Preface
In the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty, why was the king of Zhou able to rule over all the princes? The answer may be hidden in the armed strength of the king of Zhou. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, how powerful was the armed forces of the King of Zhou?
How did they ensure that their rule was secure and that their princes obeyed their orders? What is the reason behind this? Today, let us explore the mysteries of this glorious history.
1. The feudal system was established
In 1046 B.C., a great war broke out that shook the heavens and the earth. Ji Fa, the king of Zhou Wu, led the elite division, smashed the song of the court, and defeated the iron hooves of the king of Shang. After a bitter battle, King Wu finally captured the Chaoge Castle, destroyed the Shang Dynasty, and established a new dynasty, the Western Zhou Dynasty.
This battle not only rewrote the map of the Central Plains, but also was a major turning point in the development of Chinese civilization. King Wu knew that it was impossible to maintain peace and stability for a long time by force alone, and a new social order must be established. Thus, the feudal system came into being.
The so-called feudal system is actually "dividing the land and establishing vassal states". King Wu and his successor King Cheng divided a large number of heroes and royal relatives into various parts of the world and became the monarchs of the vassal states. At the same time, in order to appease the remnants of the merchants, King Wu also deliberately divided the concubine of the king of Shang, Wei Ziqi, as the monarch in the Song Kingdom.
However, King Wu was not completely laissez-faire. In order to prevent trouble, he divided a group of vassal states surnamed Ji who were loyal to the Zhou family around the Song State, and stationed the "Cheng Zhou Eighth Division" heavy troops in Luoyi, Chengzhou, to monitor the movements of the Song State at all times.
In this way, a huge feudal system began to take shape. Zhou Tianzi as the "patriarch", and the vassal states as the "children", constituted a strict hierarchy. This management model of "family in the world" not only reflects the control of the Zhou royal family over the world, but also lays the foundation for the centralization of power in later generations.
The feudal system of this period was fundamentally different from the "feudal system" of later generations. It was more of a fiefdom of land and the establishment of vassal states, rather than a "hereditary system" as we usually understand it. Zhou Tianzi still retained supreme power, and although the vassal states had a certain degree of autonomy, they were ultimately subject to the rule of the Zhou royal family.
This unique feudal model is an important reason why the Western Zhou Dynasty has been able to maintain for 300 years. It not only effectively appeased the heroes and royal relatives, but also left enough strength for the Zhou royal family to deal with various internal and external challenges. It can be said that this is a wise move that takes into account both centralization and decentralization.
2. The Sixth Army of the Son of Heaven has superior military strength
Under the feudal system, Zhou Tianzi's authority was greatly demonstrated, of which military strength was the most powerful support. According to the record of "Zhou Li": "Where the army is controlled, there are 2,500 people as an army, the sixth army of the king, the third army of a large country, the second army of a sub-country, and the first army of a small country." "Zhou Tianzi has six armies, a total of 150,000 elite troops, while the armies of the vassal states are far inferior to the Zhou royal family.
What's more, Zhou Tianzi also has a powerful chariot army. It is said that "Wangji is thousands of miles, the car is ten thousand times, and the six armies are handed over to a thousand times". It can be seen that the military power of the Zhou royal family was unattainable by any vassal state at that time.
Such a strong military strength stems from the special environment in the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty. At that time, the level of productivity was low, and most of the population and grain fields were concentrated around Gyeonggi of the Zhou royal family. In contrast, many of the newly feuded vassal states were sparsely populated, barren and barren, and were powerless to compete with Zhou Tianzi.
In addition, the prestige of the previous kings such as King Wen of Zhou, King Wu, and King Cheng was extremely high, and the princes still had supreme reverence for the Zhou family. As long as Zhou Tianzi gives an order, the princes will go all out without saying a word.
This military superiority not only ensured the dominance of the Zhou royal family, but also laid a solid foundation for its subsequent expansion. In the subsequent expedition to the east, the Duke of Zhou gave full play to the powerful combat power of the "Six Armies of the Son of Heaven", completely wiped out the Yidi forces in the eastern region, and further consolidated the rule of the Zhou Dynasty.
It can be said that it was with this powerful army that the Zhou royal family was able to effectively control the vassal states and maintain the operation of the entire feudal system. It was not only the key to the long-term stability of the Zhou Dynasty, but also an important foundation for the centralization of power in later generations.
3. The Wu Geng Rebellion The authority of the royal family cannot be provoked
Despite this, the situation in the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty was not peaceful. After King Wu was defeated, the remnants of the Shang Dynasty still continued to launch counterattacks. Among them, the Wu Geng Rebellion was a major test.
Wu Geng was originally a favorite of the king of Shang. After the execution of the Emperor, he fled south with his henchmen, regrouped the remnants of his army in the area of Shangqiu, Henan, and launched a fierce attack on the Zhou Dynasty.
In the face of the menacing Wu Geng army, the Zhou royal family naturally could not sit idly by. King Cheng personally commanded the army to go out and finally annihilated Wu Geng's army in a difficult battle. This not only completely purged the remnants of the Shang Dynasty, but also consolidated the ruling foundation of the Zhou Dynasty.
It is worth mentioning that after quelling the Wugeng Rebellion, the Zhou royal family feudalized a new vassal state in the war zone - the Song State. The monarch of the Song State was none other than Wei Ziqi, the concubine of the King of Shang.
From this move, it can be seen that the Zhou royal family was tolerant of the vanquished. But at the same time, in order to prevent the future counterattack of the Song State, the Zhou royal family divided a group of loyal vassal states surnamed Ji around it, and stationed heavy troops of the "Eight Divisions of Cheng Zhou" to monitor the movements of the Song State at all times.
This method of "overcoming rigidity with softness" fully reflects the wisdom and wisdom of the Zhou royal family. On the one hand, it appeased the discontent of the vanquished, and on the other hand, it set up a net to ensure the long-term peace and stability of the dynasty.
It can be said that the pacification of the Wugeng Rebellion not only consolidated the ruling foundation of the Zhou Dynasty, but also further demonstrated the supreme authority of Zhou Tianzi. In the face of such a powerful military force and political wisdom, no vassal state dared to act rashly, thus ensuring the stable operation of the entire feudal system.
Fourth, the authority of the royal family is undoubtedly evident in the Eastern Crusade
After the suppression of the Wugeng Rebellion, although the ruling foundation of the Zhou Dynasty was further consolidated, the situation in the eastern region was still grim. The Duke of Zhou was ordered to go east and completely purge the remnants of Yidi there.
In this difficult expedition, the Duke of Zhou not only showed outstanding military command skills, but also won the complete submission of the eastern region for the Zhou Dynasty with his superb political wisdom.
It is worth mentioning that it was during this Eastern Crusade that the Duke of Zhou established Chengzhou Luoyi and stationed the heavy troops of the "Chengzhou Eighth Division". From then on, the army directly under Zhou Tianzi was fixed and divided into the "Western Sixth Division" and the "Chengzhou Eighth Division", which were deployed in Zongzhou Haojing and Chengzhou Luoyi respectively to defend the two political centers in the east and west.
This further strengthened the Zhou royal family's control over the vassal states, so that the military superiority of the "Six Armies of the Son of Heaven" was fully reflected. In the face of such a powerful force, no vassal state dared to act rashly, thus ensuring the stable operation of the entire feudal system.
This crusade also brought unexpected gains to the Zhou royal family. While purging Yidi's forces, the Duke of Zhou also successfully incorporated some lands that originally belonged to Yidi into the territory of the Zhou Dynasty. This not only expanded the territory of the Zhou Dynasty, but also laid a broader space for the development of the Central Plains Dynasty in later generations.
It can be said that this crusade not only demonstrated the supreme authority of Zhou Tianzi, but also laid a solid foundation for the long-term stability of the Zhou dynasty. In the three hundred years that followed, the Zhou Dynasty was maintained and achieved a glorious period of Chinese civilization, which is undoubtedly inseparable from the wise decisions of the Zhou Duke.
epilogue
To sum up, the reason why a powerful feudal dynasty was established in the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty was due to the superior position of military power. It is precisely by virtue of the strong strength of the "Six Armies of the Son of Heaven" that the Zhou royal family was able to effectively control the vassal states and maintain the operation of the entire feudal system.
However, everything is temporary. As time passed, the vassal states grew in strength, while the authority of the Zhou royal family diminished. Finally, in 771 BC, the Western Zhou Dynasty was destroyed by the dog Rong, and since then it has entered a new era of the Spring and Autumn Period of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and the Warring States Period.
That glorious history has become an eternal memory. However, the valuable experience and lessons it has left to future generations will always shine with the light of wisdom and illuminate our way forward.