Fall of the Western Zhou Dynasty
771 BCE
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In 771 BCE，Quan Rong
killed King You of Zhou 周幽
王, the 12th sovereign.
Quanrong犬戎 was an ethnic
group active in the north
western part of China whose
language is classified as part of
the Tibeto-Burman branch of
the Sino-Tibetan languages
family. Claiming ancestry from
two white dogs, the Quănróng
tribe worshipped a totem in the
form of a white dog. They are
classified as a no’madic tribe of
the Western Qiang people.
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In 780 BCE, a major
earthquake hit Guanzhong. A
soothsayer named Bo Yangfu
(伯陽甫/伯阳甫) interpreted
this as an omen foretelling the
destruction of the (Western)
Zhou Dynasty.
In 779 BCE, a concubine
named Baosi entered the palace
and came into King You's
favour. She bore him a son
named Bofu (伯服). King You
deposed Queen Shen (申后)
and Crown Prince Yijiu (宜臼).
He made Baosi the new queen
and Bofu the new crown prince
太子【tàizǐ】 crown prince.
Reasons for the Fall
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Internal
No strong centralized
government, which
nurtures “local snakes”;
Unfairness in its political
structure such as its
enfeoffment system.
Corruption of the king
Disruption/sudden shift
in choosing its
successor/crown prince;
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External
Natural disasters such
as earthquakes;
Invasion from the
outside, a much
stronger, more militant
ethnic group;
Internal or External?
Fate or Flaw?
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In 779 BCE, a
concubine named Baosi
褒姒 bore him a son
named Bofu (伯服).
King You deposed Queen
Shen (申后) and the
Crown Prince (太子)
Yijiu (宜臼). He made
Baosi the new queen and
Bofu the new crown
prince.
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The deposed crown
prince came back;
He teamed up with
Quan Rong 犬戎, a non
Chinese ethnic group
and had his father and
Baosi killed—double
transgressions
杀父 [shā fù] patricide
弑君【shìjūn】
<formal> murder (one's
sovereign or father).
The Eastern Zhou Dynasty
The Spring and Autumn Period
770 BCE to 403 BCE
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Origin of the name: Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋
(Chūnqiū) is the official chronicle of the State of Lu
covering the period from 722 BCE to 479 BCE. It is the
earliest surviving Chinese historical text to be arranged on
annalistic principles—chronological sequence.
(The Book of Documents is organized by states)
Spring and Autumn are two most harmonious seasons;
Synecdoche—part for the whole (internally related)
一日三秋【yīrìsānqiū】 one day (away from a dear one)
seems like three autumns/years—hyperbole
(exaggeration)
Use autumn for year is an example of sy'necdoche, part
for the whole. The connection in synecdoche is internal.
春秋三传
The Chunqiu and its three Commentaries
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Because the Chunqiu account is terse and
ambiguous, a commentary was supposedly made in
order to explain the events.
1. Chunqiu-Zuozhuan 春秋左傳 "Spring and Autumn
Annals and the Tradition (Commentary) of Zuo
Qiuming"
2. Gongyangzhuan 公羊傳 "The Commentary of
Gongyang"
3. Guliangzhuan 穀梁傳 "The Commentary of
Guliang"
http://www.chinaknowledge.de/Literature/Classics/ch
unqiuzuozhuan.html
Five Hegemons/“Elder Brothers”
Duke 公 vs. King/Emperor
the Five Overlords/Hegemons
(春秋五霸 Chūn Qiū Wǔ Bà)
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Duke Huan of Qí (齊桓公)
Duke Wen of Jìn (晉文公)
King Zhuang of Chu (楚莊王)
Duke Mu of Qin (秦穆公)
Duke Xiang of Song (宋襄公)
Source: Records of the Grand Historian
Note there are other ways of categorizing.
Other Outstanding Hegemons
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Some would add:
King Fuchai of Wú (吳王夫差)
[King Goujian of Yue]|King Goujian of
Yuè] (越王勾踐)
King Goujian of Yuè 越王勾践
r. 496 BC - 465 BC
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In 296, defeated by
King He Lǘ of Wu
State;
卧薪尝胆
【wòxīnchángdǎn】
sleep on brushwood
and taste gall--undergo
self-imposed hardship
so as to strengthen
one's resolve to wipe
out a national
humiliation.
Duke Huan of Qi (齐桓公)
Jiāng Xiǎobái (姜小白)
r. 685 – 643 BC
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Slogan: “respecting the king and defending against
the barbarian” The king refers to King of Zhou
Dynasty; (political rhetoric)
(尊王攘夷, pinyin: zūnwáng rǎngyí)
Two assistants: Guan Zhong 管仲 (Ebrey’s book 22)
& Bao Shuya 鲍叔牙
In 651 BC, Duke Huan gained his dominance at
Kuiqiu Meeting 葵丘 among other states. The House
of Zhou also graced the occasion and officially
acknowledged his new status.
会盟【huìméng】 Meet to form an alliance/league, a
gesture to establish one’s dominant status.
Duke Huan of Qi
A Man of Magna'nimity 宽宏大量
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685 BC- Race for the
Throne against his elder
brother Gongzijiu 公子纠.
齐桓公 Duke Huan of Qi
Feigned death when shot on
the sash by Guan Zhong,
tutor of Gongzijiu,
Upon Bao Shuya’s 鲍书牙
advice, Duke Huan hired
Guan Zhong as his
chancellor for the first reform
in history.
“Second Father”仲父
[zhòngfù]
Thus Qi became powerful.
Guanzhong Ebrey 22
Guan Zhong & Bao Shuya
管仲与鲍叔牙
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Though an able
administrator in his own
right, Bao is best known for
his friendship with Guan,
and for persuading Duke
Huan of Qi to put aside
personal enmities and
elevate Guan Zhong to the
post of Chancellor. As an
official he was renowned as
a judge of character and
talent, with Guan Zhong
himself commenting that
"My parents gave birth to
me, but it is Bao who knows
me best."
Guan Zhong (725 BC-645 BC)
The Best Chancellor/Prime Minister
During the Spring and Autumn Period
春秋第一相
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Guan Zhong (Chinese:
管仲, Wade-Giles: Kuan
Chung) (born 725 BC,
died in 645 BC) was a
Chinese politician in the
Spring and Autumn
Period. His given name
was Yíwú (夷吾). Zhong
was his courtesy name.
Recommended by Bao
Shuya, he was
appointed Prime Minister
by Duke Huan of Qi in
685 BC who was shot by
him!
Guan Zhong’s Reform
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1. Redefined the ownership of land: Abolishment of
Well/Field land system and legalized private ownership of
land 土地私有;
This is a dramatic break from the system of the Zhou
Dynasty in which the land belonged to dukes and princes;
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井田制【jǐngtiánzhì】 the 'nine squares' system with one
large square divided into 9 small ones (like the Chinese
character 井), the 8 outer ones being allocated to serfs
who had to cultivate the central one for the serf owner.
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Definition/Illustration/Evaluation
Guan Zhong’s Reform
Military and (Farmland) Tax Code
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Military: to establish a regular
army;
Divided the whole country into 21
villages: 6 being
workers/businessmen or
merchants; 15 being farmersoldiers;
An integrated model which is both
social and military
Since everybody knows everybody
else, all their interests are tied up
together;
Therefore for defense, they all
tried to cover each other; in battles,
they all tried to protect each other;
Recorded in Discourse on the
States 《国语》
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Tax on the farmland:
depending on the
texture/quality of the soil
productivity of the land,
Comparable to Graduated
Income Tax 分级所得税/ 累进
所得税 or Progressive Income
Tax in America
Tax bracket—republicans
oppose higher tax to the rich;
Flat-rate Tax—egalitarianism
[经] 平均主义
Brothels in the State of Qi
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Guan Zhong had seven markets established in Zibo
淄博, Shandong Province;
To attract businessmen and merchants, along with
these markets, as many as 700 brothels came into
being;
Nevertheless, Guan Zhong attracted more praises
than criticisms in history
Duke Wen of Jin (晋文公)
697BCE— 628BCE
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Named Chong'er (重耳; literally, "Double Ears")
although there is no material evidence of deformity.
However, Zuo Zhuan notes that "his ribs were all grown
together," a sign of strength and leadership.
(American writer Henry James suffered constipation, on
which his mother claimed it was a sign of his strength.)
Duke of Xian 晉獻公 had six wives.
骊姬之乱（657—651）Troubles of Li Ji, a concubine
who framed the Crown Prince Shensheng 申生 in order to
have her own son Xi Qi 奚齐 anointed or appointed.
鸩【zhèn】 a legendary bird with poisonous feathers;
<formal> poisoned wine; translated as Zhen or
Poison-feather Birds
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The crown prince Shensheng 申生
once got a piece of meat for
sacrificial ceremonies—the best
cut. Liji had it soaked in the
poisonous wine from Zhen feathers.
When Shensheng offered the meat
to his father king, it dropped onto
the floor. His dog ate it and died
immediately. That framed the
crown prince.
Both princes were sent to an exile.
Chong Er was exiled for 19 years
before gaining the throne at 62
with the help of Duke Mu of Qin
秦穆公;
Trouble of Liji（657BC—651BC）
Liji Framed the Crown Prince Again
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无中生有
【wúzhōngshēngyǒu】 purely fictitious; fabricated;
groundless;
Liji “begged” the king to call the crown prince back.
She entertained the prince at a banquet. Then she
told the king that the crown prince made a pass at
her… (to flirt with or suggest sexual activity with
someone);
Then during an outing, Liji spread some honey on
her hair, which attracted bees. She then asked the
crown prince to help chase them away. When he
waved his sleeve from behind, the father king caught
a glimpse of the scene.
Shensheng hanged himself at last.
Duke of Jin
Chong Er Made His Name
After 19 Years’ Exile
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In 635 BCE, Chong Er helped
King Xiang of Zhou to regain
his throne from Prince Dai.
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He led Jin as the head of the
coalition of states against the
state of Chu. At the battle of
Chengpu 城濮之戰 , Jin troops
defeated the state of Chu. At
Jiantu , Duke Wen gained
hegemony over the states.
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退避三舍【tuìbìsānshě】
retreat ninety li - give away to
sb. to avoid a conflict, a
promise made by Chong Er to
the Duke of Chu Chengwang 成
王.
Self-Indulgent for Three Years
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King Zhuang of Chu 楚莊王 ascended the
throne in 631 BC, but for three years, he had
been self-indulgent. Nobody could persuade
him to do something significant and
meaningful.
His senior minister Wu Ju challenged him with
a riddle: what kind of bird is it?
Amaze the World
with a Single Brilliant Feat
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三年不飞，一飞冲天；三
年不鸣，一鸣惊人。 一
鸣惊人
【yīmíngjīngrén】 (of an
obscure person) amaze
the world with a single
brilliant feat.
Source: Collected Works
of Han Fei
【出处】选自《韩非子 ·
喻老》： “三年不飞，飞
将冲天；三年不鸣，鸣将
惊人！”
King Zhuang of Chu (楚莊王)
Mi Lǚ (羋侶) r. 613-591
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He made Sunshu Ao (孫叔敖) Chancellor and started reforms. The
agricultural output of the state of Chu was much better under his reign,
improved by Sunshu Ao's large dam-works and enormous planned
reservoir created in modern-day northern Anhui province. In 611 BC
he annexed the state of Yong and made Chu much stronger.
After some brilliant victories with his army, he attempted to take the
place of the King of Zhou. He asked the messenger of Zhou about the
weight of the 9 dings of Zhou, which were the symbols of hegemony
for which only a son of heaven is entitled; but was scolded by the
messenger.
问鼎中原 606 BCE--鼎【dǐng】 tripod cauldron., an ancient cooking
vessel with two loop handles and three or four legs.
九鼎 [jiǔdǐng] –only the son of heaven is entitled to nine cauldrons;
Trace back to Yu the Great, representing the nine prefectures.
How Can You Sweep All Land Under
Heaven Clean? Another Mi Lǚ ?
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In the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE)
there was a young man called Chen Fan.
Once his father’s guest saw Fan’s room in
great disorder and asked him why he
couldn’t keep it clean. Chen Fan boasted, a
true man’s ambition lies in sweeping all land
under the heaven. Why should I bother with
such a trivial thing? The guest asked, how
can you sweep clean all land under the
heaven when you can not even keep your
own room tidy?
Duke Mu of Qin (秦穆公) r. 659 - 621
Pioneer Who Paved the Way
for Founding of the Qin Dynasty
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Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government 《资治通鉴
》 recorded an anecdote: Once Duke of Mu lost a horse.
As it turned out, three hundred farmers shared the meat.
Duke of Mu decided to release all the offenders.
Moreover, he offered wine to all of them by pointing out
that it is not a good idea to eat horse meat on an empty
stomach without wine.
These three hundred farmers became his 敢死队
【gǎnsǐduì】 dare-to-die corps.
Daredevils 铤而走险的人，蛮勇的人
Note in Records of the Grand Historian, Sima Qian said
he lost several horses.
吴王阖庐 514年一496 BCE
Duke He Lu of Wu
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As Prince Guang wanted to kill King Liao of Wu and
take the throne himself, Zhuan Zhu was
recommended to Prince Guang by Wu Zixu 伍子胥 .
After Zhuan Zhu accomplished his mission in 515
BC the prince ascended the throne of Wu and
became King Helü. The king assigned Wu Zixu to
lead the design and building of the "great city," which
evolved into the city of Suzhou today.
上有天堂,下有苏杭
【shàngyǒutiāntáng,xiàyǒusūháng】
Just as there is paradise in heaven, there are
Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth
State Wu defeated state of Chu
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In 506 BC Helü with the help of Wu Zixu and
Sun-tzu/Sunzi, the author of The Art of War,
launched major offensives against the state
of Chu, the biggest state in the south,
including Hunan and Hubei). They prevailed
in five battles, one of which was the Battle of
Boju 柏舉之戰 506 BCE) , and conquered the
city of Ying (Chinese: 郢), capital of the Chu
State.
His son, King Fuchai of Wu, succeeded him
in 495 BC.
Wu Zixu’s Revenge
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His father used to be tutor/mentor of the crown
prince Jian of Chu. Minister Fei Wuji framed the
crown prince on a false charge—plotting a rebellion.
He escaped to Zheng State. Later the crown prince
was involved in conspiracy to help State of Jin, Duke
Ding of Zheng executed the crown prince.
Wu Zixu’s father and elder brother both got executed
by Duke Ping of Chu.
After Sacking Chu state, Wu dug up the tomb of the
king and whipped his body for three hundred times.
Mastermind behind—Sun Wu
The Battle of Boju
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柏舉之戰 506 BCE
author of The Art of War, an
extremely influential ancient
Chinese book on military
strategy. Sun Wu or Sun
Zi/Tzu has had a significant
impact on Chinese and
Asian history and culture,
both as an author of The Art
of War and through legend.
Read The Art of War online
Larger Patterns
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1. How to treat talented
people?
“鸟择木，无木择鸟”
Bird chooses its
roost/tree, not the other
around (The Analects)
2. a man of
Magnanimity/
Persistence
3. Reform
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Endless power
struggles among
princes and their
mothers;