| A universal guide for China studiesChinese History - Zhou Dynasty 周代 (11th cent.-221 BC) |
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Zhou Dynasty |  period before (Shang)next period (Qin)  | |
| Map and Geography I Map and Geography II Map and Geography III | ||
 |  The Western Zhou Dynasty established two capitals, Zongzhou 宗周 or Hao 鎬, and Chengzhou 成周 or Luo 雒. But the rulers stayed in the western regions where their people had lived for some centuries after coming Bin 豳 (or 邠), a territory (in green) that was either located in the Fen River valley or in the west. The older capitals of the Zhou tribe were Qi 岐 and Feng 豐. The main feudal states (zhuhou 諸侯) of the Western Zhou period are held in smaller bold letters. We find the many smaller states in the Yellow River plain, states like Zheng 鄭, Cao 曹, Song 宋 (the descendants of the House of Shang), Chen 陳, Cai 蔡, and Wei ("Wey") 衛, we have the traditionally highly esteemed state of Lu 魯(descendants of the Duke of Zhou) in the east; and finally we find the peripheral states of Yan 燕, Qi 齊 and Jin 晉 that were able to develop a larger territory than the others. The states of Qin 秦, Chu 楚, Wu 吳, and Yue 越 (in brackets) were still not enfeoffed as vassals of Zhou, they are rather seen as semi-barbarious tribes. The territories of the Shu 蜀 and Ba 巴 in modern Sichuan have their own ways of culture that are different of the "genuine" Chinese culture in the Yellow River basin. Except these main states, we find dozens or hundreds of small vassal states (written in small black letters). They play no political role at that time, and most of them vanished during the wars of Eastern Zhou period. Some more of them can be found as states named in the Book of Songs, namely Shao 召, Bei 邶, Yong 鄘, Wei 魏, Tang 唐, Gui 檜 (here only the states not yet mentioned above). Important vassals of the founding time of Western Zhou were 管叔鮮 Shu Xian, Ruler of Guan; 成叔武 Shu Wu, Ruler of Cheng; 霍叔處 Shu Chu, Ruler of Huo; 杞東樓公 Donglou, Duke of Qi ("Qy"), a descendant of the House of Xia; 畢公高 Gao, Duke of Bi. Some of the smaller states should play an important role at the begin of the Warring States period, like Han 韓 ("Hann") and Wei 魏. Around this center of culturally advanced states we find lots of Non-Chinese "barbarian" tribes and peoples, namely the Quanrong 犬戎 or Xianyun 玁狁 in the west, the Huaiyi 淮夷 or Xu 徐 and Yue 越 in the east, Di in the north 狄, and Pu 濮, Qiang 羌 and Man 蠻 in the southwest and south. Go back to the Zhou Dynasty introduction page and learn more about Zhou Dynasty economy, arts, literature, government... | |
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