Zhou

Japanese: 周 - しゅう

An ancient Chinese dynasty. The Zhou dynasty is divided into the Western Zhou period (11th century BC to 771 BC) and the Eastern Zhou period (771 BC to 249 BC), with the Eastern Zhou period roughly corresponding to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. This article describes the Western Zhou period.

[Akira Utsugi]

Overview

According to legend, the founder of the Zhou dynasty was Hou Ji, who served Emperor Yao. After that, the Zhou people lived among the Rongdi people, and during the reign of Gong Liu, they lived in the area of Zhi (Shanxi or Shaanxi Province), and during the reign of Gu Gong Tanfu (Great King), they moved their capital to the area of Qishan (Zhouyuan) in Shaanxi Province. From this time until the reign of Ji Wang Ji Li (Wang Ji), they developed by defeating the surrounding tribes, and during the reign of King Wen, they were called Xi Bo and established a new capital in Feng (Xian, Shaanxi Province), and had the power to rival the Yin dynasty. The next king, King Wu, followed his father's will and, accompanied by Lu Shang (the chief of the Jiang clan) and other feudal lords, defeated King Chu at Muye, destroyed the Yin dynasty, and established the Zhou dynasty with its capital in Haojing (Xi'an, Shaanxi Province) (this took place in the late 12th century BC or the late 11th century BC). According to archaeological surveys, many ruins and relics dating back to the early Zhou dynasty have been discovered near Qishan County, Shaanxi Province, including bronze inscriptions that tell the history of the early Zhou dynasty. Research is also being conducted on the early Zhou culture, known as the "Pre-Zhou culture," mainly in Baoji County. Furthermore, the name "Zhoufang" appears in the Wuding Divination of the Early Yin Ruins, confirming that Zhou was a "country" to the west of the Yin dynasty from an early period. Investigations of the Zhou capitals of Feng and Haojing have also progressed, and their locations have now been largely determined, but the castle grounds and royal tombs have yet to be discovered.

In order to rule over the remnants of the defeated Yin Dynasty, King Wu feudally appointed King Zhou's son, Wu Geng Lufu, and made his brothers feudal lords to oversee the conquered people, but when the next king, King Cheng, ascended to the throne at a young age and King Wu's younger brother, Zhou Gongdan, became regent, a power struggle arose between the brothers, and Wu Geng's rebellion was added to this, causing great turmoil in the Zhou dynasty. The Duke of Zhou put down the rebellion together with Zhao Gongxi and others, then invaded the eastern tribes to rebuild the Zhou dynasty, feudally appointed his family and noble retainers to important locations, making them Zhou's defensive defences, and built Luoyi (Henan, Henan Province) as a key center for controlling the east (Cheng Zhou). Recent archaeological surveys have revealed that the development of the early Zhou dynasty covered almost all of the former Yin territory, and in particular extended as far northeast as Liaoning Province, as revealed by the discovery of bronze artifacts from the state of Yan (Hui), where the Shaogong family was given fiefdoms.

It has also become clear that the culture of the early Zhou period was an inheritance of the Shang culture, probably because many of the tribes that had existed since the Shang period were employed in the Zhou royal family.

The fourth and fifth kings, King Zhao and King Mu, were in the period of Zhou's international development, when King Zhao marched south to attack Chu, King Mu to conquer the Kenrong in the west and Xuyi in the east. From King Yi to King Yi, the king's authority began to decline, and during the reign of King Li, the feudal lords who supported the royal family gained power, and King Li used Duke Rongyi to govern poorly, leading to a rebellion by the local people and forcing the king to flee to Peng (Huo County, Shanxi Province) (841 BC). The following 14 years were marked by the Republican period, which is said to have been the period when the Dukes of Zhou and Shao ruled, or that the feudal lords cooperated in governing, or that it was the period when the feudal lord Gongbohe ruled. In 827 BC, King Xuan restored the Zhou dynasty and the king is said to have repeatedly attacked the Four Barbarians, but during this time the feudal lords became increasingly powerful and showed a tendency to become independent. The next king, King You, badly reigned, and the feudal lords rebelled against each other, and the Zhou dynasty was destroyed by the army of Shen Hou and the Inrong tribes. King You's son, King Ping, ascended to the throne in Luoyi in the east, but royal authority declined and an era of division began in which the feudal lords divided their territories.

[Akira Utsugi]

system

The Zhou dynasty is said to be the age of the Yu system (Yu land) state. The direct rule of the royal family (Ouki) was centered on the "Gyosui system," and the districts of the nobles (keitaifu) and princes (koyo) were established in the suburbs. The feudal lords (aristocrats) regarded the Zhou royal family as their main family and established cities (yū) in their respective fiefs, which they called their countries. The nobles controlled the surrounding villages from their capitals, which they called rural villages. The provinces were home to nobles (dukes, nobles) who paid tribute to the ancestral temple and the state, as well as warriors, farmers, artisans, and merchants. They were called kokujin and played an active role in military and political affairs. In contrast, the people of the countryside were called yōjin, and were treated as the nobles' vassals and were required to perform various duties to the provincial capital. Both kokujin and yōjin formed a blood-related community, and it is said that the peasants were organized under the "Seiden system." However, there are many different opinions about the nature of the community and the understanding of the Seiden system, and therefore the tax system known as kon, suke, and tetsu is also unclear. Since some inscriptions on bronze vessels from the latter half of the Western Zhou period indicate land ownership by the nobles, it is believed that large land ownership (private land) was developed with the village community as the foundation. Therefore, whether this period of the village state was a slave society or a feudal society depends on how it is understood.

[Akira Utsugi]

culture

The culture of the Zhou dynasty is conveyed through classic texts. In particular, the Book of Documents, which contains royal edicts, and the Book of Songs, which is a collection of royal songs and songs from various countries, are important. These texts present a politically-tinged idea of heaven, in which the Zhou kings receive the "Mandate of Heaven" and govern all their people with virtue. On the other hand, numerous bronze inscriptions (inscriptions on bronze vessels) tell of various ceremonies during the Western Zhou period. Archaeological research has also revealed excellent remains, including bronze ceremonial vessels, weapons, carriages and horse equipment, jadeware, lacquerware, and textiles, and the state of palace architecture and burial rites is also being clarified. In recent years, the many bronze vessels unearthed in the Wei River basin, Zhou dynasty oracles from the remains of palaces and temples in Qishan County, and the excavation of large tombs of aristocrats have attracted attention.

[Akira Utsugi]

"Shigeki Kaizuka and Michiharu Ito, "The History of China 1: From the Primitive Period to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period" (1974 , Kodansha)" "Gennosuke Amano, "The Social and Economic History of China -- The Yin and Zhou Periods" (1979, Kaimei Shoin) " "Shirakawa Shizuka, "The World of Bronze Inscriptions -- The Social History of the Yin and Zhou Periods" (Heibonsha, Toyo Bunko)"

[Reference] | Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period

Shu (Hime clan) / Brief family tree
©Shogakukan ">

Shu (Hime clan) / Brief family tree

Distribution of ruins during the Zhou Dynasty (Western Zhou Dynasty)
©Shogakukan ">

Distribution of ruins during the Zhou Dynasty (Western Zhou Dynasty)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

中国古代の王朝。周は西周時代（前11世紀～前771）と、東周時代（前771～前249）とに分けられるが、東周時代はほぼ春秋戦国時代にあたる。本項は西周を述べる。

［宇都木章］

概観

伝説によると、周の始祖は帝堯(ぎょう)に仕えた后稷(こうしょく)であるという。その後、周族は戎狄(じゅうてき)の間に雑居し、公劉(こうりゅう)のときに豳(ひん)（山西あるいは陝西(せんせい)省）の地に居し、古公亶父(たんぽ)（太王）に至って陝西省の岐山(きざん)の地（周原）に国都を移した。これより次王季歴(きれき)（王季）の時期にかけて、周辺の諸部族を討って発展し、文王のときには西伯と称せられ、新都を豊(ほう)（陝西省西安）に営み、殷(いん)王朝と対抗する勢力をもった。次の武王は父の志を継ぎ、呂尚(りょしょう)（姜(きょう)姓族の首長）ら諸侯を従えて、紂王(ちゅうおう)を牧野(ぼくや)に討って殷を滅ぼし、鎬京(こうけい)（陝西省西安）を首都として周王朝を建てた（その時期は紀元前12世紀後半あるいは前11世紀後半）。考古学的調査によると、陝西省岐山県付近から、周初以来の遺跡、遺物が多く発見され、周初の歴史を物語る青銅器銘文もみつかっている。また宝鶏(ほうけい)県を中心に、「先周文化」とよばれる周族早期の文化の調査も行われている。さらに殷墟前期の武丁卜辞(ぶていぼくじ)のなかに「周方」の名がみえ、周は早くから殷の西方の「国」であったことが確かめられている。周都豊・鎬京の調査も進められ、現在ほぼその位置は明らかにされたが、城郭や王陵などは未発見である。

　武王は、滅ぼした殷の遺民を支配するために、紂王の子、武庚禄父(ぶこうろくほ)を封建し、さらに兄弟を諸侯として征服民を監督せしめたが、次の成王が幼少で即位し、武王の弟周公旦(たん)が摂政になると、兄弟の間に権力争いが生じ、これに武庚の反乱が加わって周室は大きく乱れた。周公は召公奭(しょうこうせき)らとともに乱を平定し、さらに東方諸部族を遠征して周室を再建し、一族・功臣を要地に封建してこれを周の藩屏(はんぺい)とし、洛邑(らくゆう)（河南省河南）を造営して東方支配の重鎮とした（成周）。近年の考古学的調査によると、周初の発展はほとんど殷の故地を覆うものであり、ことに東北は遼寧(りょうねい)省に及んでいたことが、召公一族の封ぜられた燕(えん)（匽）国の青銅器の発見によって明らかになった。

　周初の文化は殷文化を受け継いだものであることも明らかになったが、それはおそらく、殷代以来の諸部族が多く周王室に職事せしめられたからであろうといわれる。

　4代昭王、5代穆(ぼく)王のときは周の対外発展期で、昭王は南征して楚(そ)を討ち、穆王は西に犬戎(けんじゅう)を征し、東に徐夷(じょい)を討ったという。7代懿(い)王から9代夷王にかけて王威が衰え始め、次の厲(れい)王のときには、王室を支えていた諸侯の勢力が盛んになったうえ、厲王は卿士栄夷(けいしえいい)公を用いて悪政を行ったため、国人の反乱が生じ、王は彘(てい)（山西省霍(かく)県）に出奔したという（前841）。その後14年間、共和時代になるが、これは周公と召公の執政期とする説、あるいは諸侯が協力して政治を行ったとする説のほか、共伯和という諸侯の執政期であるともいう。前827年宣王によって周室は再興され、王はしきりに四夷を討伐したというが、この時期、諸侯の強大化はますます進んで独立化の傾向を示し、次の幽王の悪政を契機に、諸侯は離反し、周は申侯と犬戎の軍によって滅ぼされた。幽王の子、平王は東の洛邑で即位したが、王権は衰退し、諸侯が割拠する分裂時代となった。

［宇都木章］

制度

周代は邑(ゆう)制（邑土）国家の時代といわれる。王室の直接支配地（王畿(おうき)）は「郷遂制度」を中心にして、郊外の地には卿大夫(けいたいふ)の采邑(さいゆう)や公邑が設置されていた。封建諸侯（貴族）は周王室を大宗（本家）として、それぞれの封地に城市（邑）を営み、これを国と称した。諸侯はこの国都を中心にして、周囲の諸邑を支配し、これを鄙邑(ひゆう)とした。国には宗廟(そうびょう)、社稷(しゃしょく)を奉ずる貴族（公、卿大夫）のほか士、農、工、商の民が住し、彼らは国人とよばれ、軍事、政治の面でも活躍していた。これに対し鄙邑の民は野人とよばれ、貴族の采邑とされたり、国都へのさまざまな義務を課せられたりした。国人も野人も血縁共同体的な集団をなしており、農民は「井田(せいでん)制」によって組織されていたと伝えられるが、しかし共同体の性格についても、「井田制」の理解についても異論が多く、したがって貢、助、徹とよばれる税制もさだかでない。西周後半期の青銅器銘文には貴族の土地所有を示すものがあるから、邑共同体を基盤にしつつ、大土地所有（私田）が展開されていたものと思われる。したがってこの邑制国家の時代が奴隷社会か、封建社会かは理解の仕方によって異なる。

［宇都木章］

文化

周代の文化は経書によって伝えられている。とくに王の詔誥(しょうこう)を収めた『書経』や、王室の雅歌や各国の歌を集めた『詩経』は重要であるが、そこでは周王は「天命」を受けて、徳をもって万民を治めるという政治的色彩の強い天の思想が展開されている。一方、数多い青銅器銘文（金文）からは西周時代のさまざまな儀礼が物語られている。また考古学的な調査研究によって青銅礼器のほか武器、車馬具、玉器、漆器、織物など優れた遺品が明らかになり、宮殿建築や墓葬の状態も解明されつつある。近年渭水(いすい)流域から出土する多くの青銅器や岐山県の宮廟跡の周代卜辞、あるいは貴族大墓の発掘は人々の注目を集めている。

［宇都木章］

『貝塚茂樹・伊藤道治著『中国の歴史1　原始から春秋戦国』（1974・講談社）』▽『天野元之助著『中国社会経済史――殷周之部』（1979・開明書院）』▽『白川静著『金文の世界――殷周社会史』（平凡社・東洋文庫）』

[参照項目] | 春秋戦国時代

周（姫氏）／略系図

周代の遺跡分布（西周時代）

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