The Chou Dynasty: 1122-256
The Chou dynasty was divided into the Western Chou and the Eastern Chou.
The Western Chou
The Chou overthrew the Shang, so the pyramid of life looked more like this:
The Chou claimed the Mandate of Heaven as a means of justifying their usurpation of the Shang. The Mandate of Heaven made the “switch” from the Shang to the Chou legitimate. The Mandate of Heaven justifies the unjust by stating that there is a divinely ordered natural arrangement to the universe. Some people are on top, others are on bottom. In this respect, the Mandate of Heaven is similar to the caste arrangements in Vedic civilization.
The Eastern Chou
The Eastern Chou was divided into the Spring and Autumn Period and the Period of Warring States.
the spring and autumn period
During the Spring and Autumn Period, only forty years of peace—during the rest of the time, the Chou ruling family lost their control and more and more control went to the fiefs. At first, 170 fiefs/states (each had an army and ruling family), but after fighting, there were only 15. By 481, there were only seven.
the period of warring states
The seven fief-states went to war with one another (hence the name “Period of Warring States”). The members of the royal family held nominal power, but they had no real control and were killed in the fighting.
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