Brief introduction of Zhou dynasty

The Zhou Dynasty (BC 1046-256) is the most famous and longest-lasting dynasty in China. The history of China is divided into two periods: the Western Zhou Dynasty (BC 1046-77 1) and the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (BC 77 1 -256). It was named China after the Shang Dynasty (BC 1600- 1046) and before the Qin Dynasty (BC 22 1-206, pronounced as "Qin").

The concept of Shang developed by Zhou included the mandate of heaven-believing that monarchs and rulers were appointed by God-which would influence the politics of China in the following centuries, and Zhou family cited it to dethrone and replace Shang.

A decentralized state appeared in the Western Zhou Dynasty, and its social class corresponded to the European feudal system. The land was owned by the nobles, and the king who was granted the land had a sense of honor and the peasants worked. The Western Zhou Dynasty died just before it was called the Spring and Autumn Period (772-476 BC). It was named after the national chronicle (Spring and Autumn Period) at that time and was famous for the progress of music, poetry and philosophy, especially the development of Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism and Legalism.

The Eastern Zhou Dynasty moved its capital to Luoyang, which continued the model of the Western Zhou Dynasty, but with the continuous disintegration of the Chinese empire, it was declared that Zhou had lost his destiny. The weakness of the king's position led to the chaotic era known as the Warring States Period (48 BC1-22 BC1), during which seven independent countries of China competed for hegemony. This period ended with the victory of Qin over other countries and the establishment of the Qin Dynasty. It tried to obliterate the achievements of the Zhou Dynasty and establish its supreme position.

The Zhou Dynasty made great cultural contributions in education, literature, philosophical schools and political and religious innovations.

The Zhou Dynasty made great cultural contributions in agriculture, education, military organization, China literature, music, schools of philosophy, social stratification and political and religious innovation. Many of these developments are based on the Shang Dynasty, but their recognized forms are entirely due to Zhou.

They established and maintained the culture for nearly 800 years, and promoted the development of some of the most famous names in the fields of art, metallurgy and China philosophy, including Confucius, Mencius, Mozi, Laozi and Sun Tzu. Life and writing are in a period called a hundred schools of thought contend, during which individual philosophers established their own schools. The contribution of the Zhou Dynasty laid the foundation for the development of China culture in later generations, especially in the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD), which will fully realize the value of the contribution of the Zhou Dynasty.

Shangwu zhouxing

Before the Zhou dynasty, the Shang dynasty overthrew the Xia dynasty (2700- 1600 BC) and declared itself autocratic. Later, the leader of Shang Dynasty, Tang (date unknown), stabilized the region and introduced a policy to encourage economic and cultural progress. Businessmen made full use of the fertile soil on both sides of the Yellow River, reaped a bumper harvest and used the surplus grain for trade. The resulting prosperity has promoted the development of cities (some of which are large in scale, such as Erligang), art and culture.

Businessmen are professional masons, jewelers and metallurgists. They created masterpieces of bronze and jade, and produced high-quality silk bolts. They developed the calendar, Oracle Bone Inscriptions's divination, writing, music and musical instruments, the concept of ancestor worship, Taoism and the religious concept that the monarch is ruled by the will of God.

The gods' recognition of the king is reflected in the prosperity of the land and the general well-being of the people. The decline of either side is interpreted as that the monarch violated the contract with the gods and should be deposed. Zhou (also known as Xin), the last emperor of Shang Dynasty, became as cruel as the early one. Challenged by (BC 1 152- 1056), he was overthrown by Wen's second son. BC 1046- 1043 reigned and became the first king of the Zhou Dynasty.

Western Zhou Dynasty

At first, King Wu imitated the model of Shang Dynasty and established a central government on both sides of Fenghe River, called Fenghao. Soon, Wu died, and his younger brother (reigned in 1042- 1035 BC) succeeded Wu Xiaozi Zheng (reigned in 1042- 1 year BC) to the throne. Duke Zhou is a legend, poet and soldier in the history of China. He is the author of the Book of Changes. He respectfully expanded his territory to the east until Woods retired as an adult and became Zhou Chengwang. However, not every region controlled by the Zhou Dynasty appreciated their policies. Encouraged by the faction that wanted to rule itself, rebellion broke out in the whole area.

Centralized * * * could not maintain the conquered large territory, so the ruling family sent reliable generals, family members and other nobles to establish a small country loyal to the king. Mention was made of the feudal ("establishment") policy, which dispersed * * * and distributed land to nobles who recognized Zhou Wang's hegemony. In the feudal policy, the feudal system was established, and the social hierarchy was from top to bottom:

king

noble

sir

Commercial tenant

labour

farmer

Every nobleman has established his own independent country, with his own legal system, tax law, currency and militia. They offered sacrifices and taxes to Zhou Wang and provided him with soldiers when necessary. In order to consolidate the position of the king, the concept of destiny has been more fully developed. The king died for the people in the capital, and the people paid tribute to his loyalty and service.

This is one of the few cases in the history of China where the upper class and the lower class cooperated for greater common interests.

The feudal policy was so successful that so many crops were produced. This prosperity proved that Zhou Wei had a destiny. The wealth generated encouraged the so-called minefield system, which divided the land into land cultivated by nobles and kings, and land for farmers and farmers. This is one of the few cases in the history of China where the upper class and the lower class cooperated for greater common interests.

Zhou Wenhua naturally prospered in this cooperation. The craft of bronzes became more complicated, and the metallurgical technology of Shang Dynasty was improved on the whole. China characters were compiled and literature developed, such as The Book of Songs, one of the five classics of China literature (written in 1 1 to the 7th century BC). The poems in The Book of Songs are widely sung in the court, which is considered to encourage moral behavior and sympathy for members of all walks of life.

However, this period of prosperity and relative peace will not last. Scholar Patricia Buckley Ebri commented:

From the beginning, the decentralized rule in the Western Zhou Dynasty contained the danger that the vassal power was so strong that he no longer obeyed the king's orders. With the passage of several generations, the distance between loyalty and blood relationship is getting farther and farther, which really happened. In 77 1 year BC, the king of Zhou was killed by the alliance of tribal governors. (38)

The demise of the Western Zhou Dynasty was most likely caused by the invasion of the Xirong (or Rong) ethnic group, which further undermined the stability of the region. The nobles moved the capital to Luoyang in the east, which made the historical period of the next week known as the Eastern Zhou Dynasty.

Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-256 BC)

As we all know, the Eastern Zhou Dynasty was chaotic and violent, but it managed to produce amazing creative and substantial literary, artistic and philosophical works. Since the Spring and Autumn Period of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, some etiquette and etiquette of the Western Zhou Dynasty have remained, but they will not last long. Chu, Han, Qi, Qin, Wei, Yan and Zhao are all better than Zhou Qiang. Nevertheless, people still think that Zhou has a destiny, so all countries try to prove that they are Zhou's heirs.

In the early years of the Spring and Autumn Period, there was chivalrous spirit, and the tactics of the seven countries were interlinked, and they could not stand each other. With the passage of time, this seemingly endless and meaningless war has become the way of life of China people in the Warring States Period. Sun Tzu's masterpiece The Art of War (500 BC) was written during this period, recording the commandments and strategies that can be used to defeat opponents, win wars and establish peace.

At that time, the reading volume of Sun Tzu's Art of War was unknown, but Sun Tzu was not the only one who tried to end the violence through strategy. The pacifist philosopher Mozi (also known as Mozi, 470-29 BC1) went to every state to provide his knowledge in strengthening urban defense and offensive tactics in combat. His idea is to provide every country with exactly the same advantages and to make all countries neutral. I hope they will realize the futility of further war and declare peace. However, his plan failed, because every state is like a stubborn gambler, believing that their next attack will bring great victory.

The politician's name is Yang (doctor). In 338 BC), after Sun Tzu led the army, he advocated all-out war, regardless of the old knight law, and emphasized the goal of winning by hook or by crook. Shang Yang's philosophy was adopted by Zheng. He started a brutal massacre, defeated other countries and established the first emperor of China, Qin Shihuang. With the demise of the Zhou Dynasty, the Qin Dynasty began to rule China.

Zhou lai manuscript

Qin will offset many of Zhou's progress, but it is impossible to completely rewrite history. The Zhou Dynasty drew on the achievements of the Shang Dynasty, and the Qin Dynasty also drew on the achievements of the Zhou Dynasty. For example, the Zhou Dynasty's progress in agriculture was maintained and improved, especially irrigation technology, dam construction and hydraulic technology, which helped Qin Shihuang build the Grand Canal.

The use of cavalry and chariots in China War (also the development of Shang Dynasty) was further developed by Zhou and retained by Qin. Zhou people raised equestrian to a very high level, thinking that it was an art form and a necessary condition for educating princes. Horses are considered very important. They are often buried or sacrificed with their owners to obtain the spiritual strength and protection that their energy can provide for the dead.

The most famous example is Qi Jinggong's Tomb (547-490 BC), which was discovered in Shandong on 1964. Although it has not been completely excavated, it is believed that it contains the remains of 600 horses to accompany the duke into the afterlife. All countries borrowed from Zhou's equestrian, and Ying Zheng actually made full use of Zhou's chariots and cavalry to subdue other countries.

Zhou divided the army into several groups and deployed them in different directions in the battle. Qin also maintained Zhou's metallurgy. Qin Shihuang made full use of the metalworking technology of the Zhou Dynasty, forcing the conquered countries to hand over their melted weapons and turn them into statues to celebrate his rule.

Zhou's contribution was in the field of art and culture, but it was abandoned by Qin. In the Spring and Autumn Period and the era when a hundred schools of thought contend, some of the most important philosophical thinkers in the world appeared. The main school was founded by Confucius (55 BC1-479 BC), whose famous Confucian precepts continued to influence China culture. Laozi (500 BC) compiled and founded the official Taoism, and Han Feizi (280-233 BC) was the founder of the Legalist School.

There are many little-known but still important philosophers, such as sophist Teng Shi (500 BC), hedonist Yang Zhu (440-360 BC) and politician and philosopher Yan Ying (578-500 BC). One of the most famous late philosophers is the famous Mencius (also known as Mangzi, 372-289 BC), who will compile Confucius' works and Xunzi (365,438 BC+00- 235 BC) and re-imagine Confucian ideals with a more pessimistic and pragmatic vision. All the works of these philosophers were ordered to be destroyed except Han Feizi, a legalist who was designated as a national policy by the State of Qin. Anyone who survived risked his life to be hidden by priests and intellectuals.

The musical contribution of the Zhou Dynasty was also underestimated by the Qin State, although it was fully recognized by the Han Dynasty. The core of the values of the Zhou Dynasty is the concept of ritual (ceremony) and music (music and dance), which is usually called ritual month. As scholar Johanna Liu explained, music is considered to be transformative:

Since the Zhou Dynasty, music has been regarded as an important course, including four subjects, in order to train the sons of the royal family and outstanding people of the country, so that they can become outstanding leaders in the future. In the Book of Rites, someone said ... "The direction of music won all honors, and its four subjects were taught. They arranged courses, poetry, history, etiquette, and the music of the former king to pay close attention to the completion of its scholars. (Shen, 65 years old)

Every piece of music has a corresponding dance, and the combination of these dances is considered to not only improve the personal moral quality, but also help to balance the essence of the universe. Confucius believes that music is a necessary condition for cultivating good character, especially for rulers. People who love music will act fairly and act fairly.

The Book of Rites, cited by Liu, is one of the ancient classics in China, and it was written in the period when a hundred schools of thought contended in the Zhou Dynasty. The Four Books and Five Classics —— which survived the burning of books in the State of Qin —— became the standard text of education in China. They are:

The Book of Rites (also known as the Book of the University)

doctrine of the mean

The Analects of Confucius

Mencius' works

I Ching

Poetry classics

Ritual classics

Historical classics

Chronicle of Spring and Autumn Period

For the same reason, these works are still being studied today: they are considered to not only educate individuals, but also enhance the soul and improve a person's overall character.

conclusion

These works can only appear under the impetus of the development of Zhou Dynasty characters. Zhou developed Oracle Bone Inscriptions, a Shang script, into Da Zhuan, Xiao Zhuan and Li Shu, so as to develop other scripts. Zhou's worship of ancestors promoted the development of religious thought, and their longing for fate will continue to influence China's dynasties for thousands of years.

If the Zhou Dynasty only trained philosophers like Confucius, that would be enough, but they did more than that. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, they established a decentralized but cohesive country, respecting and inspiring people from all social classes, not just the nobles and the rich. They constantly improve what they have inherited from businessmen and look for other ways to improve their lives and those of others.

During the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, they continued to develop the highest quality art, music, literature and philosophy even though the war continued. In fact, the nearly 800-year rule of the Zhou Dynasty had such a profound influence on all cultural levels that the destructive policies of the Qin Dynasty could not be erased. After the Qin Dynasty destroyed the Han Dynasty, Zhou's cultural contribution revived, and now it is no different from China's culture.