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The Chou Dynasty
By 1122 B.C., Wu Wang, leader of the barbarian Chou people
wasthreatening the city of Anyang
The Chou settled on the Western frontier
They have learned to use the war chariot and the bronze
weaponsof the Shang
Wu Wang, The Martial King, won and established the
ChouDynasty
o His dynasty lasted from 1122 256 B.C.
The Shang survivors were not wiped outo The Chou let the Shang
settle in their own state
o They also kept many Shang laws and customs
o Then they made their own contributions to Chinese
civilization
The Mandate of Heaven The idea of Mandate of Heaven was
developed by the Chou to
justify their seizure over Shang
A dynasty enjoyed heavens blessing as long as it governed
wiselyand justly
If the ruler is lazy, cruel, or corrupt, heaven withdraws
themandate or right to rule
It was the case that the last sovereign of your Shang
wasluxurious to the extreme of luxury, while his schemes
ofgovernment showed neither purity nor progress, so that
heaven sent down such ruin on him Heaven found our kings of
Chou, who were able to sustain the
burden of virtuous government
Key responsibilities of a Ruler:
Provide good government
Put the well-being of the people above self-interest
Natural disasters and invasions are revealed to be a rulers
failureto please heaven
It is not a crime to rebel against a ruler who had lost the
Mandateof Heaven
The overthrow of the Shang was the first of many dynasticchanges
in China
Dynastic Cycle
Referred to by the historians as the rise and fall of
Chinesedynasties
The New Dynasty
Restores peace
Appoints loyal officials
Redistributes land to peasants
Builds canals, irrigation systems, and
roads
After several generations, the new dynasty
becomes an aging dynasty
The Aging Dynasty
Neglects government duties
Ignores corrupt officials
Loses control of the provinces
Imposes heavy taxes to pay forluxuries
Allows defensive walls to decay
Aging dynasty loses the Mandate of
Heaven
Problems
Floods, famine, earthquakes,
invasions Armed bandits in the provinces
Peasant revolts
New Dynasty claims mandate of Heaven
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Social System
At the head are the government officials
Government officials gain greater status by becoming land
owners
Below the government officials are the huge peasants
Some peasants were tenant farmers on estates owned by
wealthy
landlords Others farmed land allotted to them by villages
Artisans and merchants ranked below peasants because they didnot
work the land
Although warfare was a prominent feature of Chou China,
soldiershave a low position in society
Education
Education became increasingly important as the need
forgovernment officials grew
In cities and feudal courts, tutors trained boys for
governmentservice
Educated people wrote books that were later considered
classics
The Book of Odes contained myths, legends, and love poems
Students memorize the book of odes, together with royal
historiesand books of court etiquette
Economic Growth
Peasants began to use fertilizers and iron tools
Government sponsored irrigation projects and a new
ox-drawnplow
Peasants farmed more land and increased food production Feudal
lords offered peasants favorable terms to settle in newly
conquered territories
The settlers then carried Chinese culture well beyond the
oldborders of the Shang kingdom
Trade expanded and the cities grew
To encourage trade and good communication, feudal lords
builtmany roads and canals
Goods flowed along roads, rivers, and canals from villages to
citiesand back
By trading in western Asia, Chinese learned about such animals
asthe mule, donkey and camel
When metal coin was used, trade grew even faster
This money economy helped the rich but not the poor
Merchants made huge profits by buying grain and then selling it
intimes of famine for high prices
During famines, peasants had to borrow money or grain to
survive
