The Zhu Dynasty (1046256 BCE) (Chinese: ; pinyin: Zhucho; WadeGiles: Chou Ch'ao t t) was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shng Dynasty and preceded the Qn Dynasty. Although the Zhu Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history the actual political and military control of China by the Zhu Dynasty's ruling J (Chinese: ) family only lasted during the Western Zhu period.

During the Zhu Dynasty the use of iron was introduced to China1 though this period of Chinese history produced what manywho consider the zenith of Chinese bronze-ware making. The dynasty also spans the period in which the written script evolved into its modern form with the use of an archaic clerical script that emerged during the late Warring States period. Contents 1 History 1.1 Foundation 1.2 Western and Eastern Zhu 1.3 Decline 2 Culture and society 2.1 Feudalism and the rise of Confucian bureaucracy 2.2 Zhu military 2.3 Mandate of Heaven 2.4 Philosophy 2.5 Li 2.6 Agriculture 2.7 Castration 2.8 Art 3 Zhu Dynasty kings 4 Zhu in astronomy 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 External links History Foundation

According to Chinese legend the Zhu lineage began with D K and proceeded from him to J Q (or Huj) Buku Ju and then Gngli2 before Ggng Dnf3 moved the Zhu clan from Bn ( or )4 to an area in the Wi River valley5 where they founded a town that became central to the Zhu clan's growing prosperity.

Ggng Dnf's son Jl6 fought against the Rng as a vassal of the Shng Dynasty's King Wn Dng until the king killed him. Jl's son King Wn of Zhu moved the Zhu capital downstream to Fngho;7 Wn's son King W of Zhu led an army of 45000 men and 300 chariots across the Yellow River in 1046 BCE and conquered the Shng Dynasty's King D Xn at the Battle of My marking the beginning of the Zhu Dynasty.8 Western and Eastern Zhu States of the Western Zhu Dynasty

Though King W died just a few years after the Battle of My the Duke of Zhu assisted the young and inexperienced King Chng in consolidating power for the J line: he managed a war against rebellious Zhu princes in the eastern lowlands (allied with feudal rulers and Shng remants);910 formulated the Mandate of Heaven doctrine to counter Shng claims to a divine right of rule; founded Chngzhu as an eastern capital;11 and set up the fngjin "feudal" system designed to maintain Zhu authority as it expanded its rule over a larger amount of territory.12

However this decentralized system became strained as the familial relationship between Zhu Kings and regional rulers thinned over generations and peripheral territories developed local power and prestige on par with that of the Zhu.13 When King Yu replaced Queen Shn with the concubine Bos (and designated Bos's son as the crown prince) the former queens powerful father the Marquess of Shn joined forces with Qunrng to sack the western capital of Hojng in 770 BCE. Nobles from Zhng L Qn X and Shn declared the Marquess's grandson J Yju the new king. The subsequent move of the capital east from Hojng to Chngzhu in 771 BCE marks the historical boundary between Western Zhu (Chinese: ; pinyin: X Zhu) and Eastern Zhu (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Dng Zhu).

The Eastern Zhu period characterized by a breakup of Zhu territory into states that were essentially independent14 is further divided into two subperiods. The first from 722 to 481 BCE is called the Spring and Autumn Period after a famous historical chronicle of the time; the second is known as the Warring States Period (403 to 221 BCE15) after another famous chronicle and initiated by the partitioning of Jn.

The Eastern Zhu period is also designated as the period of the Hundred Schools of Thought a golden age of influential cultural and intellectual expansion facilitated by relative freedom of expression. Although there were a host of schools four of them came to influence Chinese government and culture in meaningful ways: Confucianism Mohism Taoism and Legalism. The changes brought on played a large part in the decline of the Zhu dynasty.16 Decline With the royal line broken the power of the Zhu court gradually diminished and the fragmentation of the kingdom accelerated. From King Png's reign onwards the Zhu kings ruled in name only with true power lying in the hands of regional nobles. Towards the end of the Zhu Dynasty the nobles did not even bother to symbolically acknowledge loyalty the J family declaring themselves to be independent kings. The dynasty ended in 256 BCE when the last king of Zhu died and none of his sons proclaimed the nominal title of King of China. Qn Sh Hung's unification of China concluded in 221 BCE with the establishment of the Qn Dynasty. Culture and society Feudalism and the rise of Confucian bureaucracy A Western Zhu ceremonial bronze of cooking-vessel form inscribed to record that the King of Zhu gave a fiefdom to Shi You ordering that he inherit the title as well as the land and people living there Western Zhu Dynasty musical bronze bell Western writers often describe the Zhu period as 'feudal' because the Zhu's early rule invites comparison with mediaeval rule in Europe but apart from some similarities in the decentralized system there are a number of important differences. One obvious difference is that the Zhu ruled from walled cities rather than castles. The Chinese term for the Zhu system is fngjin (). When the dynasty was established the conquered land was divided into hereditary fiefs that eventually became powerful in their own right. The fiefs or states themselves tended to become feudally subdivided. At times a vigorous duke would take power from his nobles and centralize the state. Centralization became more necessary as the states began to war among themselves and centralization encouraged more war. If a duke took power from his nobles the state would have to be administered bureaucratically by appointed officials that is. The lowest rank of the Zhu ruling class was called Sh (). When a dukedom was centralized these people would find employment as government officials or officers. In contrast to Western chivalry the Sh was expected to be something of a scholar. Being appointed they could move from one state to another. Some would travel from state to state peddling schemes of administrative or military reform. Those who could not find employment would often end up teaching young men who aspired to official status. The most famous of these was Confucius who taught a system of mutual duty between superiors and inferiors. In contrast the Legalists had no time for Confucian virtue and advocated a system of strict laws and harsh punishments. The wars of the Warring States were finally ended by the most legalist state of all Qn. When the Qn Dynasty fell and was replaced by the Hn Dynasty many Chinese were relieved to return to the more humane virtues of Confucius. Zhu military The early Western Zhu supported a strong army split into two major units: "the Six Armies of the west" and "the Eight Armies of Chngzhu". The armies campaigned in the northern Loess Plateau modern Nngxi and the Yellow River floodplain. The military prowess of Zhu peaked during the 19th year of King Zho's reign when the six armies were wiped out along with King Zho on a campaign around the Hn River. Early Zhu kings were true commanders-in-chief. They were in constant wars with barbarians on behalf of the fiefs called gu meaning "statelet" or "principality." King Zho was famous for repeated campaigns in the Yangtze areas and died in his last action. Later kings' campaigns were less effective. King L led 14 armies against barbarians in the south but failed to achieve any victory. King Xan fought the Qunrng nomads in vain. King Yu was killed by the Qunrng when Hojng was sacked. Although chariots had been introduced to China during the Shng Dynasty from Central Asia the Zhu period saw the first major use of chariots in battle.17 18 Mandate of Heaven A Western Zhu bronze gui vessel c. 1000 BCE In the Chinese historical tradition the Zhu defeated the Shng and oriented the Shng system of ancestor worship towards a universalized worship away from the worship of Shng D and to that of Tin or "heaven". They legitimized their rule by invoking the "Mandate of Heaven" the notion that the ruler (the "Son of Heaven") governed by divine right and that his dethronement would prove that he had lost the Mandate. Disasters and successful rebellions would thus show that the ruling family had lost this Mandate. The doctrine explained and justified the demise of the Xi and Shng dynasties and at the same time supported the legitimacy of present and future rulers. Before conquering Shng Zhu was a state in Shaanxi. Gernet (1996:51) describes the Zhu state as a "city" which was in contact with the barbarian peoples of the western regions and more warlike than the Shng. The Zhu dynasty was founded by the J family and operated from four capitals throughout its history.19 Sharing the language and culture of the Shng the early Zhu rulers through conquest and colonization established a large imperial territory wherein states as far as Shndng acknowledged Zhu rulership and took part in elite culture. The spread of Zhu bronzes though was concurrent with the continued use of Shng-style pottery in the distant regions and these states were the last to recede during the late Western war. The mandate of heaven was based on rules. The emperor was granted the right to rule by heaven. Philosophy During the Zhu Dynasty the origins of native Chinese philosophy developed its initial stages beginning in the 6th century BCE. The greatest Chinese philosophers those who made the greatest impact on later generations of Chinese were Confucius founder of Confucianism and Loz founder of Taoism. Other philosophers theorists and schools of thought in this era were Mz founder of Mohism; Mencius a famous Confucian who expanded upon Confucius' legacy; Shng Yng and Hn Fi responsible for the development of ancient Chinese Legalism (the core philosophy of the Qn Dynasty); and Zn Z who was arguably the center of ancient Chinese intellectual life during his time even more so than iconic intellectual figures such as Mencius.20 Li Main article: Li (Confucian) Established during the Western period the L traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: l) ritual system encoded an understanding of manners as an expression of the social hierarchy ethics and regulation concerning material life; the corresponding social practices became idealized within Confucian ideology. The system was canonized in the Lj Zhul and Yl compendiums of the Hn (206 BCE220 CE) thus becoming the heart of the Chinese imperial ideology. While the system was initially a respected body of concrete regulations the fragmentation of the Western Zhou period led the ritual to drift towards moralization and formalization in regard to: The five orders of Chinese nobility. Ancestral temples (size legitimate number of pavilions) Ceremonial regulations (number of ritual vessels musical instruments people in the dancing troup) Agriculture Zhu vase with glass inlays 4th-3rd century BCE British Museum. Agriculture in the Zhu Dynasty was very intensive and in many cases directed by the government. All farming lands were owned by nobles who then gave their land to their serfs a situation similar to European feudalism. For example a piece of land was divided into nine squares in the well-field system with the grain from the middle square taken by the government and that of surrounding squares kept by individual farmers. This way the government was able to store surplus food and distribute it in times of famine or bad harvest. Some important manufacturing sectors during this period included bronze smelting which was integral to making weapons and farming tools. Again these industries were dominated by the nobility who directed the production of such materials. China's first projects of hydraulic engineering were initiated during the Zhu Dynasty ultimately as a means to aid agricultural irrigation. The chancellor of Wi Snsh o who served Zhung of Ch dammed a river to create an enormous irrigation reservoir in modern-day northern nhu province. For this Snsh is credited as China's first hydraulic engineer. The later Wi statesman Xmn Bo who served Marquis Wn of Wi (445-396 BCE) was the first hydraulic engineer of China to have created a large irrigation canal system. As the main focus of his grandiose project his canal work eventually diverted the waters of the entire Zhng River to a spot further up the Yellow River. Castration Although there are accounts of castration in the Shng Dynasty the eunuch system expanded during the Zhu Dynasty becoming commonplace as the Imperial court grew.2122 According to historians it was incorporated into Chinese law during the Zhu Dynasty in 1100 BCE.23 It was one of the Five Punishments that could be legally inflicted on criminals in China.24 During the reign of King M of Zhu the Marquess of Lu in his role as Minister of Crime reformed the law in 950 BCE to make it easier for people to be sentenced to castration instead of death.25 In China castration included removal of the penis as well as the testicles. Both organs were cut off with a knife at the same time.26 Chinese husbands who committed adultery were punished with castration as required under Zhu Dynasty law.27282930 The exact crime was called Gong and referred to "immoral" sex between males and females. The punishment stated- "If a male and female engage in intercourse without morality their punishments shall be castration and sequestration respectively."31 The Chinese Book of History documented this practice.32 Castration was also a punishment for rape in China in addition to adultery.33 34 Art Defang bronze ritual vessel Western Zhu Dynasty Dake bronze ritual vessel Western Zhu Dynasty You bronze ritual vessel Western Zhu Dynasty Qizhong Hu bronze vessel Western Zhu Dynasty Dou vessel with a hunting scene Eastern Zhu Dynasty A bo bell of the Duke of Qin Eastern Zhu Dynasty Pu vessel with dragon designs Eastern Zhu Dynasty A jade bi with two dragons Eastern Zhu Dynasty Eastern Zhu bronze ritual food vessel (ding) with lacquer design 5th-4th century BCE An Eastern Zhu Dynasty bronze ding vessel An Eastern Zhu Dynasty bronze musical bell Western and Eastern Zhu Dynasty bronze vessels An Eastern Zhu Dynasty bronze and silver canteen A square bronze hu vessel Eastern Zhu Dynasty An Eastern Zhu Dynasty bronze bird-shaped wine server Embroidered silk gauze garment from a 4th century BCE Zhu era tomb at Mashan Hubei province. Silk painting of a man railing a dragon 6th century BCE. Western Zhu Dynasty bronze mirror holder c. 1000 BCE (Hainan Provincial Museum). Zhu Dynasty kings Personal name Posthumous name Reign period Fa W of Zhu 1046 BCE-1043 BCE Song King Chng of Zhu 1042 BCE-1021 BCE Zhao King Kang of Zhu 1020 BCE-996 BCE Ji Xia King Zhao of Zhu 995 BCE-977 BCE Man King M of Zhu 976 BCE-922 BCE Yihu King Gng of Zhu / 922 BCE-900 BCE Jian King Y of Zhu 899 BCE-892 BCE Pifang King of Xao Zhu 891 BCE-886 BCE Xie King Y of Zhu 885 BCE-878 BCE Hu King L of Zhu / 877 BCE-841 BCE Gngh regency 841 BCE-828 BCE Jing King Xan of Zhu 827 BCE-782 BCE Gongsheng King Yu of Zhu 781 BCE-771 BCE End of Western Zhou / Beginning of Eastern Zhou Yijiu King Png of Zhu 770 BC-720 BCE Lin King Hun of Zhu 719 BCE-697 BCE Tuo King Zhuang of Zhu 696 BCE-682 BCE Huqi King X of Zhu 681 BC-677 BCE Lang King Hu of Zhu 676 BC-652 BCE Zheng King Xiang of Zhu 651 BC-619 BCE Renchen King Qng of Zhu 618 BC-613 BCE Ban King Kuang of Zhu 612 BC-607 BCE Yu King Dng of Zhu 606 BC-586 BCE Yi King Jin of Zhu 585 BCE-572 BCE Xiexin King Lng of Zhu 571 BCE-545 BCE Gui King Jng of Zhu 544 BCE-521 BCE Meng King Do of Zhu 520 BCE Gai King Jng of Zhu 519 BCE-476 BCE Ren King Yun of Zhu 475 BCE-469 BCE Jie King Zhndng of Zhu 468 BCE-442 BCE Quji King Ai of Zhu 441 BCE Shu King S of Zhu 441 BCE Wei King Ko of Zhu 440 BCE-426 BCE Wu King Wili of Zhu 425 BCE-402 BCE Jiao King An of Zhu 401 BCE-376 BCE Xi King Li of Zhu 375 BCE-369 BCE Bian King Xin of Zhu 368 BCE-321 BCE Ding King Shnjng of Zhu 320 BCE-315 BCE Yan King Nn of Zhu 314 BCE-256 BCE Jie King Hu of Zhu 255 BCE-249 BCE Nobles of the Ji family proclaimed Duke Hui of Eastern Zhou as King Nan's successor after their capital Chengzhou fell to Qin forces in 256 BCE. Ji Zhao a son of King Nan led a resistance against Qin for five years. The dukedom fell in 249 BCE. The remaining Ji family ruled Yan and Wei until 209 BCE. Zhu in astronomy Zhu is represented by two stars Eta Capricorni ( Zhu y 'the First Star of Zhu') and 21 Capricorni ( Zhu r 'the Second Star of Zhu') in Twelve States asterism.35 Zhu is also represented by the star Beta Serpentis in asterism Right Wall Heavenly Market enclosure (see Chinese constellation).36 See also China portal History portal Family tree of the Zhou Dynasty Four occupations Historical capitals of China Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng Xia Shang Zhou Chronology Project Notes Suzanne M. M. Young A. Mark Pollard Paul Budd and Robert A. Ixer (BAR international series792) ed (1999). "The earliest use of iron in China in Metals in Antiquity". Oxford: Archaeopress. pp. 19. http://www.staff.hum.ku.dk/dbwagner/EARFE/EARFE.html.  Wu (1982:235) Also known as Ti Wng () or "Great King." Bn may have been close to Lnfn on the Fn River in present-day Shnx (Shaughnessy 1999:303). See Wu (1982:273) for more information. In modern-day Qshn County. "King J" Near present-day X'n. Because the Zhu state existed before 1046 BCE there is some academic dispute as to the actual beginning of the Zhu dynasty with proposed dates ranging between 1122 BCE 1027 BCE. Chinese historians take 841 BCE as the first year of consecutive annual dating of the history of China based on the Records of the Grand Historian by Sm Qin. Chinn (2007:43) Hucker (1978:32) Hucker (1978:33) Chinn (2007:43) Hucker (1978:37) Hucker (1978:37) The Zhu Dynasty actually ended in 256 BCE though the Warring States Period extends to the beginning of Qn Dynasty Schirokauer & Brown (2006) Ebrey Walthall & Palais (2006:14) Shaughnessy (1988) Khayutina (2003) Schirokauer & Brown (2006:2547) Campbell Miers & Miller (2009:136) Tsai (1996:11) Faber (1897:18) Lalor (1882:406) Werner (1919:146) Campbell Miers & Miller (2009:138) Von Mllendorff (1895:160) Von Mllendorff (1896:30) Su (1922:65) Riasanovsky (1965:147) Harvey (2002:33) Wang (1930:51) Werner (1919:141) DeMello (2007:56) (Chinese)"AEEA - Astronomy Education Network ()" (in Chinese). July 4 2006. http://aeea.nmns.edu.tw/2006/0607/ap060704.html. Retrieved December 5 2010.  (Chinese) "AEEA - Astronomy Education Network ()" (in Chinese). June 24 2006. http://aeea.nmns.edu.tw/2006/0606/ap060624.html. Retrieved December 5 2010.  References Campbell Gwyn; Miers Suzanne; Miller Joseph Calder (2009) Ohio University Press http://books.google.com/idS3Y2PTIvYYC  Chinn Ann-ping (2007) The Authentic Confucius Scribner ISBN 0743246187  Ebrey Patricia Buckley; Walthall Anne; Palais James B. (2006) East Asia: A Cultural Social and Political History Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company ISBN 0-618-13384-4  DeMello Margo (2007) Encyclopedia of body adornment Greenwood Publishing Group ISBN 0313336954 http://books.google.com/ids0122BsqrZwC  Faber Ernst (1897) China in the Light of History American Presbyterian Mission Press http://books.google.com/idS2hCAAAAIAAJ  Feng Li. 2006. Landscape and Power in Early China: The Crisis and Fall of the Western Zhou 1045-771 BC Gernet Jacques (1996) A History of Chinese Civilization (Second ed.) Cambridge University Press ISBN 0-521-49781-7  Hucker Charles O. (1978) China to 1850: A short history Stanford University Press ISBN 0804709580  Khayutina Maria (2003). "Where Was the Western Zhou Capital". The Warring States Working Group WSWG-17. Leiden Germany: Warring States Project. pp. 14. http://www.sinits.com/research/WesternZhouCapital.pdf.  Lalor John Joseph (1882) Cyclopaedia of Political Science Political Economy and of the Political History of the United States 1 Rand McNally http://books.google.com/id5phBAAAAYAAJ  Lee Yuan-Yuan and Shen Sinyan. (1999). Chinese Musical Instruments (Chinese Music Monograph Series). Chinese Music Society of North America Press. ISBN 1-880464-03-9 Von Mllendorff Paul Georg (1895) "The Family Law of the Chinese" Journal of the China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society for the Year... 27-28: 131167 http://books.google.com/idfaNDAAAAYAAJ  Von Mllendorff Paul Georg (1896) The Family Law of the Chinese Kelly & Walsh limited http://books.google.com/idxCsMAAAAYAAJ  Riasanovsky Valentin Aleksandrovich (1965) Fundamental principles of Mongol Law Indiana University http://books.google.com/idy0MiAQAAIAAJ  Schirokauer Conrad; Brown Miranda (2006) A Brief History of Chinese Civilization (Second ed.) Wadsworth: Thomson Learning pp. 2547  Shaughnessy Edward L. (1999) "Western Zhou History" in Loewe Michael; Shaughnessy Edward L. The Cambridge History of Ancient China pp. 292351 ISBN 9780521470308  Shaughnessy Edward L. (1988) "Historical Perspectives on The Introduction of The Chariot Into China" Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 48 (1): 189237  Shen Sinyan (1987) Acoustics of Ancient Chinese Bells Scientific American 256 94. Sommer Matthew Harvey (2002) Sex Law and Society in Late Imperial China Stanford University Press ISBN 0804745595 http://books.google.com/idE6ClbegXuWUC  Su Sing Ging (1922) The Chinese Family System Columbia University http://books.google.com/idA4RJAAAAIAAJ  Sun Yan. 2006. "Cultural and Political Control in North China: Style and Use of the Bronzes of Yan at Liulihe during the Early Western Zhou." In: Contact and Exchange in the Ancient World. Edited by Victor H. Mair. University of Hawai'i Press Honolulu. Pages 215-237. ISBN 9780824828844; ISBN 0-8248-2884-4. Tsai Shih-shan Henry (1996) The eunuchs in the Ming dynasty SUNY Press http://books.google.com/idKa6jNJcXygC  Wagner D. G. "The Earliest Use of Iron in China" in Metals in Antiquity Edited by S. M. M. Young A. M. Pollard P. Budd and R. A. Ixer Oxford: Archaeopress. 1999 pp. 19. Wang Cheng (1930) A preliminary study of the disintegration of the Chinese family under the impact of Western ideologies Stanford University Press http://books.google.com/idLPoUAAAAIAAJ  Werner Edward Theodore Chalmers (1919) China of the Chinese Charles Scribner's Sons http://books.google.com/idoUkQAAAAYAAJ  Wu K. C. (1982) The Chinese Heritage New York: Crown Publishers ISBN 0-517-54475X  External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Zhou Dynasty This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support you may see question marks boxes or other symbols instead of Chinese characters. Chaos.UMD.edu History of the Zhou Dynasty Army Area Handbook on China Rinn-Sup Shinn and Robert L. Worden compiled by Leon Poon OurOrient.com Feudal States of the Zhou Dynasty Jiang Yike Chinese Text Project Rulers of the Zhou states - with links to their occurrences in pre-Qin and Han texts. ChinaWikipedia.com History of China Preceded by Shang Dynasty Dynasties in Chinese history c.1045  256 BC Succeeded by Qin Dynasty v d eEastern Zhou Dynasty topics Spring and Autumn Ba Cai Cao Chen Cheng Chu Dao Deng Dong Guo E Hua Jin Ju Lai Liang Liao Lu L P Q Q Qin Quan Ruo Shen Shu Song Sui Tan Teng Wei Wu Xi Xi Guo Xing Xu Yan Yu Yue Zheng Zhi Warring States Seven States Chu Han Qi Qin Wei Yan Zhao Minor States Ba Cai Lu Shu Song Teng Yue Zheng Zhongshan Zou