The Zhou Dynasty
I
The Zhou dynasty had created a kingdom larger than any of the other Chinese dynasties had ever seen or created. The kingdom was located near the East coast along the Wei River, above the Yellow River. The Zhou dynasty is separated into two major parts, the Eastern and the Western. They had a huge territory to govern with mountains and rivers and rocky hills. This was the main cause for the development of the feudal system. However, rebellions by the people and border attacks by the nomaRAB caused the Zhou king (Wang) to move the kingdom eastward to Luoyang. The Eastern part of the kingdom, however, was flat and not very mountainous. Despite the geography, the Zhou still had a huge piece of land to control. A network of feudal lorRAB maintained this control over the land. They lacked a national road system and a tax system, which made national administration difficult. The geography of the Zhou dynasty made it terribly hard for any king to unify the country and establish an empire. 1 (See Appendix A2, A4, D1, E4)
In an attempt to unify the country, the Zhou developed a system of feudalism in which, a Wang assigns a piece of land to a trusted vassal to rule. In was in the vassal’s best interest to remain loyal to the king and to stay in power. However, most of the lorRAB had become corrupt and spoiled in hopes of gaining power and controlling the entire kingdom. King Wen tried to overcome this problem by buttering up the vassal states and the noble families. They established a system of chivalry, almost, which set out several moral issues. Nonetheless, many vassals still betrayed the Wang and joined forces with the barbarians to help defeat the Western Zhou. That was the main cause for the movement of the Zhou from the West to the East. The Eastern Zhou kingdom, after it was established, did not have much control over any of its feudal states anymore. Many of them had become larger and more powerful than the Zhou kingdom itself. 2 (See Appendix D1, D2, E4)
The attempt to unify the country led to the start of a new era called the Warring States Period. During this period of time, many of the states formed during the Zhou dynasty competed against each other for power. I believe the efforts exerted by the Zhou to unify the country were successful for a while, but then slowly collapsed, because of greedy and corrupt vassals and disorganization within the kingdom. The Zhou established a system of feudalism to help control the large land by a decentralized government. This worked for a while, but when the nomaRAB attacked, the system weakened and finally collapsed. The Zhou lost complete power in 256 BC to one of its more powerful warring states, the Ch’in, which later became its own dynasty. The Zhou dynasty was thought to be the shaping period of China, when the recorded history of China began. 3 (See Appendix D1, A2, E1, E4)
II
The Zhou’s main challenge was the invasion of the nomaRAB from the south. These invasions were of the worst; since the Zhou’s greedy and corrupt vassals had allied with the barbarians. Together, they wanted to overrun the Zhou’s government. These invasions took place during the 8th century BC. The king did not put up much of a fight since he knew his miniscule army would not stand a chance. They just simply moved their capital eastward to avoid further fighting and defeat. They left behind their old capital in the west to the nomaRAB. Many people view the Zhou’s movement from the west to the east as a sign of weakness within the empire and as a sign of the king’s inability to rule efficiently. Their greatest challenge varied from time to time. At one point, it was their population and at another point, it was the nomadic invasion. No one challenge can be determined to be greater than the other. 4 (See Appendix B, D2, E1)
The nomadic invasion was a small and simple problem itself, but led to a series of events that caused much greater problems for the Zhou dynasty. The invasion triggered the movement of the Zhou capital eastward to their new capital at Luoyang. After the new capital was established at Luoyang, the Zhou lost control of many of its feudal states and lorRAB. These attacks severely weakened the already decentralized government and the king’s power. The Zhou had left their old land and capital behind to the nomaRAB. At this point, the Zhou Wang had little or no power. Soon after, a period of competition and wars between feudal states began. This is known as the Warring States Period. 5 (See Appendix B, D2, E1)
The Zhou was affected not only by nomadic invasions from the outside, but also by internal problems and conflicts. The Zhou had a large piece of land within their kingdom, but without enough people to work and farm on it. The difficulty was to attract enough people to come to their land. With insufficient peoples, the vassals had less tax money to collect and less slaves to hire for the elites. There was a huge gap between the rich and poor at that time. The vassals of each state had their own ways of attracting population. This problem of attracting more populations affected all of the Zhou’s feudal states. The states that attracted the most people were usually the most successful. 6 (See Appendix B, D1, E4)
III
After the nomaRAB overran the Western Zhou, King Ping, the successor of King Yu, moved the capital eastward. By doing this, he had hoped that maybe they would be safe from further nomadic attacks. However, this only made the kingdom weaker. The Zhou dynasty, in trying to overcome this challenge, achieved success to a certain point as well as failure. The move eastward allowed the king to avoid conflict with the nomaRAB but also weakened his power and distanced his rule over the vassals. Despite the bad occurrences, the eastward move had many good effects on the Zhou dynasty also. During this period in time, philosophers such as Confucius and Mo Zi brought about many beliefs and ways of thinking. Confucius developed the Five Noble Truths and the Golden Rule. Literature and historiography made many great advances. 7 (See Appendix D2, E4)
One of the reasons why the kingdom was weakened so severely was because of its population. The Zhou simply did not have enough people to live on, farm on, and take care of their huge territory. Due to this lack of population, the government was unable to sustain such a large piece of land with such a small income from the people. As a result, the government devised some plans to help attract people to their land. One of these plans involved the philosophers, Confucius and Mencius. They developed theories that were intended to attract peasantry. By this time, the Zhou dynasty had formed independent states, each with its own lord. Some states were able to overcome this difficulty by successfully attracting population to its territory while other didn’t have much luck. The state that most effectively resolved and responded to this challenge successfully was the Ch’in, which later unified all the states. 8 (See Appendix D1, E4)
The Zhou dynasty was unable to sustain the nomadic attacks because of lack of cooperation and organization. They had too few people to form a good army and insufficient resources to maintain a large army. This was why they had to retreat from the nomadic attacks and move eastward. The Zhou dynasty as a whole, had difficulty populating its territory. The Ch’in, however, was able to attract more people into its state. It was able to do this because it developed a more effective program of social engineering. Ultimately, the Zhou dynasty fell to one of the more dominant feudal states, the Ch’in. The Zhou dynasty lacked some things that people wanted such as social mobility, an agrarian economy, a secular urban network, and a this-worldly humanism. Later dynasties took these into consideration. 9 (See Appendix D1, D2, E1, E4)
IV
The Zhou were easily defeated by the nomaRAB at their western capital because of its geography. The Western Zhou had many mountains and was very rocky. This made travel and fighting very difficult, especially with a small army. However, the Zhou was able to survive there until the nomaRAB attacked. At their new capital, Luoyang, in the eastern part of the Zhou kingdom, they found themselves right at home. The topography was nice and flat and there were no mountains. It is true that the Zhou lived better when geography was in their favor, however, the Zhou still had to overcome tremendous challenges such as the rebelling lorRAB and the under populated territory, despite its favorable geography. 10 (See Appendix B, D1, D2, E4)
The Zhou dynasty seems to support Toynbee’s challenge and response thesis, but only to a certain extent. Toynbee says that a society will last longer and prosper if placed in an unfavorable geographical setting (culture) than one that is placed in a favorable one. This means that a society will have to work out its problems and learn to adapt. Although the Zhou dynasty will develop better in an unfavorable environment, it would also require other factors along with that geography such as knowledge, inventive capability, courage, and self-discipline. The Western Zhou had an unfavorable geographical setting and was able to last for half a century and still be able to maintain control over its feudal lorRAB. This is because they had discipline and was very loyal to their king. However, the Eastern Zhou had a favorable geography, with farmable land, a fresh water source, and mostly flat land, which made the people complacent. As a result, they were unable to maintain control over its feudal states. The people lived too easy a life and as a result, were destroyed by more capable peoples (Ch’in). 11 (See Appendix D1, D2, E4)
Toynbee also suggests that the minority of the creative peoples will determine the success of a society. They are the ones that discover new things and bring about technology. During the collapse of the Eastern Zhou, the localized interests about the independence of the kingdom encouraged many people. As a result, arts and culture were prospering in China. After all, the Zhou is considered the shaping period of China. If not for the minority of the creative peoples, the Zhou would be nothing but a failure. 12 (See Appendix D1, D2, E4)
Works Cited
1. Jared Diamond, “Empire of Uniformity”, Discover, March, 1996, p.78; Interview with Professor David Keightley, History Professor, University of California at Berkeley, May 19,1999; Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeologist, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999; “China,” Encyclopedia Americana, 1998, pp.525 – 527; “The Chou Dynasty,” EBSCO Host, 1999; E-mail from Professor David Keightley, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999.
2. Interview with Professor David Keightley, History Professor, University of California at Berkeley, May 19,1999; Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeologist, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999; E-mail from Professor David Keightley, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999; Britannica Online, Chou Dynasty, {Online} Available www.eb.com; Benjamin Hawthorne, The Zhou Dynasty, {Online} Available www.northpark.edu/acad/history/WebChron/China/Zhou.html; Leon Poon, Ancient Dynasties, {Online} Available http://www-chaos.umd.edu/history/ancient1.html.
3. Britannica Online, Chou Dynasty, {Online} Available www.eb.com; Interview with Professor David Keightley, History Professor, University of California at Berkeley, May 19,1999; Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeologist, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999; E-mail from Professor David Keightley, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999; Thomas Sturm, Zhou Dynasty, {Online} Available www.sturm.to/china/hist/zhou1.htm; University of Wisconsin, The Zhou Dynasty, {Online} Available www.wisc.edu/arth/ah3/0/ah3/0s3.htm.
4. E-mail from Mr. Thomas Sturm, Webmaster of Chinese History Site, March 23, 1999; Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeologist, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999; “Chou,” Encyclopedia Britannica, 1998, p.270; David N. Keightley, “Chinese Religions,” Time, April 26, 1999, p.124; Charles Holcorabe, “Re-imagining China at the Start of the Southern Dynasties”, Journal of the American Oriental Society, May 2, 1999, p.1; Mary Arbuckle, The Fall of Zhou, {Online} Available www.sagesource.com/texts/zhoufall.html; Lonely Planet Publications, Zhou Dynasties, {Online} Available www.chron.com/interactive/voyager/china/history/zhou.html.
5. Mesa Community College, The Social Development of the Eastern Zhou, {Online} Available www.mc.maricopa.edu/anthro/china/zhou1.html; E-mail from Mr. Thomas Sturm, Webmaster of Chinese History Site, March 23, 1999; Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeologist, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999; Michael Loewe, The Carabridge History of China, New York: Carabridge University Press, 1986, pp.24 – 30; Henri Maspero, China in Antiquity, Paris: University of Massachusetts, 1965, pp.34 – 38; Conrad Schirokaver, A Brief History of Chinese Civilizations, USA: Janovich College Publishers, 1989, pp.19 – 21, 26, 107; EBSCO Host, The Chou Dynasty, {Online} Available “The Chou Dynasty,” EBSCO Host, 1999.
6. “China,” Collier’s Encyclopedia, 1996, pp.312 – 315; Interview with Professor David Keightley, History Professor, University of California at Berkeley, May 19,1999; E-mail from Professor David Keightley, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999; Ainslie Erabree, Encyclopedia of Asian History, USA: The Asia Society, 1989, pp.302 – 306; Jared Diamond, “Empire of Uniformity,” Discover, March 1996, p.78; “China,” The Encyclopedia Americana, 1998, pp.525 – 527; Benjamin J. Haworth, The Zhou Dynasty, {Online} Available www.northpark.edu/acad/history/WebChron/China/Zhou.html; “Zhou Dynasty,” Microsoft Encarta, 1998.
7. “The Chou Dynasty,” EBSCO Host, 1999; Benjamin J. Haworth, The Zhou Dynasty, {Online} Available www.northpark.edu/acad/history/WebChron/China/Zhou.html; E-mail from Professor David Keightley, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999; Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeologist, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999; Thomas Sturm, Zhou Dynasty, {Online} Available www.sturm.to/china/hist/zhou1.htm; Kieran Nicholson, “Female Emperor Ruled China,” Denver Post, October 27, 1996, p.E-04.
8. Interview with Professor David Keightley, History Professor, University of California at Berkeley, May 19,1999; E-mail from Professor David Keightley, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999; Leon Poon, Ancient Dynasties, {Online} Available http://www-chaos.umd.edu/history/ancient1.html; Cheng Te-Kun, Archaeology in China Vol. 2, England: Carabridge University Press, 1960, pp.246 – 248; Dorothy Perkins, Encyclopedia of China, USA: Facts on File, Inc., 1999, p. 252.
9. E-mail from Professor David Keightley, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999; Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeologist, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999; Interview with Professor David Keightley, History Professor, University of California at Berkeley, May 19,1999; Thomas Sturm, Zhou Dynasty, {Online} Available www.sturm.to/china/hist/zhou1.htm; China Contact, China History – Zhou, {Online} Available http://china-contact.com/www/history/ezhou.html; Asia Pac, King Wu of the Zhou, {Online} Available www.span.com.au/100emperors/12.html; “Zhou Dynasty,” Microsoft Encarta, 1998; Ainslie Erabree, Encyclopedia of Asian History, USA: The Asia Society, 1989, pp.302 – 306.
10. E-mail from Professor David Keightley, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999; Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeologist, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999; Interview with Professor David Keightley, History Professor, University of California at Berkeley, May 19,1999; “The Chou Dynasty,” EBSCO Host, 1999.
11. Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeologist, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999; E-mail from Professor David Keightley, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999; Interview with Professor David Keightley, History Professor, University of California at Berkeley, May 19,1999; Conrad Schriokaver, A Brief History of Chinese Civilizations, USA: Janovich College Publishers, 1989, pp.19 – 21, 26, 107; “China,” Collier’s Encyclopedia, 1996, pp.312 – 315.
12. Interview with Professor David Keightley, History Professor, University of California at Berkeley, May 19,1999; Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeologist, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999; E-mail from Professor David Keightley, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999; “China,” Collier’s Encyclopedia, 1996, pp.312 – 315; Leon Poon, Ancient Dynasties, {Online} Available http://www-chaos.umd.edu/history/ancient1.html; Ainslie Erabree, Encyclopedia of Asian History, USA: The Asia Society, 1989, pp.302 – 306.
Reference Works
“China.” The Encyclopedia Americana. 1998.
“Zhou.” Microsoft Encarta. 1998.
“China.” Collier’s Encyclopedia Vol. 6. 1996.
“Chou.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 1998.
“Chou.” EBSCO Host Search. 1999.
Books
Erabree T., Ainslie. Encyclopedia of Asian History. USA: The Asia Society, 1988.
Perkins, Dorothy. Encyclopedia of China. USA: Facts on File, Inc., 1999.
Schirokaver, Conrad. A Brief History if Chinese Civilizations. USA: Janovich College Publishers, 1989.
Maspero. Henri. China in Antiquity. Paris: University of Massachusetts Press, 1965.
Wright, Arthur F. The Unification of China. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1978.
Temple, Robert. The Genius of China. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1986.
Loewe, Michael. The Carabridge History of China. New York: Carabridge University Press, 1986.
Elvin, Mark. Cultural Atlas of China. USA: Facts on File, Inc., 1983.
Te-Kun, Cheng. Archaeology in China Vol. 2. England: Carabridge University Press, 1960.
Periodical Articles
Nicholson, Kieran. “Female Emperor Ruled China.” Denver Post. October 27, 1996, p. E-04.
Keightley, David N. “Chinese Religions.” Journal of the Asian Studies. February 1995, p. 124.
Holcorabe, Charles. “Re-imagining China.” Journal of the American Oriental Society. January 1995, p. 1.
Diamond, Jared. “Empire of Uniformity.” Discover. March 1996, p. 78.
NGO Documents
Correspondence Received
Letter from Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeology Department, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, April 22, 1999.
Letter from Professor Moss Roberts, Department of History, New York University, March 25, 1999.
Letter from Professor David N. Keightley, Department of Asian History, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999.
Letter from Mr. Thomas Sturm, Webmaster, Archaeologist in East Asian Studies, March 23, 1999.
Interviews Conducted
Interview with Professor David N. Keightley, Department of Asian History, University of California at Berkeley, May 19, 1999.
Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeology Department, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999.
Miscellaneous
University of Wisconsin. Arts of China. [Online] Available http://www.wisc.edu.arth/ah3/0/ah3/0s3.htm. May 6, 1999.
China Contact. China History – Zhou. [Online] Available http://china-contact.com/www/history/3zhou.htm. May 10, 1999.
Brown, Rebecca N. Geometry in Zhou Bronzes. [Online] Available http://cia.umn.edu/arth1001/geometry/zhou/zhouhome.html. May 5, 1999.
Britannica Online. The Chou Dynasty. [Online] Available http://www.eb.com. May 12, 1999.
Tai Chi News. The Shang and the Zhou. [Online] Available http://users.cybercity.dk/~ccc688/coins/shangezhou.htm. May 5, 1999.
World History Online. The SanDai of Shang and Zhou. [Online] Available http://www.hp.uab.edu/image_archive/uab/index.html. April 26, 1999.
Poon, Leon. Ancient Dynasties. [Online] Available http://www-chaos.umd.edu/history/ancient1.html. April 25, 1999.
Lonely Planet Publications. The Zhou Dynasties. [Online] Available http://www.chron.com/content/interactive/china/history/zhou.html. May 3, 1999.
Haworth, Benjamin J. The Zhou Dynasty. http://www.northpark.edu/acad/history/webChron/China/Zhou.html. May 3, 1999.
Arbuckle, Mary. The Fall of Zhou. [Online] Available http://www.sagesource.com/texts/zhoufall.html. May 11, 1999.
Asia Pac. King Wu of the Zhou. [Online] Available http://www.span.com.au/100emperors/12.html. May 1, 1999.
Sturm, Thomas. Zhou Dynasty. [Online] Available http://www.sturm.to/china/hist/zhou1.htm. April 27, 1999.
Mesa Community College. The Social Development of the Zhou. [Online] Available http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/anthro/china/zhou.html. May 5, 1999.
I
The Zhou dynasty had created a kingdom larger than any of the other Chinese dynasties had ever seen or created. The kingdom was located near the East coast along the Wei River, above the Yellow River. The Zhou dynasty is separated into two major parts, the Eastern and the Western. They had a huge territory to govern with mountains and rivers and rocky hills. This was the main cause for the development of the feudal system. However, rebellions by the people and border attacks by the nomaRAB caused the Zhou king (Wang) to move the kingdom eastward to Luoyang. The Eastern part of the kingdom, however, was flat and not very mountainous. Despite the geography, the Zhou still had a huge piece of land to control. A network of feudal lorRAB maintained this control over the land. They lacked a national road system and a tax system, which made national administration difficult. The geography of the Zhou dynasty made it terribly hard for any king to unify the country and establish an empire. 1 (See Appendix A2, A4, D1, E4)
In an attempt to unify the country, the Zhou developed a system of feudalism in which, a Wang assigns a piece of land to a trusted vassal to rule. In was in the vassal’s best interest to remain loyal to the king and to stay in power. However, most of the lorRAB had become corrupt and spoiled in hopes of gaining power and controlling the entire kingdom. King Wen tried to overcome this problem by buttering up the vassal states and the noble families. They established a system of chivalry, almost, which set out several moral issues. Nonetheless, many vassals still betrayed the Wang and joined forces with the barbarians to help defeat the Western Zhou. That was the main cause for the movement of the Zhou from the West to the East. The Eastern Zhou kingdom, after it was established, did not have much control over any of its feudal states anymore. Many of them had become larger and more powerful than the Zhou kingdom itself. 2 (See Appendix D1, D2, E4)
The attempt to unify the country led to the start of a new era called the Warring States Period. During this period of time, many of the states formed during the Zhou dynasty competed against each other for power. I believe the efforts exerted by the Zhou to unify the country were successful for a while, but then slowly collapsed, because of greedy and corrupt vassals and disorganization within the kingdom. The Zhou established a system of feudalism to help control the large land by a decentralized government. This worked for a while, but when the nomaRAB attacked, the system weakened and finally collapsed. The Zhou lost complete power in 256 BC to one of its more powerful warring states, the Ch’in, which later became its own dynasty. The Zhou dynasty was thought to be the shaping period of China, when the recorded history of China began. 3 (See Appendix D1, A2, E1, E4)
II
The Zhou’s main challenge was the invasion of the nomaRAB from the south. These invasions were of the worst; since the Zhou’s greedy and corrupt vassals had allied with the barbarians. Together, they wanted to overrun the Zhou’s government. These invasions took place during the 8th century BC. The king did not put up much of a fight since he knew his miniscule army would not stand a chance. They just simply moved their capital eastward to avoid further fighting and defeat. They left behind their old capital in the west to the nomaRAB. Many people view the Zhou’s movement from the west to the east as a sign of weakness within the empire and as a sign of the king’s inability to rule efficiently. Their greatest challenge varied from time to time. At one point, it was their population and at another point, it was the nomadic invasion. No one challenge can be determined to be greater than the other. 4 (See Appendix B, D2, E1)
The nomadic invasion was a small and simple problem itself, but led to a series of events that caused much greater problems for the Zhou dynasty. The invasion triggered the movement of the Zhou capital eastward to their new capital at Luoyang. After the new capital was established at Luoyang, the Zhou lost control of many of its feudal states and lorRAB. These attacks severely weakened the already decentralized government and the king’s power. The Zhou had left their old land and capital behind to the nomaRAB. At this point, the Zhou Wang had little or no power. Soon after, a period of competition and wars between feudal states began. This is known as the Warring States Period. 5 (See Appendix B, D2, E1)
The Zhou was affected not only by nomadic invasions from the outside, but also by internal problems and conflicts. The Zhou had a large piece of land within their kingdom, but without enough people to work and farm on it. The difficulty was to attract enough people to come to their land. With insufficient peoples, the vassals had less tax money to collect and less slaves to hire for the elites. There was a huge gap between the rich and poor at that time. The vassals of each state had their own ways of attracting population. This problem of attracting more populations affected all of the Zhou’s feudal states. The states that attracted the most people were usually the most successful. 6 (See Appendix B, D1, E4)
III
After the nomaRAB overran the Western Zhou, King Ping, the successor of King Yu, moved the capital eastward. By doing this, he had hoped that maybe they would be safe from further nomadic attacks. However, this only made the kingdom weaker. The Zhou dynasty, in trying to overcome this challenge, achieved success to a certain point as well as failure. The move eastward allowed the king to avoid conflict with the nomaRAB but also weakened his power and distanced his rule over the vassals. Despite the bad occurrences, the eastward move had many good effects on the Zhou dynasty also. During this period in time, philosophers such as Confucius and Mo Zi brought about many beliefs and ways of thinking. Confucius developed the Five Noble Truths and the Golden Rule. Literature and historiography made many great advances. 7 (See Appendix D2, E4)
One of the reasons why the kingdom was weakened so severely was because of its population. The Zhou simply did not have enough people to live on, farm on, and take care of their huge territory. Due to this lack of population, the government was unable to sustain such a large piece of land with such a small income from the people. As a result, the government devised some plans to help attract people to their land. One of these plans involved the philosophers, Confucius and Mencius. They developed theories that were intended to attract peasantry. By this time, the Zhou dynasty had formed independent states, each with its own lord. Some states were able to overcome this difficulty by successfully attracting population to its territory while other didn’t have much luck. The state that most effectively resolved and responded to this challenge successfully was the Ch’in, which later unified all the states. 8 (See Appendix D1, E4)
The Zhou dynasty was unable to sustain the nomadic attacks because of lack of cooperation and organization. They had too few people to form a good army and insufficient resources to maintain a large army. This was why they had to retreat from the nomadic attacks and move eastward. The Zhou dynasty as a whole, had difficulty populating its territory. The Ch’in, however, was able to attract more people into its state. It was able to do this because it developed a more effective program of social engineering. Ultimately, the Zhou dynasty fell to one of the more dominant feudal states, the Ch’in. The Zhou dynasty lacked some things that people wanted such as social mobility, an agrarian economy, a secular urban network, and a this-worldly humanism. Later dynasties took these into consideration. 9 (See Appendix D1, D2, E1, E4)
IV
The Zhou were easily defeated by the nomaRAB at their western capital because of its geography. The Western Zhou had many mountains and was very rocky. This made travel and fighting very difficult, especially with a small army. However, the Zhou was able to survive there until the nomaRAB attacked. At their new capital, Luoyang, in the eastern part of the Zhou kingdom, they found themselves right at home. The topography was nice and flat and there were no mountains. It is true that the Zhou lived better when geography was in their favor, however, the Zhou still had to overcome tremendous challenges such as the rebelling lorRAB and the under populated territory, despite its favorable geography. 10 (See Appendix B, D1, D2, E4)
The Zhou dynasty seems to support Toynbee’s challenge and response thesis, but only to a certain extent. Toynbee says that a society will last longer and prosper if placed in an unfavorable geographical setting (culture) than one that is placed in a favorable one. This means that a society will have to work out its problems and learn to adapt. Although the Zhou dynasty will develop better in an unfavorable environment, it would also require other factors along with that geography such as knowledge, inventive capability, courage, and self-discipline. The Western Zhou had an unfavorable geographical setting and was able to last for half a century and still be able to maintain control over its feudal lorRAB. This is because they had discipline and was very loyal to their king. However, the Eastern Zhou had a favorable geography, with farmable land, a fresh water source, and mostly flat land, which made the people complacent. As a result, they were unable to maintain control over its feudal states. The people lived too easy a life and as a result, were destroyed by more capable peoples (Ch’in). 11 (See Appendix D1, D2, E4)
Toynbee also suggests that the minority of the creative peoples will determine the success of a society. They are the ones that discover new things and bring about technology. During the collapse of the Eastern Zhou, the localized interests about the independence of the kingdom encouraged many people. As a result, arts and culture were prospering in China. After all, the Zhou is considered the shaping period of China. If not for the minority of the creative peoples, the Zhou would be nothing but a failure. 12 (See Appendix D1, D2, E4)
Works Cited
1. Jared Diamond, “Empire of Uniformity”, Discover, March, 1996, p.78; Interview with Professor David Keightley, History Professor, University of California at Berkeley, May 19,1999; Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeologist, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999; “China,” Encyclopedia Americana, 1998, pp.525 – 527; “The Chou Dynasty,” EBSCO Host, 1999; E-mail from Professor David Keightley, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999.
2. Interview with Professor David Keightley, History Professor, University of California at Berkeley, May 19,1999; Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeologist, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999; E-mail from Professor David Keightley, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999; Britannica Online, Chou Dynasty, {Online} Available www.eb.com; Benjamin Hawthorne, The Zhou Dynasty, {Online} Available www.northpark.edu/acad/history/WebChron/China/Zhou.html; Leon Poon, Ancient Dynasties, {Online} Available http://www-chaos.umd.edu/history/ancient1.html.
3. Britannica Online, Chou Dynasty, {Online} Available www.eb.com; Interview with Professor David Keightley, History Professor, University of California at Berkeley, May 19,1999; Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeologist, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999; E-mail from Professor David Keightley, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999; Thomas Sturm, Zhou Dynasty, {Online} Available www.sturm.to/china/hist/zhou1.htm; University of Wisconsin, The Zhou Dynasty, {Online} Available www.wisc.edu/arth/ah3/0/ah3/0s3.htm.
4. E-mail from Mr. Thomas Sturm, Webmaster of Chinese History Site, March 23, 1999; Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeologist, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999; “Chou,” Encyclopedia Britannica, 1998, p.270; David N. Keightley, “Chinese Religions,” Time, April 26, 1999, p.124; Charles Holcorabe, “Re-imagining China at the Start of the Southern Dynasties”, Journal of the American Oriental Society, May 2, 1999, p.1; Mary Arbuckle, The Fall of Zhou, {Online} Available www.sagesource.com/texts/zhoufall.html; Lonely Planet Publications, Zhou Dynasties, {Online} Available www.chron.com/interactive/voyager/china/history/zhou.html.
5. Mesa Community College, The Social Development of the Eastern Zhou, {Online} Available www.mc.maricopa.edu/anthro/china/zhou1.html; E-mail from Mr. Thomas Sturm, Webmaster of Chinese History Site, March 23, 1999; Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeologist, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999; Michael Loewe, The Carabridge History of China, New York: Carabridge University Press, 1986, pp.24 – 30; Henri Maspero, China in Antiquity, Paris: University of Massachusetts, 1965, pp.34 – 38; Conrad Schirokaver, A Brief History of Chinese Civilizations, USA: Janovich College Publishers, 1989, pp.19 – 21, 26, 107; EBSCO Host, The Chou Dynasty, {Online} Available “The Chou Dynasty,” EBSCO Host, 1999.
6. “China,” Collier’s Encyclopedia, 1996, pp.312 – 315; Interview with Professor David Keightley, History Professor, University of California at Berkeley, May 19,1999; E-mail from Professor David Keightley, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999; Ainslie Erabree, Encyclopedia of Asian History, USA: The Asia Society, 1989, pp.302 – 306; Jared Diamond, “Empire of Uniformity,” Discover, March 1996, p.78; “China,” The Encyclopedia Americana, 1998, pp.525 – 527; Benjamin J. Haworth, The Zhou Dynasty, {Online} Available www.northpark.edu/acad/history/WebChron/China/Zhou.html; “Zhou Dynasty,” Microsoft Encarta, 1998.
7. “The Chou Dynasty,” EBSCO Host, 1999; Benjamin J. Haworth, The Zhou Dynasty, {Online} Available www.northpark.edu/acad/history/WebChron/China/Zhou.html; E-mail from Professor David Keightley, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999; Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeologist, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999; Thomas Sturm, Zhou Dynasty, {Online} Available www.sturm.to/china/hist/zhou1.htm; Kieran Nicholson, “Female Emperor Ruled China,” Denver Post, October 27, 1996, p.E-04.
8. Interview with Professor David Keightley, History Professor, University of California at Berkeley, May 19,1999; E-mail from Professor David Keightley, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999; Leon Poon, Ancient Dynasties, {Online} Available http://www-chaos.umd.edu/history/ancient1.html; Cheng Te-Kun, Archaeology in China Vol. 2, England: Carabridge University Press, 1960, pp.246 – 248; Dorothy Perkins, Encyclopedia of China, USA: Facts on File, Inc., 1999, p. 252.
9. E-mail from Professor David Keightley, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999; Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeologist, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999; Interview with Professor David Keightley, History Professor, University of California at Berkeley, May 19,1999; Thomas Sturm, Zhou Dynasty, {Online} Available www.sturm.to/china/hist/zhou1.htm; China Contact, China History – Zhou, {Online} Available http://china-contact.com/www/history/ezhou.html; Asia Pac, King Wu of the Zhou, {Online} Available www.span.com.au/100emperors/12.html; “Zhou Dynasty,” Microsoft Encarta, 1998; Ainslie Erabree, Encyclopedia of Asian History, USA: The Asia Society, 1989, pp.302 – 306.
10. E-mail from Professor David Keightley, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999; Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeologist, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999; Interview with Professor David Keightley, History Professor, University of California at Berkeley, May 19,1999; “The Chou Dynasty,” EBSCO Host, 1999.
11. Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeologist, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999; E-mail from Professor David Keightley, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999; Interview with Professor David Keightley, History Professor, University of California at Berkeley, May 19,1999; Conrad Schriokaver, A Brief History of Chinese Civilizations, USA: Janovich College Publishers, 1989, pp.19 – 21, 26, 107; “China,” Collier’s Encyclopedia, 1996, pp.312 – 315.
12. Interview with Professor David Keightley, History Professor, University of California at Berkeley, May 19,1999; Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeologist, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999; E-mail from Professor David Keightley, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999; “China,” Collier’s Encyclopedia, 1996, pp.312 – 315; Leon Poon, Ancient Dynasties, {Online} Available http://www-chaos.umd.edu/history/ancient1.html; Ainslie Erabree, Encyclopedia of Asian History, USA: The Asia Society, 1989, pp.302 – 306.
Reference Works
“China.” The Encyclopedia Americana. 1998.
“Zhou.” Microsoft Encarta. 1998.
“China.” Collier’s Encyclopedia Vol. 6. 1996.
“Chou.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 1998.
“Chou.” EBSCO Host Search. 1999.
Books
Erabree T., Ainslie. Encyclopedia of Asian History. USA: The Asia Society, 1988.
Perkins, Dorothy. Encyclopedia of China. USA: Facts on File, Inc., 1999.
Schirokaver, Conrad. A Brief History if Chinese Civilizations. USA: Janovich College Publishers, 1989.
Maspero. Henri. China in Antiquity. Paris: University of Massachusetts Press, 1965.
Wright, Arthur F. The Unification of China. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1978.
Temple, Robert. The Genius of China. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1986.
Loewe, Michael. The Carabridge History of China. New York: Carabridge University Press, 1986.
Elvin, Mark. Cultural Atlas of China. USA: Facts on File, Inc., 1983.
Te-Kun, Cheng. Archaeology in China Vol. 2. England: Carabridge University Press, 1960.
Periodical Articles
Nicholson, Kieran. “Female Emperor Ruled China.” Denver Post. October 27, 1996, p. E-04.
Keightley, David N. “Chinese Religions.” Journal of the Asian Studies. February 1995, p. 124.
Holcorabe, Charles. “Re-imagining China.” Journal of the American Oriental Society. January 1995, p. 1.
Diamond, Jared. “Empire of Uniformity.” Discover. March 1996, p. 78.
NGO Documents
Correspondence Received
Letter from Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeology Department, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, April 22, 1999.
Letter from Professor Moss Roberts, Department of History, New York University, March 25, 1999.
Letter from Professor David N. Keightley, Department of Asian History, University of California at Berkeley, March 23, 1999.
Letter from Mr. Thomas Sturm, Webmaster, Archaeologist in East Asian Studies, March 23, 1999.
Interviews Conducted
Interview with Professor David N. Keightley, Department of Asian History, University of California at Berkeley, May 19, 1999.
Interview with Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, Archaeology Department, Sino-American Field School of Archaeology, May 16, 1999.
Miscellaneous
University of Wisconsin. Arts of China. [Online] Available http://www.wisc.edu.arth/ah3/0/ah3/0s3.htm. May 6, 1999.
China Contact. China History – Zhou. [Online] Available http://china-contact.com/www/history/3zhou.htm. May 10, 1999.
Brown, Rebecca N. Geometry in Zhou Bronzes. [Online] Available http://cia.umn.edu/arth1001/geometry/zhou/zhouhome.html. May 5, 1999.
Britannica Online. The Chou Dynasty. [Online] Available http://www.eb.com. May 12, 1999.
Tai Chi News. The Shang and the Zhou. [Online] Available http://users.cybercity.dk/~ccc688/coins/shangezhou.htm. May 5, 1999.
World History Online. The SanDai of Shang and Zhou. [Online] Available http://www.hp.uab.edu/image_archive/uab/index.html. April 26, 1999.
Poon, Leon. Ancient Dynasties. [Online] Available http://www-chaos.umd.edu/history/ancient1.html. April 25, 1999.
Lonely Planet Publications. The Zhou Dynasties. [Online] Available http://www.chron.com/content/interactive/china/history/zhou.html. May 3, 1999.
Haworth, Benjamin J. The Zhou Dynasty. http://www.northpark.edu/acad/history/webChron/China/Zhou.html. May 3, 1999.
Arbuckle, Mary. The Fall of Zhou. [Online] Available http://www.sagesource.com/texts/zhoufall.html. May 11, 1999.
Asia Pac. King Wu of the Zhou. [Online] Available http://www.span.com.au/100emperors/12.html. May 1, 1999.
Sturm, Thomas. Zhou Dynasty. [Online] Available http://www.sturm.to/china/hist/zhou1.htm. April 27, 1999.
Mesa Community College. The Social Development of the Zhou. [Online] Available http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/anthro/china/zhou.html. May 5, 1999.