Dynasties of ChinaWestern ZhouWestern Zhou lineage
Reign 1042–1021 BCE
After ascending the throne at a young age, the Duke of Zhou took over as regent and pacified the three prisons, established the Zhou Dynasty, and enfeoffed the princes. After taking charge personally, he started the "Government of Chengkang".
Ji Song was the son of King Wu. King Wu died at a young age ("Historical Records" said he was still in infancy, and one said he was more than ten years old). He was regent by his uncle Duke of Zhou (Ji Dan), assisted by Zhao Gongshi and others. Uncle Guan and Uncle Cai spread rumors that Duke Zhou "will be detrimental to the Infant Emperor" and started a rebellion with Wu Geng and the states of Yan and Bogu in the east. Zhou Gong campaigned eastward for three years, executed Wu Geng and Guan Shu, and marched eastward to Jian Yan. From this, Zhou's rule penetrated into the east.
After the rebellion was over, the Duke of Zhou built the eastern capital of Luoyi (Chengzhou), moved the Yin survivors here and garrisoned them. He also enfeoffed the princes on a large scale and used the Yin people to distribute gifts to Kang Shu, Bo Qin and others, forming a pattern of "feudal relatives, using Fan to screen Zhou". He also made rituals and music, and established the patriarchal clan system and the ritual and music system. According to "Shangshu Da Zhuan", after seven years as regent, Zhou Gong returned to the throne of King Cheng and assumed the throne in the north.
After King Cheng took charge, Duke Zhou and Duke Zhao divided Shaanxi into their own and continued to assist. Zhou Gong wrote "Wuyi" and warned King Cheng to understand the difficulties of farming. There is peace in all directions, and princes and distant tribes come to court. On his deathbed, King Cheng summoned Duke Zhao, Duke Bi, and others to accept his orders and asked him to assist Crown Prince Zhao. After his son King Kang succeeded to the throne, he continued this rule, which was collectively known as "the rule of Cheng Kang" in later generations.
The reign of King Cheng was a key stage in the foundation of the Zhou Dynasty system: the pacification of the Sanjian Rebellion allowed Zhou's rule to truly penetrate into the east, the establishment of the Chengzhou Dynasty and the large-scale enfeoffment established the world structure with Zongzhou and Chengzhou as the two poles, and the princes supporting them. The patriarchal rituals and music were also finalized at this time. Most of these achievements were made by the Duke of Zhou, and there are not many historical records of King Cheng's own actions. However, he was able to trust the Duke of Zhou and Duke Zhao, and he maintained his integrity after taking charge, which laid the foundation for the "Government of Cheng Kang".
PoliticsRegent Zhou Gong
King Wu died and Crown Prince came to the throne at a young age. The Duke of Zhou (Ji Dan) acted as the regent of the king as his uncle, and was assisted by Zhao Gongshi, Taigong Wang and others. According to "Historical Records", Duke Zhao also had doubts about Duke Zhou at first, and Duke Zhou wrote "Jun Xi" to confess his feelings to him.
MilitaryThe chaos of the three prisons
Uncle Guan and Uncle Cai spread rumors that Duke Zhou would be unfavorable to King Cheng, and then joined forces with Wu Geng and Yan, Bo Gu, Xu, Huaiyi and others from the east to rebel against Zhou. This was the most serious crisis since the founding of the Zhou Dynasty.
MilitaryDuke Zhou's Eastern Expedition
Duke Zhou wrote the "Great Edict" to mobilize the princes and march eastward under the orders of King Cheng. It lasted three years. Wu Geng and Uncle Guan were executed, Uncle Cai was exiled, Uncle Huo was deposed as a commoner, and he marched eastward to Jianxiang. According to "Mencius" "Fifty people destroy the country", Zhou's power reached the coast of the East China Sea.
PoliticsConfess Uncle Kang to Wei
With the seven remaining people of the Yin Dynasty, King Wu's younger brother Kang Shu was granted the title of King Wu's younger brother in the old land of Yin and Shang Dynasties. The handed down Kanghou Gui inscription also records this incident.
PoliticsBo Qin was granted the title of Lu
Bo Qin, the eldest son of Duke Zhou, was granted the title of Lu in behalf of his father and made his capital Qufu. He was granted the six tribes of the Yin people and Zhu Zong with divination history and ritual vessels. Lu State has the most complete preservation of Zhou rites. During the Spring and Autumn period, Han Xuanzi of Jin State came to visit and lamented that "Zhou rites are all in Lu."
Lasting legacyThe ruins of the ancient city of the State of Lu in Qufu are among the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units; the history book of the State of Lu, "Spring and Autumn period", was revised by Confucius and has been passed down to this day.
PoliticsFeng Wei Zi in Song Dynasty
Wu Geng was replaced by Ziqi, the concubine brother of King Zhou, and enshrined in the Yin and Shang dynasties. He was enfeoffed in the Song Dynasty and his capital was Shangqiu. The Song Dynasty was a "guest" in the Zhou Dynasty, so Yin Shang rituals and music could be used to worship ancestors, and a large number of merchant etiquette and customs were preserved.
Lasting legacyThe area around Shangqiu, the capital of the Song Dynasty, is now Shangqiu City, Henan Province, and the name "Shangqiu" is still used today.
PoliticsTongye Fengdi
According to "Historical Records of the Jin Family", King Cheng was playing with his younger brother Shu Yu, cutting tung leaves into leaves and saying, "This is how to seal Ruo." Shi Yi asked for a date to be granted the title, saying that "the emperor has no words to say", so he granted the title of uncle Yu to the Tang Dynasty. His son Xiefu later changed the name of the country to Jin.
Lasting legacyThe abbreviation of Shanxi as "Jin" comes from the state of Jin; Taiyuan Jin Temple was originally a temple dedicated to Tang Shuyu, and the Notre Dame Temple built by the Northern Song Dynasty still exists today.
SocietyBuilt for a week
Duke Zhao first went to the Luoshui River Basin to survey and select a site. Duke Zhou then made plans for construction and built the Eastern Capital on the north bank of the Luoshui River. He moved the "stubborn people" left by the Yin Dynasty here and stationed the "Eight Divisions of Chengzhou" to control the east. This can be seen in the "Zhao Gao" and "Luo Gao" in "Shang Shu".
Lasting legacyLuoyang thus became the eastern capital of the Zhou Dynasty. After that, the Eastern Han, Cao Wei, Western Jin, Northern Wei, Sui, Tang and other dynasties successively established their capitals here.
CultureHe Zun "Resides in China"
After King Cheng moved to Chengzhou in the fifth year, he taught the clan's descendants in the capital, rewarded the nobles, and made commemorative statues. The inscription recounts King Wu's words of "Zhongguo", which is the earliest written record of the word "China" so far.
Lasting legacyHe Zun was unearthed in Baoji, Shaanxi in 1963 and is now in the Baoji Bronze Museum. It is one of the first batch of cultural relics prohibited from being exhibited abroad.
CultureMaking gifts and making music
According to legend, the Duke of Zhou established rituals and music, established the patriarchal system of inheritance by the eldest son and a hierarchical ritual system, coupled with elegant music, standardized rituals such as sacrifices, court appointments, weddings and funerals, and banquets. Ritual and music became the link to maintain the political order of the Zhou Dynasty.
Lasting legacyThe "Three Rites" of the Confucian classics, namely "Zhou Rites", "Rituals" and "Book of Rites", are based on Zhou Rites and have been passed down to this day. "Zhou Rites" was originally written by the Duke of Zhou and is generally believed to have been written during the Warring States period.
PoliticsDuke Zhou returned to power
According to "Shangshu Da Zhuan", in the seventh year of his regency, Zhou Gong returned the power to King Cheng and took the throne to the north. Zhou Gong also wrote "Wuyi", warning King Cheng to understand the difficulties of farming and not to indulge in hunting and recreation.
PoliticsZhou Zhaofen Shaanxi
Duke Zhou and Duke Zhao divided the world with Shaanxi as the boundary. "From the west of Shaanxi, call the princess; from the east of Shaanxi, call the princess of Zhou." The Duke of Zhou sat in charge of Chengzhou and managed the east, while the Duke of Zhao took charge of the affairs of the west.
Lasting legacyThe name "Shaanxi" comes from "west of Shaanxi Plains", which is located in the Shaanzhou District of Sanmenxia City, Henan Province today.
DiplomacyXi Shen comes to congratulate you
According to "Historical Records", after King Cheng pacified Dongyi, Xishen (i.e. Sushen) from the northeast sent an envoy to congratulate him. King Cheng ordered Rong Bo to write "Bribery Xishen's Order" and give gifts in return. The coming of distant tribes showed that Zhou's influence had reached as far as the northeast.
PeopleDuke Zhou passed away
Duke Zhou lived in Feng in his later years. Before his death, he requested to be buried in Chengzhou. King Cheng buried him in Bi where King Wen's tomb is located, to show that he did not dare to accept Duke Zhou as his minister, and authorized the state of Lu to worship Duke Zhou with the emperor's rites and music.
PoliticsKing Cheng Gu Ming
King Cheng was critically ill, so he summoned Zhao Gongshi, Rui Bo, Tong Bo, Bi Gong, Wei Hou, Mao Gong and other ministers and ordered them to assist Crown Prince Zhao. The details of his last instructions and subsequent funeral and enthronement ceremonies are recorded in "Shang Shu·Gu Ming".
The younger brother of King Wu and the uncle of King Cheng. In the seventh year of his regency, he campaigned eastward to quell the rebellion in the Three Prisons, established the Zhou Dynasty, enfeoffed the princes, made rituals and music, and later returned to the throne of King Cheng. Confucius respected Zhou Gong throughout his life and was regarded as the "Yuan Sage" by Confucianists.
King Cheng was the Taibao at that time. He first went to the Luoshui River Basin to survey the construction land, and divided Shaanxi with Zhou Gong to rule it. He was in charge of western affairs. King Cheng accepted Gu's orders before his death and assisted King Kang. According to legend, he listened to the lawsuit under the Gantang tree, and the people wrote "Gantang" to commemorate him.
King Wu's younger brother from the same mother, named Feng. After the rebellion of Sanjian was settled, he was granted the title of the Yin Shang's hometown to establish the Wei Kingdom. Zhou Gong wrote "Kang Gao" and other chapters to admonish him. According to "Historical Records", after King Cheng took charge of the government, he promoted Uncle Kang to be the Sikou of Zhou Dynasty.
The eldest son of Duke Zhou was granted the title of Lu on behalf of his father. According to "Historical Records", he went to the State of Lu to "change its customs and reform its rituals" and returned to the court three years later to serve in politics. When Huaiyi and Xu Rong were in rebellion, he led his troops to attack them and wrote "Fei Oath".
The younger brother of King Cheng, it is said that he was granted the title of "Tongye Fengdi" in the Tang Dynasty and founded the country in the Fen River Basin. His son Xie's father changed the name of the country to Jin, and Jin later became the dominant country during the Spring and Autumn period.
King ShangDi Yi's eldest son and brother-in-law of King Zhou repeatedly warned King Zhou but did not listen and ran away. After the Zhou Dynasty destroyed the Shang Dynasty, he surrendered to the Zhou Dynasty. After the rebellion of the three prisons was settled, he was granted the title of Song Dynasty and worshiped the Shang Dynasty clan.