| A universal guide for China studiesChinese History - Zhou Dynasty 周代 (11th cent.-221 BC) |
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| Map and Geography I Map and Geography II Map and Geography III | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |  The state of Lu has the character of an old veritable dukedom because it was the fiefdom of Zhou Gong Dan 周公但, the brother of King Zhou Wuwang 周武王. Furthermore, it was the homestate of Confucius (Kongzi) 孔子. During the Western Zhou (Xizhou) 西周 period Lu was a powerful state that dominated the east of the Yellow River plain and conquered the minor states of Qi 杞, Zhu 邾, Ju 莒, Ji 極, and Fang 防, and it was given tributes by the states of Cao 曹, Teng 滕, Xue 薛, and Ji 紀. the Spring and Autumn (Chunqiu) 春秋 period on, three sidelines of the house of Ji 姬 challenged the position of the power of the dukedom: the three families Jisun 季孫, Shusun 叔孫 and Mengsun 孟孫 (or Zhongsun 仲孫), also called the "Three Huans" (Sanhuan 三桓) as there representants were descendants of Duke Huan 魯桓公. In 594 a new tax system to tax the fields was introduced, in 562 the army was reorganized. The result of these measures was a new centralization of the power of the Dukes of Lu until 400 BC. Lu was destroyed by the mighty southern state of Chu 楚 at the end of the Warring States (Zhanguo) 戰國 period. The name of the state of Lu was later used as name of princedoms. 
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