). [39], Zhou legitimacy also arose indirectly from Shang material culture through the use of bronze ritual vessels, statues, ornaments, and weapons. Wary of the Duke of Zhou's increasing power, the "Three Guards", Zhou princes stationed on the eastern plain, rose in rebellion against his regency. However, aside from the presence of royal overseers, a hereditary lord enjoyed relative sovereignty in his own domain. They used this Mandate to justify their overthrow of the Shang, and their . It succeeded the Qin dynasty (221-207 bce). The wars of the Warring States were finally ended by the most legalist state of all, Qin. Instead, this warrior nobility engaged in an escalating contest for power and prestige. Stratagem is critical. In 1059, upon witnessing five planets align, the Zhou ruler declared himself king and proceeded to engage in military conquests that made his kingdom a . After the Xia and Shang, the next major dynasty in Chinese history is the Zhou Dynasty (1045 256 BCE). Legal. Rather, the mind must be emptied out, calmed, and purified, until desires are absent and a primordial, natural condition is restored. 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. Zhou kings remained there for the next five hundred years, during the period called the Eastern Zhou. Eventually, these states acquired more power than the king, beginning a period of conflict that is known, appropriately, as the Warring States Period. In return, the ruler was duty-bound to uphold heaven's principles of harmony and honor. Yet, it would be wrong to conclude that he wasnt religious in any sense, because he frequently spoke of Heaven. Later, Confucius asked him, Why did you not say: As a man, when agitated in thought he forgets to eat, joyfully forgetting his cares, not realizing that old age is near at hand?. The Zhou Dynasty collapsed slowly, over a period of hundreds of years, as the feudal rulers of outlying provinces gained more authority. )%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. This page titled 4.7: The Long Zhou Dynasty (1046- 256 BCE) is shared under a CC BY-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by George Israel (University System of Georgia via GALILEO Open Learning Materials) . Marriage and Family, Shanghai. From there, they governed a predominantly rural population of farmers living in villages where life was not easy. The Zhou Dynasty (1045-221 BC) saw China grow, fracture into states, then unite in imperialism. In about 771 b.c., the enemies attacked the Zhou capital of Hao. Ji Zhao, a son of King Nan, led a resistance against Qin for five years. The first qualification for a ruler or one who serves is moral rectitude. In the latter period, the Zhou court had little control over its constituent states that were at war with each other until the Qin state consolidated power and formed the Qin dynasty in 221 BC. 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Feudalism generally describes a political and economic system characterized by fragmented authority, a set of obligations (usually of a military nature) between lords and vassals, and grants of land (fiefs) by rulers in exchange for some type of service (see Chapters Three and Twelve). 4: China and East Asia to the Ming Dynasty, Book: World History - Cultures, States, and Societies to 1500 (Berger et al. This political theory, which is known as the Mandate of Heaven, would also be used by founders of later dynasties to justify their actions, as well as by theorists to explain the rise and fall of dynasties. Jade ornaments and objects were used lavishly for funerary and ritual purposes, and ornamental carvings reflected superb craftsmanship. [56] Upon being elected as their leader, the Zhou king conferred the title of hegemon. The Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BCE) was among the most culturally significant of the early Chinese dynasties and the longest lasting of any in China's history. A truly noble person is one who puts what is right before personal gain and the desire for wealth and fame. Consequently, society will become more orderly. 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. 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. According to one passage, a lord once asked one of Confuciuss students about his master, but the student fell silent. During the turmoil of the Warring States period, other individuals developed a philosophy very different from Confucianism called Daoism. But these centuries were not only marked by the growth of states and accelerating warfare between them. 4. Major philosophies and religions emerged that were the basis of Chinese belief in later eras, such as Confucianism and Daoism. As opposed to serving a lesson to and resolving some dispute with another lord, these self-declared kings waged war to destroy them and take their land. Two major philosophical traditions emerged to address these issues: Confucianism and Daoism. Second, Zhou kings were unable to impose their will on feuding feudal lords and were even defeated by them in several military campaigns. 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. Over the next two centuries, this title changed hands several times. Prior to the Warring States Period, Zhou kings were still accorded a level of respect, at least as symbols of unity and nominal heads of the Zhou feudal order. 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. Accessibility StatementFor more information contact us atinfo@libretexts.orgor check out our status page at https://status.libretexts.org. But these centuries were not only marked by the growth of states and accelerating warfare between them. In this capacity, Duke Huan had the authority to resolve disputes between nobles on behalf of the king. Finally, these rulers no longer relied solely on close kinsmen to wage war alongside them. Instead, he gained an avid following of 70 students, whom he accepted regardless of their social status. The Zhou Dynasty succeeded the Shang Dynasty. He held this title (duke) and fief (Qi) because his distant ancestor had served as a commander under King Wu during the Zhou founding. [51], The Zhou army also included "Barbarian" troops such as the Di people. Why did Qin build the Great Wall of China? The state theology of the Zhou dynasty used concepts from the Shang dynasty and mostly referred to the Shang god, Di, as Tian, a more distant and unknowable concept, yet one that anyone could utilize, the opposite view of the Shang's spirituality. [53], During the Zhou dynasty, the origins of native Chinese philosophy developed, its initial stages of development beginning in the 6th century BC.