The Zhou tribe became rulers of China after the fall of the Shang Dynasty in 1046 BCE. With King Wu as their leader, the Zhou army of 45,000 men and 300 chariots crossed the Yellow River and defeated the Shang at the Battle of Muye.

The beginning of the new dynasty was rather shaky. Power was not fully consolidated, since the Shang was still an important player on the strategic chessboard. There were rebellions – instigated by the Shang and even occasionally by Zhou princes – but these were eventually quelled with the help of Wu’s brother, the Duke of Zhou.

King Wu lived only for a few years after the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, but he was followed by the young and inexperienced King Cheng, who was greatly assisted by the Duke of Zhou.

Besides helping to defeat the rebels, the Duke of Zhou also formulated the Mandate of Heaven, which was a concept that legitimized the Zhou’s authority to rule. Additionally, he created a feudal-type system that facilitated the control by the Zhou over an extended amount of territory.

Division: Western and Eastern Zhou

This kind of administration, however, contained some flaws which were revealed later. In time, the familial relationships between center and periphery – necessary for the success of the endeavor – lost their meaning.

Local rulers developed strength and prestige that matched the Zhou. In a series of political manipulations, byzantine machinations, and acts of revenge over preferential treatment, important political figures of the Zhou joined forces with other tribes and conspired against King You, the ruler of Western Zhou.

The result was the sacking of the western capital of Haojing in 770 BCE, and the death of King You. The subsequent move of the capital east from Haojing to Chengzhou marked the boundary between the Western Zhou and the Eastern Zhou, which continued as the Zhou Dynasty from 770 BCE.

Decentralization, and Emergence of the Lords

The Eastern Zhou period was further divided into two parts. The first lasted until 481 BCE and was called the Spring and Autumn Period – named after an important historical chronicle of the period. The second part lasted until 221 BCE and was called the Warring States Period.

After the Zhou capital moved to the east, the royal house controlled an area that was significantly smaller than before. The influence of the Zhou was also limited, and a great number of lords began to vie for control and political supremacy.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, some of the larger states increased their prestige and role even further through a series of annexations.

The self-proclaimed Overlords were Duke Huan of the Qi, Duke Xiang of the Song, Duke Wen of the Jin, Duke My of the Qin, and Duke Zhuang of the Chu. They are collectively referred to as ‘The Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period’.

The competition became increasingly more intense, leading to what was aptly called the Warring States Period, when war after war and fight after fight led to widespread instability. It also led to several developments in the fields of administration and agriculture; it also facilitated the emergence of a series of technological innovations – mostly related to warfare.

More importantly though, this was a time in which a great number of philosophers developed their ideas. The most famous being Confucius or Kongzi, who lived from about 551 BCE to 479 BCE. Others included Laozi, Mozi, Mencius or Mengzi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Fei and many more.

The Zhou Dynasty had long lost all power, but its official end came in 256 BCE, when the last Zhou ruler died and none of his sons claimed the – entirely nominal – title of ‘King of China’. After a few decades, Qin Shi Huang's wars unified China once more, establishing the Qin Dynasty. The year was 221 BCE.