Analyse_the_Social_Order_of_Ancient_Chinese_Society_During_the_Zhou_Dynasty.

Zhou dynasty The Zhou dynasty was the longest lasting dynasty in Chinese history lasting from around 1122 B.C.E until 221 B.C.E. This dynasty was split into two main parts, the Western Zhou (1122 to 771) and Eastern Zhou (771 to 221) dynasties. The Zhou clan had always been present in China but it was around this time that they grew in size and power. In 1046, the newly appointed leader of the Zhou clan overthrew the Shang leaders to begin the new dynasty. It was a time of territorial expansion, increased education and financial growth. During the Zhou dynasty, agriculture was the main source of sustenance and iron and bronze were being used in regular life. Infrastructure changed to become more urbanised and the development of a bureaucracy led to better commerce and a more stable society. Social Structure – Overview During the Zhou dynasty, each territory was appointed a leader, known as an aristocrat, to govern their own affairs. This was the result of poor communication over the massive size of the territory in the control of the Zhou emperors. The society was based on a proto-feudal system, where the noblemen of each state took control of the peasants and slaves. King / Emperor The first emperor of the Zhou dynasty was Emperor Wu, who came to power after overthrowing the Shang leaders. Zhou emperors were kings who believed they were descendents of a god called the Millet Ruler, who had given them permission from heaven to rule. During this dynasty which lasted around 900 years, a total of 37 emperors ruled China. The emperor’s role in society was to be the supreme leader of the Zhou dynasty, make decisions on territorial expansion, trade alliances, developments in infrastructure and keeping the civilisation at peace. Aristocracy / Significant Figures During this dynasty, lords, marquises and noblemen were the leaders by birthright of feudal states that coexisted under the rule of the emperor but were able to run the affairs of their own state. This system is known as proto-feudalism and is very similar to the system used in the Middle Ages in European countries. By the end of the Eastern Zhou period, there were over 200 individual states which failed to prosper and as a result were defeated by the Qin empire, marking the start of a new dynasty. Evidence of the importance of these noblemen can be seen in the tomb belonging to the marquis Yi of Zeng. The tomb had four separate chambers, was 220 square metres in area and contained 15, 404 artefacts. His chamber contained 21 women buried in coffins, believed to be concubines for the afterlife. The largest set of bronze bells in the world was uncovered, comprising of 65, all elaborately inscribed and decorated. This evidence suggests that ancient China believed in an afterlife and that the leader of each state was well respected and honoured in their state. During the Zhou dynasty, many schools were built teaching philosophy, law and religion. This led to many great philosophers including Lao Tzu, founder of Taoism and Confucius. Confucius was a social philosopher who taught that everyone had a place in society and that people had a responsibility towards one another. Born in 551 B.C, Confucius reformed many Chinese people to improve themselves through education and living an ethical life. Warrior Class Warriors of the Zhou society were the men who battled for the expansion and wealth of the Zhou dynasty and achieved this either as a chariot warrior or as part of the infantry. As reward for their courage, they were granted large portions of land and peasants and slaves to work it in return for a portion of the profit to be paid to the emperor and to serve the emperor in battle. Upper class warriors would wear heavy armour made of buffalo or rhinoceros hide, inlayed with gold and bronze and upholstered with silk. The status of each warrior could be determined by how elaborate their armour and weaponry was. Warriors were treated with great dignity and respect throughout their lives and this continued as seen in a mass burial site uncovered in Beijing. "We discovered that in the cemetery there are 22 large-scale tombs, of which 10 have four tunnels -- which we know now are the highest class of tombs in the Western Zhou Dynasty.” (Wang Zhankui, archaeologist at burial site in Beijing, China) Middle Class – Artisans and Craftspeople This class made a living through working with a large range of materials during the Zhou dynasty. During this dynasty, art was a practical display of skill, being used on drinking vessels, mirrors and candle holders. As seen in most civilisations, art was used to reflect the culture of society at the time. This is seen in the artefact known as the bronze Gui of Shi You, a large drinking vessel which features long, deep carved lines around it and an inscription dedicating the vessel to the emperor at the time. These artisans worked with other craftsmen such as metalworkers to produce beautiful pieces of bronze and iron art to sell to members of the upper class. Excavations of Chinese burial sites, such as the marquis Yi of Zeng burial, have revealed that the emperor, the aristocracy and some great warriors were buried with their finest possessions, sometimes including their slaves, providing the middle class with more demand for their work making them sought after men. Lower Class – Peasants and Slaves During the Zhou dynasty, agriculture was the main source of sustenance for the Chinese people and so the land of each individual state was divided up among the noblemen and warrior class. The majority of the Zhou society was made up of peasants who lived in small communities close to the farm they were working. However slaves were treated badly, were forced to work the fields and were not payed in return for the work. Conclusion After analysing all levels of the society during the Zhou dynasty in China, it is clear that this has been a primary factor of the dynasty being the longest lasting throughout China’s history. By gaining a background of the dynasty and using primary and secondary sources to validate the information, a great deal of information can be obtained about how society operated at that time. Bibliography Websites: Choice.com, Confucius and Confucianism, Details about Confucius’ life and legacy, viewed 20th June, 2010. http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/confucius/p/042310Confucius.htm Wikibooks 2009, the First Chinese Dynasties, Society and class divisions, viewed 26th June, 2010. http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/World_History/The_First_Chinese_Dynasties Wikipedia 2010, Zhou Dynasty, Detailed information about Zhou dynasty, viewed 20th June, 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhou_Dynasty Facts and Details 2010, Zhou (Chou) Dynasty (1100 – 221B.C), Detailed information about Zhou dynasty, viewed 28th June, 2010. http://factsanddetails.com/china.php'itemid=41&catid=2&subcatid=2 ORACLE Think Quest, The Zhou Dynasty, Detailed information about Zhou dynasty, viewed 7th July 2010. http://library.thinkquest.org/12255/library/dynasty/zhou.html ChinaCulture.org, Mausoleum of Marquis Yi of State of Zeng, Marquis Yi of Zeng, viewed 7th July, 2010. http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_artqa/2003-09/24/content_39314.htm ChinaDaily.com, Archaeologists crave important finds at Zhou Dynasty burial site, viewed 8th July, 2010. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-10/18/content_383476.htm CHINAKNOWLEDGE, Zhou Dynasty 周 (11th. cent.-221 BC), Zhou art and feudalism, viewed 7th July, 2010. http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Zhou/zhou.html Metropolitan Museum of Art, Shang and Zhou Dynasties: The Bronze Age of China, Zhou dynasty art, viewed 6th July, 2010. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/shzh/hd_shzh.htm Encyclopaedia of World Biography, Confucius, Confucius biography, viewed 6th June, 2010. http://www.notablebiographies.com/Co-Da/Confucius.html Spiritus-Temporis.com, Zhou Dynasty, Overview of Zhou dynasty, viewed 28th June, 2010. http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/zhou-dynasty/ Travel China Guide, Zhou Dynasty, Brief overview of Zhou dynasty, viewed 23rd June, 2010. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/history/zhou/