Zhou Dynasty Essay

495 Words2 Pages
The Zhou Dynasty (also spelled Chou ) roughly marks the historical period between 1046 and 221 BC , consisting of the last two-fifths of the Chinese Bronze Age . The Zhou Dynasty was the longest dynasty in Chinese history . It lasted for over 800 years and included the reigns of 37 emperors. The Zhou Clan was an ancient tribe inhabiting the Loess Plateau which gradually developed into a new powerful force in the early years of the 11th century BC . They extended throughout the present Shaanx and Gaansu provinces which menaced the Shang Dynasty causing the conflicts to intensify . The Shang dynasty ended in 1046 BC and the Zhou dynasty was established by Zhou Wu with Haojing (the present Chang 'an County Shaanxi Province ) as its capital . The dynasty can be broadly classified into three categories.Western Zhou (ca 1046-771 BC During this period , the Zhou was based along the Wei River in Shaanxi Province . Their territory included much of the Wei and Yellow River valleys as well as portions of the Yangzi and Han river systems . The rulers were kin-based , and the society was strictly tiered with a strong aristocracy in place Eastern Zhou (ca 771-481 BC The period about 771 BC is also called Springs and Autumns (Chunqin The Zhou leaders were forced eastward out of their previous strongholds near Mount Qi and into a reduced area near their capital city of Luoyang . The Eastern Zhou rulers were despotic , with a centralized administration and a ranked bureaucracy . Taxation and corvee labor were present Warring States (ca 481-221 BC About 481 BC , the Zhou dynasty fragmented into separate kingdoms , the Wei , Han and Zhao kingdoms . During this period , with iron working becoming prominent , the standard of living rose and the population grew Currency was established enabling farflung trading systems . The Warring States period ended when the HYPERLINK
Open Document