The Chou or Zhou dynasty ruled China from about 1027 to about 221 B.C. It was the longest dynasty in Chinese history. The Chou Dynasty followed the second Chinese dynasty, the Shang. Originally pastoralists, the Chou set up a (proto-)feudal social organization based on families, with administrative bureaucracy, and developed a middle class. From such a decentralized tribal system, the Zhou became centralized over time. Iron was introduced and Confucianism was developed. Sun Tzu wrote The Art of War in about 500 B.C.
Chinese Philosophers and Religion:
During the Warring States period of the Chou dynasty, a class of scholars developed, whose members included the great Chinese philosopher Confucius. The Book of Changes was written during the Chou Dynasty. The philosopher Lao Tse was appointed librarian for the historical records of the Chou kings. This period is sometimes referred to as the One Hundred Schools Period. The Chou banned human sacrifice and saw their success over the Shang as a mandate from heaven. Ancestor worship developed.
Start of the Chou Dynasty:
Wuwang ("Warrior King") was the son of the leader of the Chou (Zhou) located on the western border of the Shang's China in what is now Shaanxi province. He formed a coalition with the leaders of other states to defeat the last, evil ruler of the Shang. They succeeded and Wuwang became the first king of the Chou dynasty (c.1046-43 B.C.).
Division of the Chou Dynasty:
Conventionally, the Chou dynasty is divided into the Western or Royal Chou (c.1027-771 B.C.) and the Dong or Eastern Chou (c.770-221 B.C.) periods. The Dong Zhou itself is subdivided into the Spring and Autumn (Chunqiu) period (c.770-476 B.C.), which was named for a book supposedly by Confucius and when iron weapons and farm implements replaced bronze, and the Warring States (Zhanguo) period (c.475-221 B.C.).
At the start of the Western Chou, the empire of the Chou extended from Shaanxi to the Shandong peninsula and the Beijing area. The first kings of the Chou dynasty gave land to friends and relatives. Like the two previous dynasties, there was a recognized leader who passed power to his descendants. The vassals' walled cities, also passed down patriarchally, developed into kingdoms. By the end of the Western Chou, the central government had lost all but nominal power, such as was required for rituals.
During the Warring States period, the aristocratic system of warfare changed: peasants fought; there were new weapons, including crossbows, chariots, and iron armor.
Developments During the Chou Dynasty:
During the Chou dynasty in China, ox-drawn ploughs, iron and iron casting, horseback riding, coinage, multiplication tables, chopsticks, and the crossbow were introduced. Roads, canals, and major irrigation projects were developed.
Legalism:
Legalism developed during the Warring States period. Legalism is a school of philosophy that provided the philosophical background for the first imperial dynasty, the Qin Dynasty. Legalism accepted that humans are flawed and asserted that political institutions should recognize this. Therefore the state should be authoritarian, demanding strict obedience to the leader, and meting out known rewards and punishments.
Source: Legalism. (2009). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 25, 2009, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article-9047627
