The Western Zhou feudal system was a political system established and maintained by the Western Zhou Dynasty, which referred to the Zhou kings making their relatives or meritorious heroes princes, giving them land and population, allowing them to manage and collect taxes in their respective territories, and at the same time showing allegiance and obedience to the Zhou king. The Western Zhou Dynasty feudal system has important significance and far-reaching influence, and this paper will analyze it from the following aspects.
The significance of the Western Zhou Dynasty sub-feudal system is mainly as follows:
First, it consolidated the dominance of King Zhou. The feudal system of the Western Zhou Dynasty made the relatives and heroes of the king of Zhou become princes, and they all had blood or merit ties, so they had deep feelings and loyalty to the king of Zhou. The king of Zhou also strengthened his control and influence over the princes by holding regular meetings of princes, issuing decrees, conferring titles, and rewarding them with money. In this way, the king of Zhou was able to guarantee his authority and dignity and maintain the unity and stability of the Zhou dynasty.
Second, it has promoted social and economic development. The feudal system of the Western Zhou Dynasty gave the princes of various regions the space for independent management and development, and they could formulate appropriate policies and measures according to their own geographical environment and resource conditions to promote the progress of agriculture, handicrafts, commerce, transportation and other aspects. At the same time, there were more opportunities for exchanges and cooperation between the princes, which promoted the spread and innovation of culture and technology. In this way, the social economy of the Western Zhou Dynasty presented a prosperous and diverse scene.
Third, it has cultivated the common identity of the Chinese nation. The feudal system of the Western Zhou Dynasty made the princes everywhere belong to the ruling system of the king of Zhou, and they all followed the etiquette system of the king of Zhou, believed in the sacrificial system of the king of Zhou, and respected the cultural tradition of the king of Zhou. In this way, the king of Zhou became the common ancestor of the Chinese nation, the Zhou culture became the common culture of the Chinese nation, and the Zhou rites became the common etiquette of the Chinese nation. In this way, the Western Zhou Dynasty feudal system laid a solid foundation for the formation and unity of the Chinese nation.
The main effects of the Western Zhou Dynasty system are as follows:
First, it led to the decline of the Zhou royal power and the division of the princes. Although the Western Zhou feudal system was conducive to the rule of the Zhou king, there were also some drawbacks and hidden dangers. With the passage of time, the relatives and heroes of the King of Zhou gradually multiplied and replaced, and their feelings and loyalty to the King of Zhou gradually faded and wavered. At the same time, the princes' domains and populations continued to expand and increase, their strength and wealth continued to grow and accumulate, and their ambitions and desires also swelled and exploded. In this way, the king of Zhou gradually lost his control and influence on the princes, and the princes gradually broke away from the rule and constraints of the king of Zhou. In this way, the feudal system of the Western Zhou Dynasty led to the decline of the Zhou kingship and the division of the princes, which eventually led to chaos and strife during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.
Second, it has contributed to the contention of a hundred schools of thought and the prosperity of ideology and culture. Although the Western Zhou Dynasty feudal system caused social and political turmoil, it also provided conditions and opportunities for the development of ideology and culture. Due to the competition and conflict between the princes, they all need to seek various methods and strategies to enhance their strength and advantages to solve their problems and difficulties. In this way, a variety of thinkers and schools of thought were born, all of whom put forward their own views and propositions in various aspects such as politics, economics, military, law, morality, religion, nature, etc. In this way, a situation of a hundred schools of thought contending with each other has been formed, which has laid the foundation for the prosperity and innovation of ideology and culture.
Third, it has influenced the political system and cultural traditions of later generations. Although the Western Zhou feudal system was eventually replaced by Qin Shi Huang's centralized system, its influence continued to later generations. On the one hand, the various dynasties of later generations have more or less followed the ceremonial system, sacrificial system, cultural traditions, etc. of the Western Zhou Dynasty, taking the king of Zhou as their orthodoxy and symbol, and the Zhou culture as their root and pride. On the other hand, the various dynasties of later generations also appeared more or less similar to the Western Zhou feudal system, such as the kingdom of the Han Dynasty, the feudal towns of the Tang Dynasty, the feudal territory of the Song Dynasty, the vassal kings of the Ming Dynasty, etc., these are the deformation and continuation of the feudal system of the Western Zhou Dynasty, and they have also brought some problems and challenges to the politics and society of later generations.
The Western Zhou Dynasty feudal system is a special political system of the Western Zhou Dynasty, it has important significance and far-reaching influence, it is not only the pillar and cornerstone of the Western Zhou Dynasty, but also the hidden danger and crisis of the Western Zhou Dynasty, it is not only the common identity and cultural source of the Chinese nation, but also the spark of a hundred schools of thought and thought, it is not only the influence of the political system and cultural traditions of later generations, but also the influence of the political system and cultural traditions of later generations. The Western Zhou Dynasty feudal system is an important part of Chinese civilization and deserves our in-depth understanding and study.