Western Zhou Dynasty

WESTERN ZHOU
DYNASTY
Group Members
A’aliyah Miles
Lourent Timoll
Rabyaah Fisher
Micheal Harewood
Javine Brown
Amelia Lovelace
Ausar
Tianna Bent
Gabrielle Smith
Rise and Fall
The Western Zhou period (1046–771 BC) was the first
half of the Zhou dynasty of ancient China. It began
when King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang
dynasty at the Battle of Muye. The dynasty was
successful for about seventy-five years and then slowly
lost power. The former Shang lands were divided into
hereditary fiefs which became increasingly
independent of the king. In 771, the Zhou were driven
out of the Wei River valley; afterwards real power was
in the hands of the king's nominal vassals.
Introduction of the Western Zhou
Dynasty
 Lasting from the eleventh century BC to 771 BC, the
Western Zhou Dynasty was established by king Wu.
The capital city was set in Haojing (now in the
southern part of Xian, Shaanxi province). This dynasty
included the reigns of 14 emperors and played a very
important role in Chinese history. Because of its great
developments, the Western Zhou is renowned as the
period which saw the height of Prehistoric Times.
Kings
Order Name Notes Reign Time
(years)
1 Wenwang With the assistance of Jiang Ziya, he 1097 BC-1046 BC
developed the Zhou that laid the
foundation for overthrowing the
Shang Dynasty.
2 Wuwang The son of Wenwang; He defeated the 1046 BC-1043 BC

Shang Dynasty in 1046 BC and
established the western Zhou
Dynasty.
3 Chengwang The son of Wuwang. 1042BC-1021 BC
4 Kangwang The son of Chengwang; Under his 1022BC-996 BC
reign ,the Zhou Dynasty prospered.
5 Zhaowang The son of Kangwang; the Zhou 995BC-977 BC
dynasty decline under his rule.
6 Muwang The son of Zhaowang; His rein time is 976 BC-922 BC
the longest.
7 Gongwang The son of Muwang. 922 BC-900 BC
Kings (cont’d)
Order Name Notes Reign Time (years)
8 Yiwang The son of Gongwang. The Zhou 899 BC - 892 BC

Dynasty fell into a decline in his
reign.
9 Xiaowang The son of Muwang. 891 BC - 886 BC
10 Yiwang The son of Yiwang (899BC-892BC) 885 BC - 878 BC
11 Liwang The son of Yiwang ; He was a tyrant 877 BC - 841 BC
that abused the people and was
defeated in many wars..
12 Gong Bohe He was elected by other vassals to 841 BC - 828 BC
deal with the state affairs after Zhou
Liwang was exiled.
13 Xuanwang The son of Liwang. 827 BC - 782 BC
14 Youwang The son of Xuanwang; he made fun of 781 BC - 771 BC
his marquess in order to make his
concubine smile. The Western Zhou
Dynasty was lost at last in his reign.
King (Wuwang)
Emperor Wuwang. He defeated the Shang Dynasty
and began the Western Zhou Dynasty .
Economy
Like most societies that developed during this period,
China under the Western Zhou Dynasty had an economy
centered on agriculture production. The agriculture in
the Western Zhou developed into a higher level than that
in the Shang dynasty. Not only were tools now made of
furrowing were advanced. The primary products were of
diverse kinds including millet, wheat, rice and some
fruits. The production of bronze wares was done on a
large scale. In textiles architecture, there were also great
progresses. During the late period of the Western Zhou,
people began to grasp the skill of metallurgy.
Use of Bronze
Wine Vessels made
from bronze.
Achievements
One notable achievement is the duration of the Zhou
Dynasty. Lasting for over 800 years with 37 kings, it is
the longest of all the Chinese dynasties. Confucianism,
Daoism and other Chinese philosophers all gained
prominence during these centuries.
 Developed China’s first projects involving hydraulic
engineering.
 DAO DE JING-(Daoism’s main text).
Mandate of Heaven.
DAO DE JING
Daoism’s main text.
Daoism is one of china’s main religion.
Mandate of Heaven
The Mandate of Heaven arose out of the (Western) Zhou’s need
or perceived need to justify deposing the Shang. When dynasties
are created through war, blood is of course shed, and not
everyone is happy, so the right story needs to be told in order to
persuade the masses to settle down and keep the peace. It's the
"Dynastic Cycle." When someone new rises to power in an
authoritarian type of government after a period of fighting
(physical or otherwise), there is a need to re-write history in a
sense. The correct narrative needs to be told, and no one is better
at creating a narrative to serve that kind of purpose than the
Chinese. As the Chinese say: "The winner becomes king, the loser
becomes outlaw”. Most historians today agree that the (Western)
Zhou invented the Mandate of Heaven. Rebellion against a father
figure needed extraordinary justification. The mandate provided
Culture and Arts
The Zhou emperors paid much attention to etiquette.
In sacrificial ceremonies, funerals, wedding ceremonies
and other important events, there were strict
regulations for the people to abide by. In order to
change the extravagant customs which prevailed in the
late period of the Shang, no one was allowed to be
drunk. The prediction method used during the Shang
Dynasty was still popular in the Western Zhou Dynasty.
As for the characters, they were widely used and were
carved not only on animal bones but also on bronze
ware.
Carvings
Chinese carvings on an animal bone.
Political History
Originally a dependency of the Shang, the Zhou developed
quickly under the reign of Wenwang and Wuwang (King
Wen and King Wu). In 1046 BC, Wuwang defeated the
Shang and established the Zhou. This signaled what is
called the Western Zhou in Chinese history.
Wenwang distributed lands both to his relatives, and

meritorious ministers and each founded a small state. All
the states fell under the rule of King Wen. After the king
died, his son Kin Cheng succeeded. With the help of his
uncle, he made the country became prosperous and stable.
The country was further developed under the reigns of
King Kang, Zhao, Mu and others. Until the tyrant, King Li
came to the throne, the state was in chaos. His rule was
overthrown by the people and he was exiled.
Political History (cont’d)
Later, in the year 841 BC, Gong Hebo was elected by other vassals
to deal with state affairs. From that time on, China began to have
a definite way of counting the years. The country fell into a
decline when the fatuous King You was on the throne. At that
time, once the signal fire was ignited, it showed that other tribes
attacked the city, and all the vassals around would come to help.
However the king ignited the fire to send the wrong message in
order to make his concubine happy. She smiled when she saw the
vassals were tricked. The king's behavior enraged the queen's
father, Shen Hou, because King You decided to depose the queen
and kill the prince. Shen Hou assaulted the king and the
Western Dynasty perished with the failure of King You.

Western Zhou Dynasty

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Western Zhou Dynasty

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WESTERN ZHOU

2 Wuwang The son of Wenwang; He defeated the 1046 BC-1043 BC

8 Yiwang The son of Gongwang. The Zhou 899 BC - 892 BC

Wenwang distributed lands both to his relatives, and

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