What is Duke Zhou?

Duke Zhou (real name Ji Dan, honorific "Sheng Yuan"), the fourth son of King Jichang of Zhou Wen, the younger brother of Ji Fa of Zhou Wuwang, was an outstanding politician, strategist, thinker and educator in the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty. The achievements of Duke Zhou's life can be summarized as follows: "One year to save the chaos, two years to save Yin, three years to practice election, four years to build, five years to make the camp into a week, six years to make the ceremony and music, and seven years to make the government king." After seven years of regency, he put forward various fundamental laws and regulations, improved the patriarchal clan system, enfeoffment system and well field system, and established the eldest son inheritance system in Zhou Dynasty.

Judging from the historical documents handed down from generation to generation, Duke Zhou's achievements were mainly military. Under the unstable situation in the Zhou Dynasty, Duke Zhou defeated Yin for the second time, unified the East and established a military center centered on Cheng Zhou. Politically, patriarchal clan system and enfeoffment system were established; Culturally, the system of rites and music is the epitome of Zhou Li.

Military achievements

Secondary Yin Ke

In the third year after the Yin Dynasty, BC 1024, he and Cai Shu encouraged Wu Genglu's father to rebel against Zhou. There are dozens of countries in the East, such as Xu, Yan, and so on, all of which had close relations with the Shang Dynasty. This is an extremely heavy blow to the Zhou Dynasty, which has just been established for more than three years. If the rebellion is not overcome, the Zhou Dynasty will face great difficulties, and the achievements made by Zhou Wenwang after decades of dismal operation will be destroyed. The Zhou royal family is in jeopardy. There are also people in the royal family who are skeptical about the duke of Zhou as king. This situation of internal and external attack put Duke Zhou in a very difficult situation. Duke Zhou first stabilized the internal affairs, safeguarded the unity and persuaded Taihe Zhao. After the Duke of Zhou unified internal opinions, the following year (before 1023) he set out to crusade against Guan, Cai and Wu Geng, so as to stabilize the rule of the Zhou Dynasty.

Taking the demise of Shang Dynasty and the armed rebellion activities such as "Three Governors" as lessons, the Duke of Zhou paid special attention to the political ethics, political science and diligent education of slave owners and their children, demanded that "respecting morality and protecting people", "respecting morality and being cautious about punishment", "filial piety" and "helping agriculture without escape", and advocated giving full play to the roles of "praise" and "embarrassment" of slave owners and civilians.

Defend the eighth division

After the second Yin Ke, the Duke of Zhou thought it necessary to expand the armed forces of the countries directly under his jurisdiction, so he incorporated the third prison army and built the eighth division, which was mainly composed of Zhou people and was stationed in the political center of Heluo area with the newly-built Chengzhou as the center to guard the Zhou Emperor, so it was called the "Eighth Division of Chengzhou". After the Eastern Expedition of the Duke of Zhou in the Western Zhou Dynasty, the Eighth Division of Chengzhou began to station troops in Chengzhou (Luoyi, now Luoyang, Henan). About twenty thousand people. The main task is to help Nanyi.

Duke Zhou moved the Yin immigrants to Chengzhou, and incorporated the troops stationed in the Shang homeland during the Western Zhou Dynasty, and established the Eighth Division of Yin, with about 20,000 people. The main task is to appease the East and monitor the adherents of Yin.

At the same time, the Sixth West Division was established to defend the western land where the Zhou people rose with Haojing as the center. Because it is located in the west, it is called the West Sixth Division, which is mainly composed of Zhou people.

The Eighth Division of Chengzhou, the Eighth Division of Yin and the Sixth Division were under the command of big noble or a big bureaucrat personally appointed by Emperor Zhou. It can be seen that the number of troops in the hands of Zhou Tianzi is as high as 100,000, which effectively ensures the normal operation of the slave state machine.

political economics

In terms of political power construction and various systems, Duke Zhou inherited the profit and loss system of the previous generation and formulated a set of laws and regulations, such as feudal system, patriarchal clan system and mining field system. They are orderly, which makes politics divided into monarch and minister, and there are extreme differences: there are large and small patriarchal clan systems; Economically, it is divided into public land and private land, so that the people will not lose farming.

Before the Duke of Zhou, Zhou did not establish the tenure system, and the successor of King Tai was not Tai Bohe, but Li. King Wu had a brother named Bo Yigao, but King Wen took King Wu Ji Fa as his prince. Since the Duke of Zhou, "Cheng Wang, Kang Wang, Mu Wang, * * * Wang and Yi Wang" have been handed down from generation to generation. This is no accident. The establishment of this system, that is, the eldest son inheritance system, should be attributed to the Duke of Zhou. After the establishment of the eldest son inheritance system, only the eldest son has the right to inherit, thus legally exempting brothers from competing for the throne and playing a role in stabilizing and consolidating the order of the ruling class. The eldest son inheritance system is the core of patriarchal clan system. Duke Zhou combined the patriarchal clan system with the political system and created a complete superstructure serving slavery. Zhou is a big family in the world, but for Zhou, the princes named Ji are small families. These vassals are all very big in their own countries, and all of them have the same surname as Doctor Qing, forming a pagoda-shaped structure, with Zhou at the top. One of the purposes of conferring governors with the same surname in the Zhou Dynasty was to form this political structure of combining blood, which was a big step forward compared with the alliance form in the Yin Dynasty. The Zhou Dynasty shared the same surname but never married, and the Emperor of Zhou regarded the princes with different surnames as nephews and uncles. Blood marriage constitutes the ruling system of Zhou people.

Cultural achievements

Culturally, Duke Zhou put forward the moral standard of "knowing morality and being cautious about punishment" and formulated a complete etiquette standard. In addition, Duke Zhou once proposed "respecting morality and protecting people", and the system of rites and music established a set of laws and regulations. His remarks can be found in various chapters of Shangshu, such as kim hyun and Wuyi. Duke Zhou also contributed to the creation of the Book of Changes. Duke Zhou was highly respected by Confucius and regarded as a saint by Confucianism. Duke Zhou's thoughts played a fundamental role in the formation of Confucianism, which was called Duke Zhou and Confucius in the Han Dynasty.

Perfect ceremony and music

Duke Zhou's ceremony is one of the most important achievements in his life. The ceremony originated very early. The word "li" appeared in Oracle Bone Inscriptions during the Yin and Shang Dynasties. According to Shuo Wen Jie Zi, ceremony is a performance, so judging the initial ceremony is only a specific ceremony for people to pray for ghosts and gods. Duke Zhou's "ritual making" is to meet the needs of arranging sacrificial ceremonies. According to blood relationship and rank identity, he formulated different codes of conduct between superiors and subordinates, between young and old, and between relatives and friends. Duke Zhou's "rites" played down the original meaning of "serving the gods to bring happiness", starting from the etiquette that people with different identities should follow, and finally became the basis and standard of patriarchal hierarchy.

Confucius once said: "Zhou gains and loses because of yin ceremony." Rites and music in the early Zhou Dynasty originated from Xia and Shang Dynasties. But at the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, the nobles of the Western Zhou Dynasty, headed by Duke Zhou, decided, supplemented and gathered, and gradually became a legal system. "The Book of Rites" says: "The ceremony is three hundred, and the ceremony is three thousand." Rites and music in Xia and Shang Dynasties were mainly used for offering sacrifices to gods and celebrating. "Shuo Wen Jie Zi" said: "Courtesy is also good, and the story is blessed." "Xunzi Book of Rites" says: "Going up to heaven and going down to earth, respecting ancestors and promoting your teacher, is the third book of Rites." The rites and music revised by Duke Zhou are mainly used to maintain the social hierarchy and promote moral ideals. Duke Zhou did not engage in rites and music, but reformed Yin rites to adapt to the new regime.

"Duke of Zhou Rites and Music" is not only a music song used to transform the sacrificial ceremony and replacement ceremony of Yin people, but also involves all aspects of ideology and social system. Wang Guowei said: "The system of Zhou people is very different from that of businessmen. On the one hand, it is the system of establishing a son and a government, on the other hand, it is the system of patriarchal funeral, on the other hand, it is the system of feudal children and princes. Second, the temple number system. Third, the unmarried surname system. " These social systems are different from those of the Yin people. Although they were not necessarily formulated by the Duke of Zhou himself when he was engaged in rites and music, they were gradually formed in concrete practice. However, what the Duke of Zhou did during his regency laid the foundation for the social system of the Zhou Dynasty.

It can be seen that the duke of Zhou saluted and made merry, which was not an unprecedented initiative. Instead, on the basis of summing up the experience of predecessors, we made a set of system to adjust the patriarchal clan system and code of conduct, combining with the original habits of Zhou clan.

The happiness of "human feelings are inevitable" was originally developed with human civilization. In China, music has a history of at least 9,000 years in China since Jia Hu bone flute formed a complete scale form. It not only reflects and expresses people's feelings, but also shows a variety of functional meanings. However, music, as a ceremony, should really start from Duke Zhou. There is no distinction between propriety and vulgarity in music. When music and rituals are compatible and fixed, routines and styles are formed. When music is used according to the concept of hierarchy, the number of musical instruments and the number of people who perform music and dance will be distinguished, which will become a stereotype under the concept of "serving". Thus, China's tradition of using music has formed two dominant clues or two systems, namely ritual music and pop music. The so-called music is divided into ritual music and popular music, and it is only because of the ritual music system that the significance of popular music is shown. In this sense, Duke Zhou's classification of functional music in the national sense is the first.

Respect heaven and protect the people

Duke Zhou's ceremony was not confined to princes, but he paid more attention to the lower class people. After the Pingsan Prison Rebellion, the Duke of Zhou ordered his brother Kang Shu to sing in Shangdu. In order to consolidate Zhou's rule, Zhou Gong successively issued various proclamations, from which we can get a glimpse of various policies formulated by Zhou Gong after summing up Xia Yin's ruling experience. The Duke of Zhou gave Wei Kangshu three letters, namely Gao Kang, Jiu Hao and Zi Cai.

He warned the young Kang Shu that the Shang Dynasty perished because Zhou Wang was addicted to drinking and whoring, so that the dynasty was in chaos and the princes upheld justice. He charged, "When you arrive at Yin Ruins, you should first ask to visit the sages and elders there and ask them why the Shang Dynasty flourished first and then died." Second, we must love the people. "Write the above description into three articles, namely Kang's patent, wine patent and catalpa material, and hand it over to Kang Shu according to the rules. Duke Zhou wrote three proclamations for Kang Shu because Kang Shu ruled the hearts of Yin people, and the problem was the most acute and complicated. Second, the Duke of Zhou conquered first, which was also the place where the Yin people concentrated, and after the victory of the war, Kang Shu was sealed earlier. Gao Kang, Jiu Hao and Zicai can be regarded as the policy program of the Duke of Zhou for the newly conquered areas. The three themes are "respecting heaven and protecting people" and "being cautious about punishment", so that the Yin people can settle down and engage in normal agricultural production and commercial activities after two consecutive major upheavals. But it is not always accommodating, drinking is impolite, unfilial and unfriendly. After Kang Shu went to Yin Ruins, he kept in mind Zhou Gongdan's entrustment, scrimped and saved, cared about the people, and made local officials live and work in peace and contentment.

The purpose of Gao Kang is to stabilize the Yin people, and the whole content is nothing more than "knowing morality and being cautious about punishment". Zhou Wenwang won the world because he was "observant and didn't dare to bully widows". The "king of sages" in the Yin Dynasty also helped and protected the people. One of the specific contents of "Mingde" is "protecting Yin people". "Cautious punishment" means doing things according to law, including the reasonable elements of Yin law. Punishment should not be abused. In some cases, it takes five or six days or ten days to decide. As for killing people and stealing goods, those who are "unfilial and unfriendly" should be "punished without forgiveness" The proclamation repeatedly emphasized "Kangmin", "Bao Min", "for the people" and "sublime". Tell Uncle Kang to be diligent and not covet comfort. "Destiny" is not fixed, only "wisdom and prudence". "Cautious punishment" is not the same as before, but giving consideration to Yin law and promoting Zhou law, so that Yin people can "become new people".

The wine patent is aimed at the drinking habits of Yin people. Brewing requires a lot of food, and this drinking habit is simply unbearable for Zhou people who started from agriculture. Duke Zhou did not completely ban alcohol, but he could still drink a little when there was a sacrificial ceremony. Drinking in groups is not good, and we can't let it go. Be sure to catch it and "kill it". "To kill" means that I will kill, not necessarily. Therefore, "returning to Zhou" means not to give the Yin people the impression that "the boy condemns the murderer". This is consistent with "protecting the people" and "protecting the people". We should be guided to "plant crops" or "lead cattle to wait on Jia from afar" to do business with adoptive parents. The former king of Yin, from Tang Cheng to Diyi, never dared to "entertain himself", let alone get together and drink. As for craftsmen drinking, it is another matter. Do not kill them. Educate them first. Obviously, policies are treated differently.

Zicai still advocates "Mingde" and opposes "regicide". As for people, don't kill each other and abuse each other. As for respecting widows, as for being a woman, tolerance is reasonable. From top to bottom, there is no cruelty, but "respecting the widowed", and "combining reason with tolerance" will naturally have a stable situation. The formation of this situation is not easy to get, and it is necessary to weed, prepare soil and repair ditches in the fields like farmers; Like the maintenance of houses, walls are often repaired, plastered with mud and covered with grass; Like a craftsman, he treats utensils, works hard for theseus, and then paints them with black paint and red paint. In a word, diligent use of virtue and protection of the people can "be king for ten thousand years".

The basic idea that runs through the three articles is to stabilize the Yin people, not to give them a cruel image, to be cautious in punishment and to engage in it according to law. As for the transformation of bad habits-alcoholism, one is to limit, the other is to guide and the third is to treat it differently. As a ruler, you should be diligent.

Gao Kang, Jiu Hao and Zi were the political strategies of the Duke of Zhou towards the conquered areas, while Todos was the policy towards the stubborn Yin people who moved to Luoyi. After the completion of Luoyi, how did this group of Yin stubborn people who built the city behave? This is an issue on the agenda. Tusi is a proclamation issued by Duke Zhou to Yin stubborn people. The full text is divided into two paragraphs. The first paragraph is to attack the heart and make Yin stubborn people obey the rule of Zhou people. The reason is that you scholars are not good, and God has given me a great life. "Small state week" is by no means my "dare to live forever" or "dare to seek a position". Just as your ancestors replaced Xia Jie, it is also "God will not protect" Xia Jie. Don't blame me for moving you from Tianshang (Big City) to the Western Heaven. I pity you. This is my destiny. The second paragraph is about giving them a way out of life and letting them live on the spot, with your fields and your house. "You still have your land, but you are still willing to stop." If you can obey orders, be a virtuous person and be appointed. God will have mercy on you, otherwise, you will not only lose your land, but I will also impose God's punishment on you.

Pilgrimage to Tang Ming

In ancient times, when the capital was established, it was in the yang position of the country. Need to build a building, take the image of heaven and earth, under the circle, surrounded by water. It's the Buzheng Hall, with four households and eight houses, and it teaches four sons by sound, which is called Tang Ming. Zhou Tang of "Examiner and Craftsman" Zheng Note: "Those who know the church are the church of politics and religion." Cai Yong's Zhang Sentence records its multiple functions: "Man is the Temple of Heaven, so he sacrifices. The family, the mansion of the Yin people, and the guild hall of the Zhou people are all among them. Therefore, the first room is called the main hall, the first room is called the big room, the hall is called the hall, the four seasons study is called the university, and the round water is called Biyong. Although the names are different, they are all the same. " "Poetry, Zhou Song, I will" indicates that he once "worshipped Tang Ming's king of literature".

At the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, Tang Ming was the most important vassal. When the vassal states appeared in front of the Duke of Zhou, the Duke of Zhou faced the South Station as the emperor, holding an axe screen. Princes and nobles stood on the middle rank opposite the Duke of Zhou in turn according to the five grades of male, male, male and female. East-West Platoon and East-West Gate, the stations of Yi, Man, Rong and Di are outside the east, south, west and north gates, and Jiucai, which is far away, stands in the south.

This meticulous arrangement of the emperor's pilgrimage etiquette can undoubtedly show very clearly that the hierarchy between emperors is up and down, so that each emperor can take his place and maintain the ruling order. This is the goal of Duke Zhou's ceremony. Regarding the time content of this Tang Ming activity, Tang Ming's position is exactly what the Duke of Zhou said: "In six years, the princes were there, the system of rites and music was granted, and the world was fully served." Preface to Qing Palace in Zhou Song said: "Qing Palace worships wang wen also. Duke Zhou became a vassal in Luoyi, and the rate was to worship King Wen. " Confucius' Shu: "In five years, Luo Yi became a vassal for six years, which is also the same thing that the Ming Dynasty vassal and Mingtangwei did." In The Book of Rites, Duke Zhou's vassal in Tang Ming was a part of a series of celebrations one year after Duke Zhou's successful establishment of Luoyi. In addition, he also led the princes' temple fair to worship King Wen, awarded weights and measures, promoted the unification of government decrees, and made the ritual and music system the focus of this year's work. Thus, Duke Zhou's career reached the pinnacle of success.