Zhou Dynasty
The era popularly known as the Zhou dynasty covers two time periods: the Western Zhou period (1045–771 BCE) and the Eastern Zhou period (770–221 BCE). During the Western Zhou period, the Zhou lineage ruled from the capital, Zongzhou, located near their ancestral burial grounds (near modern-day Xi'an in Shaanxi Province). In 771 BCE the Zhou elite fled east to the city of Chengzhou (located near modern-day Luoyang in Henan Province). During the Eastern Zhou period, former Zhou tribute states vied for power under the guise of upholding traditional Zhou moral authority. The Zhou royal descendants were themselves puppets of neighboring states.
Further Reading
Cook, Constance. (1997) "Wealth and the Western Zhou." Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 60, 2: 253–294.
Hsu Cho-yun, and Katheryn M. Linduff. (1988) Western Chou Civilization. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Li Xueqin. (1985) Eastern Zhou and Qin Civilizations. Trans. by K. C. Chang. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Loewe, Michael, and Edward L. Shaughnessy. (1999) The Cambridge History of Ancient China: From the Origins of Civilization to 221 B.C. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press.
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