In 841 BC, there was a "rebellion of the people" in the Western Zhou. Regarding the nature of this "rebellion of the Chinese people," later scholars have made different determinations, either believing that it is a civilian uprising or an uprising by industrialists and businessmen.
In fact, to solve this problem, let's first look at what "Chinese people" refer to.
The Western Zhou Dynasty ruled the whole country in a divided manner of "state" and "wilderness". Cities in the Zhou Dynasty generally had two layers of walls, so that the city was divided from the inside to the outside, and the people who lived in the city were called "guoren".
Due to the serious internal differentiation of the nobility, many of the out-of-power nobles and poor scholars, with the decline of social status, mixed with hundreds of workers, merchants and other industrialists and merchants in the lower strata of society, of which the commoners were the main ones, and became part of the "nationals". Slaves who lived in the "kingdom" could not be counted as countrymen.
These people, despite their free status, were politically and economically dependent on the nobility. They were both connected and opposed to the nobility at all levels, and together with their origins from different classes, they became the meeting point of various social contradictions.
However, some scholars believe that the "national people", that is, the people in the country, are mainly composed of gongqing doctors, scholars, and industrialists and merchants, and the main body is the noble group of slave owners such as gongqing doctors and scholars.
And "wild", also known as contempt and sui, refers to the vast countryside that was conquered outside the city. There are rural communes, clan tribes, etc. of the conquered tribes. Therefore, those who dwell in the "wild" are called "wild people" or "despicable people".
The social status of "nationals" and "wildlings" is different, and "nationals" have the right to participate in politics, serve as soldiers, and receive education, while "wildlings" do not. In addition, the degree of exploitation of "nationals" and "savages" is also different.
Therefore, two different views have emerged on the "rebellion of the Chinese people". One believes that the uprising of hundred workers and merchants against excessive extortion (of King Li of Zhou) was a revolutionary event of great historical significance, that is, a class struggle between the lower classes of the Zhou Dynasty society and the upper ruling nobles.
Another view is that it is not the rebellion of the commoners to create the nobility, but the princes and secretaries of state who challenge the authority of Zhou Tianzi. Further, it was Gong Bohe, Zhao Bohu, Zhou Dinggong, Ruibo, Fan Bo and other royal reformist important ministers who took advantage of popular discontent to carefully plan this rebellion, which reflected the internal struggle within the ruling class of the Western Zhou Dynasty.
As for which one is correct, it is also necessary to look at the background of the "national uprising".
During the reign of King Li of Zhou, the relationship between the imperial court and the ethnic minorities on the frontier was very discordant. On the one hand, he continued to conquer Jingchu in the south, forcing the southeastern Huaiyi, who had submitted to Zhou, to revolt; on the other hand, he also had to defend against the sneak attacks of nomadic tribes in the west. After years of conquest, agricultural production suffered huge losses, and the people's lives were very difficult.
In order to satisfy his own pleasures, King Li of Zhou also listened to Rong Yi's views and implemented the "patent" policy. The imperial court levied taxes on those who made a living from the mountains, forests and lakes, and the people were dissatisfied and complained.
In order to suppress the people's speech, King Li of Zhou asked Wei Wu to listen to the people's speech. The cruel and unmerciful Wei Wu punished indiscriminately, and the Chinese people did not dare to say anything in public from then on, but could only show their eyes. Summoning the public to advise that "the mouth of the people is better than the defense of the river", King Li did not listen, and was excited because he could block the mouth of the people.
Under the high-pressure policy, social contradictions have further intensified. On the surface, the people are still very obedient, but in fact, the dissatisfaction has become higher and higher, and finally aroused the resistance of the "national people" in Hokyo.
King Li of Zhou was unable to do so, and in order to save his life, he quickly fled from Hojing with his cronies, along the banks of the Weishui River, all the way to Yan (Huozhou, Shanxi), and later died in Yan, where he was also known as the "Rebellion of the People".
It can be seen that the "nationals" who rushed into the palace included the commoners and nobles. However, then again, this "riot" should also involve the participation of the princes and secretaries of state. When King Li of Zhou gave the order and ordered the army to come and suppress it, the ministers replied: "Our soldiers of the Zhou Dynasty are all from the countrymen, so the soldiers are the soldiers, and the soldiers are the people." Now that the people of the country have rioted, where will they go to mobilize soldiers? ”
Also, when the "people of the country" rushed into the palace, King Li of Zhou had fled, but the people were indignant, so they turned their spearheads to crown prince Ji Jing, why should they let the princes and princes go?
However, the "people of the country" wanted to kill Prince Ji Jing, which was unexpected by the princes and princes who secretly "participated" in it. Summoning Mu Gong then hid Ji Jing in his own palace. When the countrymen learned of this, they immediately rushed to the house of Zhao Mu and asked him to hand over the crown prince. In order to save the crown prince, Zhao Mugong could only replace his own son with the crown prince. The Chronicle of the Bamboo Book records that "[the people of the country] summoned mu gong's son to kill him." Prince Ji Jing escaped the disaster.
King Li fled, and the country could not be left without a monarch for a day. Zhou Dinggong and Zhao Mugong held a meeting of nobles, and after consultation: political affairs were temporarily managed by Zhao Mugong and Zhou Dinggong, and important administrative affairs were submitted to the six secretaries of state for joint discussion, which was called "Zhou Zhao Republican" or "Republican Administration".