Zhou Dynasty
(周朝; and preceded the Qin_Dynasty in China. In the Chinese historical tradition, the rulers of the Zhou displaced the Yin and legitimized their rule by invoking the Mandate_of_Heaven. The Zhou dynasty was founded by the Ji family and had its capital at Hao, near the city of Xi'an, or Chang'an, as it was known in its heyday in the imperial period. Sharing the language and culture of the Shang (Yin), the early Zhou rulers, through conquest and colonization, gradually sinicized, that is, extended Shang (Yin) culture through much of China_Proper north of the Chang_Jiang (Yangtze River). In Western histography, ''feudal'' has often been applied to the Zhou period because the Zhou's early decentralized rule invites comparison with medieval rule in Europe. At most, however, the early Zhou system was proto-feudal, being a more sophisticated version of earlier tribal organization, in which effective control depended more on familial ties than on feudal legal bonds. Whatever feudal elements there may have been decreased as time went on. The Zhou amalgam of city-states became progressively centralized and established increasingly impersonal political and economic institutions. These developments, which probably occurred in the latter Zhou period, were manifested in greater central control over local governments and a more routinized agrarian taxation. In Chinese Marxist histography, the Zhou dynasty marks the began of the feudal phase of Chinese history, a period which is said to extend to the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911. Initially the Ji family was able to control the country firmly. In 771_BC, after King You had replaced his queen with a concubine Baosi, he was then sacked by the joint force of the queen's father, who was the powerful Marquess of Shen, and the barbarians. The queen's son Ji Yijiu was proclaimed the new king by the nobles from the states of Zheng, Lu, Qin and the Marquess of Shen. The capital was moved eastward in 722_BC to Luoyang in present-day Henan Province. Because of this shift, historians divide the Zhou era into Western Zhou (西周, up to 221_BC. The beginning year of Western Zhou has been disputed - 1122_BC, 1027_BC and other years within the hundred years from late 12th_century_BC to late 11th_century_BC have been proposed. Chinese historiographers take 841_BC as the first year of consecutive annual dating of the history of China, based on the ''Records_of_the_Grand_Historian'' by Sima_Qian. Eastern Zhou divides into two subperiods. The first, from 722 to 481_BC, is called the Spring_and_Autumn_Period, after a famous historical chronicle of the time; the second is known as the Warring_States_Period. With the royal line broken, the power of the Zhou court gradually diminished; the fragmentation of the kingdom accelerated. From Ping Wang onwards, the Zhou kings ruled only symbolicly, with true power being held in the hands of powerful nobles. Towards the end of Zhou Dynasty, the nobles did not bother to obey the Ji family, even symbolically and declared themselves to be kings. They wanted to be the king of the kings. Finally, the dynasty was obliberated by Qin_Shi_Huangdi's reunification of China in 221 BC.Zhou dynasty kings
Personal name Posthumous_name Reign years1 Name by whichmost commonly known Ji Fa姬發 Wuwang武王 ''1046_BC-1043_BC''1 Zhou Wuwang(King_Wu_of_Zhou) Ji Song姬誦 Chengwang成王 ''1042_BC-1021_BC''1 Zhou Chengwang(King_Cheng_of_Zhou) Ji Zhao姬釗 Kangwang康王 ''1020_BC-996_BC''1 Zhou Kangwang(King_Kang_of_Zhou) Ji Xia姬瑕 Zhaowang昭王 ''995_BC-977_BC''1 Zhou Zhaowang(King_Zhao_of_Zhou) Ji Man姬滿 Muwang穆王 ''976_BC-922_BC''1 Zhou Muwang(King_Mu_of_Zhou) Ji Yihu姬繄扈 Gongwang共王 ''922_BC-900_BC''1 Zhou Gongwang(King_Gong_of_Zhou) Ji Jian姬囏 Yiwang懿王 ''899_BC-892_BC''1 Zhou Yiwang(King_Yi_of_Zhou) Ji Pifang姬辟方 Xiaowang孝王 ''891_BC-886_BC''1 Zhou Xiaowang(King_Xiao_of_Zhou) Ji Xie姬燮 Yiwang夷王 ''885_BC-878_BC''1 Zhou Yiwang(King_Yi_of_Zhou) Ji Hu姬胡 Liwang厲王 ''877_BC-841_BC''1 Zhou Liwang(King_Li_of_Zhou) Gonghe (''regency'')共和 841_BC-828_BC Gonghe Ji Jing姬靜 Xuanwang宣王 827_BC-782_BC Zhou Xuanwang(King_Xuan_of_Zhou) Ji Gongsheng姬宮湦 Youwang幽王 781_BC-771_BC Zhou Youwang(King_You_of_Zhou) Ji Yijiu姬宜臼 Pingwang平王 770_BC-720_BC Zhou Pingwang(King_Ping_of_Zhou) Ji Lin姬林 Huanwang桓王 719_BC-697_BC Zhou Huanwang(King_Huan_of_Zhou) Ji Tuo姬佗 Zhuangwang莊王 696_BC-682_BC Zhou Zhuangwang(King_Zhuang_of_Zhou) Ji Huqi姬胡齊 Xiwang釐王 681_BC-677_BC Zhou Xiwang(King_Xi_of_Zhou) Ji Lang姬閬 Huiwang惠王 676_BC-652_BC Zhou Huiwang(King_Hui_of_Zhou) Ji Zheng姬鄭 Xiangwang襄王 651_BC-619_BC Zhou Xiangwang(King_Xiang_of_Zhou) Ji Renchen姬壬臣 Qingwang頃王 618_BC-613_BC Zhou Qingwang(King_Qing_of_Zhou) Ji Ban姬班 Kuangwang匡王 612_BC-607_BC Zhou Kuangwang(King_Kuang_of_Zhou) Ji Yu姬瑜 Dingwang定王 606_BC-586_BC Zhou Dingwang(King_Ding_of_Zhou) Ji Yi姬夷 Jianwang簡王 585_BC-572_BC Zhou Jianwang(King_Jian_of_Zhou) Ji Xiexin姬泄心 Lingwang靈王 571_BC-545_BC Zhou Lingwang(King_Ling_of_Zhou) Ji Gui姬貴 Jingwang景王 544_BC-521_BC Zhou Jingwang(King_Jing_of_Zhou) Ji Meng姬猛 Daowang悼王 520_BC Zhou Daowang(King_Dao_of_Zhou) Ji Gai姬丐 Jingwang敬王 519_BC-476_BC Zhou Jingwang(King_Jing_of_Zhou) Ji Ren姬仁 Yuanwang元王 475_BC-469_BC Zhou Yuanwang(King_Yuan_of_Zhou) Ji Jie姬介 Zhendingwang貞定王 468_BC-442_BC Zhou Zhendingwang(King_Zhending_of_Zhou) Ji Quji姬去疾 Aiwang哀王 441_BC Zhou Aiwang(King_Ai_of_Zhou) Ji Shu姬叔 Siwang思王 441_BC Zhou Siwang(King_Si_of_Zhou) Ji Wei姬嵬 Kaowang考王 440_BC-426_BC Zhou Kaowang(King_Kao_of_Zhou) Ji Wu姬午 Weiliewang威烈王 425_BC-402_BC Zhou Weiliewang(King_Weilie_of_Zhou) Ji Jiao姬驕 Anwang安王 401_BC-376_BC Zhou Anwang(King_An_of_Zhou) Ji Xi姬喜 Liewang烈王 375_BC-369_BC Zhou Liewang(King_Lie_of_Zhou) Ji Bian姬扁 Xianwang顯王 368_BC-321_BC Zhou Xianwang(King_Xian_of_Zhou) Ji Ding姬定 Shenjingwang慎靚王 320_BC-315_BC Zhou Shenjingwang(King_Shenjing_of_Zhou) Ji Yan姬延 Nanwang赧王 314_BC-256_BC Zhou Nanwang(King_Nan_of_Zhou) Huiwang惠王 255_BC-249_BC Zhou Huiwang2(King_Hui_of_Zhou) 1 The first generally accepted date in Chinese history is 841_BC, the beginning of the Gongheregency. All dates prior to this are the subject of often vigorous dispute. The dates provided hereare those put forward by ''The Xia-Shang-Zhou Chronology Project'', the work of scholarssponsored by the Chinese government which reported in 2000. They are given only as a guide. 2 Nobles of the Ji family proclaimed King Hui as King Nan's successor after their capital, Luoyang,fell to Qin forces in 256_BC. However Zhou resistance did not last long in the face of the Qinadvance and so King Nan is widely considered to have been the last emperor of the Zhou dynasty.''See also
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