The Western Zhou Dynasty (1122 B.C.E-221 B.C.E)
Nicolette Sewell
US, Africa, & World History
Nicolette Sewell1
10/29/2012
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China has had a very vast history and culture. When evaluating the ancient existence of this
largely populated country, one must refer to China’s dynastic history. Starting in 1994 B.C.E, the
first dynasty of China was the Xia dynasty and ending the dynastic period of China was that of
the Qin dynasty in 1912 A.D. China has had a total of fourteen dynasties. The dynasty that lasted
the longest in China’s history is the Zhou dynasty (also known as the Chou) which began in 1122
B.C.E and lasted until 221 B.C.E. During the duration of the Zhou dynasty, it was split into two
parts: the western Zhou (1122 B.C.E-770 B.C.E) and the eastern Zhou (770 B.C.E-221 B.C.E).
During the Western Zhou Period, urbanization in China began to appear, because of its long
duration and rapid growth in population. Between the end of the western Zhou period and
entering into the eastern Zhou period, over eighty cities were built in China during this time.
China’s history has had many advances to government, technology, and other various aspects,
such as culture, due to the long lasting Zhou dynasty and their role in the many advancements of
later civilizations. Therefore, throughout this paper, the western Zhou dynasty’s history and
culture will be evaluated giving readers a thorough analysis of this major time in China’s history.
The origin of the people of the Zhou dynasty is of proto-Turkish origin.1 When the Zhou
people migrated from the Fen valley in Shanxi to the Wei valley in Shanxi, they were in close
proximity to the Shang people of the Shang dynasty. The Shang dynasty was the dynasty that
preceded the Zhou. The Zhou dynasty believed the Shang to be incapable of rightly ruling and
overthrew them because of the Shang’s ineptness to rule and it was the battle of Muye – ignited
by the Zhou who was ruled by founders King Wu and King Wen-- where the Shang were
defeated. Though the Zhou conquered the Shang, they adopted many aspects of the Shang
1
John Roberts, A History of China, (Pelgrave MacMillan,
2011)http://books.google.com/books?id=rBpvOo_R854C&source=gbs_navlinks_s (accessed October 27, 2012).
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people. A new cultural aspect introduced by the Zhou people, however, was the mandate of
heaven. The conquering of the Shang people was justified by the mandate of heaven:
“According to the Book of Documents, one of the earliest surviving Chinese
historical sources, the fall of the Shang came about because of the shortcomings of the last Shang
ruler. As a result, the protection or mandate of heaven was taken from him and awarded to the
rulers of the Zhou. Of these, King Wen was a paragon of virtue, and his son King Wu, who
overthrew the Shang after a great battle at a place called Muye, was an outstanding warrior.”2
This sacred belief in the mandate of heaven was the justification that one was given the right to
rule by god. The Zhou believed that god had given them the right to overthrow the Shang
dynasty.
The Zhou people practiced the ancestral sacrificial offerings given through alcohol. The
sacrificial ceremony was called “The Single Beast is Presented as Food to the Ancestors.”3 Only
the elite of the Zhou were allowed to partake in this ceremony. The elite often included: feudal
landholders, the king and high court officials. During the ritual a sacrifice was made to the
patrilineal head or founder of ones clan, as well as deceased grandparents, parents, and the first
ancestor in the family history to hold office. The ancestral offering took place in the family’s
temple in which the family would have dinner and spiritually invite their ancestors to partake in
eating and drinking with their descendants. Though these events took place during dinner, it was
not an everyday dinner, but rather, an elaborate banquet. Sacrifices given during these banquets
were sent by rulers who were not always necessarily relatives of the families. Theses sacrifices
included meats such as sheep, pigs, and sometimes fish. The most appropriate and sacrificial
offering was that of grain. An example of an inappropriate offering would be the sacrificing of a
2
Dr. John Roberts, A History of China, (New York: Macmillan Publishers Limited,
2011)http://books.google.com/books?id=rBpvOo_R854C&printsec=frontcover
3
David Armstrong, Alcohol and Altered States in Ancestor Veneration Rituals of Zhou
Dynasty China and Iron Age Palestine , (Lewiston: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1998), 38.
2
bird because birds fly and to the Zhou, birds were ancestral messengers.4 Through all the
sacrifice of earthly goods, the Zhou believed that the ancestors still would not bless them unless
the ancestors felt completely respected which is why the Zhou was sure to show respect and
meekness toward their ancestors during this time. One of the ways the western Zhou showed
reverence and respect to ancestors was through bronze inscriptions.
Many of these bronze vessels obtaining inscriptions have just been discovered within the
last few decades. Two of the bronze vessels obtaining inscriptions that have been found and
deciphered provide details about the king Xian Wang’s 42nd and 43rd year of rule titled: the 42nd
year Yu Qui Ding and the 43rd year Yu Qui Ding. Specifically, the bronze inscription 42nd year,
tells the story of how the Zhou king awarded an inscription to a warden named Qui for being
diligent in executing the campaign against the Xianyun people:
“…I have not forgotten the wise men’s grandson and it is that I remember your prior
ancestors and deceased-fathers’ having merits in the Zhou state and so I […] court review…You
were able to take stability among his troops is because you were able to take as model your
ancestors’ and deceased-fathers’, stopping the Xianyun and went out to defeat (them) at Jing’a
and Liyan.5”
After receiving this gift from the king Wang, Qui would then bow down and touch his head to
the floor. He prayed to his ancestors and deceased fathers that they may receive the inscription as
an honorable sacrificial offering and that his ancestors may “…be stern on high and respected
below, beautifully holding to bright virtue and abundantly sending down on me peaceful
harmony and pure blessings penetrating wealth and an eternal mandate...”6 Similar appreciation
4
David Armstrong, Alcohol and Altered States in Ancestor Veneration Rituals of Zhou
Dynasty China and Iron Age Palestine , (Lewiston: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1998), 39.
5
Edward Shaughnessy, "The Writing of a Late Zhou Bronze Inscription," LXI, no. 3 (2007),
http://ealc.uchicago.edu/documents/8Writing a Late West ern Zhou Bronze Inscription.pdf
(accessed November 17, 2012).
6
Edward Shaughnessy, "The Writing of a Late Zhou Bronze Inscription," LXI, no. 3 (2007),
http://ealc.uchicago.edu/documents/8Writing a Late Western Zhou Bronze Inscription.pdf
(accessed November 17, 2012).
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and sacrifice was given in the 43rd Year Yu Qui Ding bronze vessel inscription. Bronze
inscriptions were seen through the art of western Zhou bronze bells. These musical bells were
not used necessarily for musical purposes in terms of pitch and song, but were more so tokens of
appreciation and sacrifices7. These bronze bells were used during ritual ceremonies held by the
western Zhou and were also inscribed and given as gifts to warriors as previously described.
Ways the western Zhou dynasty has impacted modern day China is through its
governmental and technological advances (a feudal government and the Chinese chariot). During
the western Zhou period, the government of China was based upon a feudal system which was, at
the time, more popular among the medieval European societies not the Asian societies. The
western Zhou dynasty brought those feudal European ideologies to Asia during this time. With
the feudal system, the Zhou king would grant land to vassals in return for loyalty and labor. This
feudal system branched out to later Asian civilizations such as Japan (early 1100s to late 1800s).
A technological advancement of the western Zhou is the invention of the first chariot. The
earliest evidence of a chariot dates back to the middle of the western Zhou dynastic period
Chariots at this time were used as vehicles or mechanisms of conveyance, specifically for the
transportation of warriors. Before, they were used to transport warriors; however, many of these
chariots were used for the transporting of royal corpses for burials and funerals8. Chariots in
today’s society are no longer used for transporting soldiers; however they are used for tourist
attractions and transportation for common civilians.
Though the western Zhou dynasty lasted for an elaborate period in time, its advancements
to modern day society are not as prevalent as advancements of the eastern Zhou period. For
7
Lothar Von Falkenhausen, "American Oriental Society," On The Early Development of
Chinese Musical Theory: The Rise of Pitch-Standards, 112,
8
Edward Shaughnessy, Historical Perspectives on the Introduction of the Chariot into
China, (Harvard-Yenching Institute,
4
instance, iron tools began appearing around the end of western Zhou dynasty but their use and
advancement is credited to beginning of the eastern Zhou dynasty. The inscription of bronze
bells are also related to the times of the western Zhou dynasty but the actual melodic musical use
and advancement for bronze bells are not seen until the eastern Zhou period9. The western Zhou
did bring many advances to Chinese culture at the time of its reign but those factors are not
present in modern day society. Without moderating the significance of the western Zhou
dynasty, one could view this dynasty not so much as great inventors or innovators, but as more
of a vehicle to new advancements in history for later civilizations.
9
Lothar Von Falkenhausen, "American Oriental Society," On The Early Development of
Chinese Musical Theory: The Rise of Pitch-Standards, 112,
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Bibliography
1) Armstrong, David. Alcohol and Altered States in Ancestor Veneration Rituals of
Zhou Dynasty China and Iron Age Palestine. The Edwin Mellen Press, 1998.
2) Roberts, John. A History of China. Pelgrave MacMillan, 2011.
http://books.google.com/books?id=rBpvOo_R854C&source=gbs_navlinks_s
(accessed October 27, 2012).
3) Shaughnessy, Edward. Historical Perspectives on the Introduction of the Chariot into
China. Harvard-Yenching Institute, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2719276?seq=6
(accessed November 19, 2012).
4) Shaughnessy, Edward. "The Writing of a Late Zhou Bronze Inscription." LXI. no. 3
(2007). http://ealc.uchicago.edu/documents/8Writing a Late Western Zhou Bronze
Inscription.pdf (accessed November 17, 2012).
5) Von Falkenhausen, Lothar. "American Oriental Society."On The Early Development
of Chinese Musical Theory: The Rise of Pitch-Standards. 112. no. 3 (1992): 437-439.
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