-The Zhou dynasty was the longest-lasting Chinese dynasty of all time!
-However, the eras of this dynasty are split into subsections:
-Era 1- Western Zhou
-Era 2- Eastern Zhou
-Era 2.1- Spring and Autumn period
-Era 2.2- Warring States period
-So, it's 1046 BC, and King Wu is enthroned as the first ruler of the brand new Zhou dynasty!
-The capital of this new dynasty was at Fenghao (this city was actually comprised of twin cities, separated by a river: Feng (AKA Fengxi / Fengjing (jing meaning "capital city") and Hao (AKA Haojing).
-Fenghao was located in modern-day Xi'an (AKA Sian / Chang'an), Shaanxi Province.
-Fengjing was (at this point) designated to be the ancestral capital of the Zhou dynasty, with Haojing serving as its political capital and seat of power.
-However, because both cities were just across the river from each other, they eventually just morphed into one big city (Fenghao).
-This was also the starting point of what would eventually become the Silk Road.
-Anyway, King Wu kicked off his reign by introducing a system that would eventually come to be known as the fengjian (started as just a hierarchy for the elite)
-He also divided the kingdom into a bunch of different states (maybe 16?) and then gave his relatives and close friends these holdings to rule as lords ("gong").
-Hierarchy of titles:
-Wang (king)
-Gong (duke)
-Hou (marquis/marquess)
-Bo (count/earl)
-Zi (viscount)
-Nan (baron)
-Eventually, the fengjian expanded to include what was called "the four categories of people" (AKA "the four occupations") (obviously not exhaustive):
-Shi- entry-level nobility (similar to the equites of Ancient Rome)
-Hereditary class; early on made up the military elite but eventually shifted towards a more scholarly, learned class which also included clergymen and philosophers.
-Nong- farmers/peasants (like the company Nongshim ("Farmer's Heart" in Korea)!)
-The backbone of society, and also provided most of the soldiers for the military
-Gong- artisans and craftsmen
-Considered a step down from the nong because they had no land and produced no food, so they were less valuable to the state.
-Shang- merchant class
-These were the lowest because while they served an important place in society, they didn't really produce anything and were thus seen as parasites- greedy and corrupt.
-Of course, they could often become quite wealthy and influential because of this, even if they were looked down upon by others.
-Nobility were forbidden from engaging with these kinds of businesses, but because of the money eventually many shang were taken on to work FOR the elites so they (the elites) could make money too!
-King Wu died c. 1042 BC; replaced by his son, King Cheng.
-However, everyone was scared because he was so young!
-Thus, King Cheng's uncle, Duke Wen of Zhou (usually referred to as just "the Duke of Zhou") stepped in as regent.
-However, it's unclear as to if the duke of Zhou really cared about stabilizing the kingdom or if he just wanted the power for himself.
-Meanwhile, Shang dynasty loyalists and rebels began to organize and revolt against the throne.
-This period is known as "the Rebellion of the Three Guards" (AKA Wu Geng's rebellion) (c. 1042-1039 BC).
-Rebellion was led by the son of King Zhou (former king of Shang), Prince Wu Geng, as well as King Cheng's other uncles (brothers of King Wu) Guanshu, Caishu, and Huoshu, whom had been assigned by King Wu as the "Three Guards" assigned to secure the throne.
-The Three Guards had decided to rebel because they themselves had thought that they had been eligible for the regency and that their brother had stolen the throne,
-Luckily for the fledgling Zhou dynasty, the Duke of Zhou was able to crush the rebels and further expand east into lands occupied by the dongyi ("eastern barbarians") (whom had also participated in the rebellion). The Three Guards were exiled and/or executed, regardless of their status as royal family members.
-It is unclear as to what exactly happened to Prince Wu Geng, but it seems as if he probably died in battle.
-Anyway, after the Rebellion of the Three Guards there was still an air of illegitimacy surrounding the Zhou dynasty, as there was still propaganda being spread that the Zhou kings were phonies and that only the Shang kings were the legitimate rulers because they were descended from the gods themselves.
-How could the Zhou dynasty fuck with that?
-It was because of this that the religious and political doctrine known as "the Mandate of Heaven" came about.
-Still remains an important concept in East Asian culture today!
-An analogous concept in Europe would be the divine right of kings, but this is a gross oversimplification.
-The divine right of kings wasn't a social contract- there was nothing the masses could do because the king had been appointed by God, so he only had to answer to God.
-In China, while the king/emperor was considered to be "the Son of Heaven", their heavenly blessing was only justified if they ruled righteously, otherwise they would lose the Mandate of Heaven because it would be obvious that Heaven did not look favorably upon this king as a divine ruler.
-If a rebellion or revolution was successful, then it was obvious that the deposed ruler had lost the Mandate of Heaven.
-The concept of the Mandate of Heaven kind of continues today with the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China's "One-China" policy.
-While the Mandate of Heaven sounds like it could be incredibly destabilizing since it gives so much power to fate and the masses (outside of the ruling government's control), it was actually incredibly stabilizing!
-It's unclear as to if he made it up or not, but the Duke of Zhou is credited with popularizing this concept. Because they had been successful in overthrowing the old regime, according to the Duke of Zhou, the Zhou dynasty were therefore the rightful rulers of the land!
-Moving on, one of the first things the Duke of Zhou did was construct a new holy ancestral capital at Chengzhou (modern-day Luoyang, Henan Province).
-Constructed according to a strict adherence of geomantic principles (feng shui). Also, it had been determined by using feng shui that Chengzhou's location was the very center of the kingdom.
-The Duke of Zhou also had the sacred 9 tripod cauldrons moved there; he also allowed for the place to be a new home for the Shang nobility. He then had King Cheng move there for symbolic purposes while the duke himself stayed behind in Fenghao.
-Surprisingly, however, once the king came of age to rule, the Duke of Zhou stepped down as regent, and King Cheng's reign went relatively peacefully for the rest of his life. He finally died c. 1021 BC (or 1006 BC).
-Meanwhile, during this time the Zhou dynasty continued to expand outwards and conquer barbarian lands.
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