Zhou dynasty

Lore & Background

According to Chinese mythology, the Zhou lineage began with Jiang Yuan, consort of Emperor Ku, who miraculously conceived Qi after stepping into a divine footprint. Qi, a culture hero, survived abandonment three times, greatly improved agriculture, and was granted lordship over Tai, the surname Ji, and the title Houji by Emperor Shun; he was later worshipped as a harvest god. The title Houji was likely hereditary. Qi’s son Buzhu abandoned his agricultural post in old age, and either he or his son Ju abandoned their traditions to live like the Xirong and Rongdi. Ju’s son Liu restored agriculture and settled his people at Bin, which his descendants ruled for generations. Tai later led the clan from Bin to Zhou in the Wei River valley. The duke passed over his elder sons Taibo and Zhongyong to favor the younger Jili, a warrior who conquered Xirong tribes as a Shang vassal before being killed by Shang forces. Taibo and Zhongyong fled to the Yangtze delta, founding the state of Wu. Jili’s son Wen moved the capital to Feng. Around 1046 BC, Wen’s son Wu, with ally Jiang Ziya, led 45,000 men and 300 chariots across the Yellow River, defeating Di Xin at the Battle of Muye and beginning the Zhou dynasty. The Zhou enfeoffed a member of the defeated Shang royal family as the Duke of Song, a practice called “erecting the conquered.” The Zhou language was largely similar to Shang in vocabulary and syntax. The Zhou emulated Shang culture to legitimize their rule and became successors to Shang culture, while also possibly connecting to the Xirong. Mencius noted King Wen’s Xirong ancestry. The term “Rong” during Western Zhou likely designated political and military adversaries rather than ethnic others. Cultural artifacts of the Western Rong coexisted with Western Zhou bronzes, indicating close bonds. During Western Zhou, King Wu maintained the old capital for ceremonies but built a new one at Haojing for administration. After Wu’s early death, the Duke of Zhou assisted his young nephew King Cheng, quelling a rebellion by the “Three Guards” and expanding Zhou eastward. He established the fengjian system and expounded the Mandate of Heaven doctrine while accommodating Shang rituals.

Reader's Guide

The Zhou dynasty's significance lies in its unprecedented length and its foundational role in Chinese civilization. During the Western Zhou, the royal house, surnamed Ji, established military control over the Wei River valley and North China Plain, creating a decentralized fengjian system. The Duke of Zhou consolidated power, quelled rebellions, and expounded the Mandate of Heaven doctrine. The Eastern Zhou saw accelerating collapse of royal authority but also the flourishing of the Hundred Schools of Thought, including Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism. The period is considered the zenith of Chinese bronzeware and saw the evolution of written Chinese from oracle bone to seal and clerical scripts.

Did You Know?

• Three major Chinese philosophies—Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism—emerged during the later Zhou period.
• The Zhou emulated Shang cultural practices and may have been connected to the Xirong cultural group.