The Zhou Dynasty was the longest lasting dynasty of China. The Zhou Dynasty was divided in two different periods. Western Zhou 1046-771 BCE and Eastern Zhou 770-256 BCE.
Zhou’s early leader Wen Wang began to conquer the Shang Dynasty. It took him a while but finally Wen Wang's son Wu Wang led an army across the Yellow River to defeat the King of the Shang Dynasty. So King Wu created a new dynasty, the Zhou Dynasty. The leaders of the Zhou Dynasty introduced the idea of the "Mandate of Heaven". This concept taught that the leaders gained their authority to rule from the gods.
The government was based on the feudal system. The latter period of the Zhou Dynasty is known for the beginnings of two major Chinese philosophies Confucianism and Taoism.
The first part of the Eastern Zhou is called the Spring and Autumn period. During this period the nobles of the states became independent and didn't really follow the king. They did what they wanted and often fought amongst each other.
Warring States Period began around 475 BC and lasted up until the end of the Zhou dynasty. There were seven major states left in the empire. It was clear that they would fight each other until only one was left. At the end of this period the leader of the Qin state, Qin Shi Huang, conquered the other six states and crowned himself as the first emperor of all China.
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Zhou’s early leader Wen Wang began to conquer the Shang Dynasty. It took him a while but finally Wen Wang's son Wu Wang led an army across the Yellow River to defeat the King of the Shang Dynasty. So King Wu created a new dynasty, the Zhou Dynasty. The leaders of the Zhou Dynasty introduced the idea of the "Mandate of Heaven". This concept taught that the leaders gained their authority to rule from the gods.
The government was based on the feudal system. The latter period of the Zhou Dynasty is known for the beginnings of two major Chinese philosophies Confucianism and Taoism.
The first part of the Eastern Zhou is called the Spring and Autumn period. During this period the nobles of the states became independent and didn't really follow the king. They did what they wanted and often fought amongst each other.
Warring States Period began around 475 BC and lasted up until the end of the Zhou dynasty. There were seven major states left in the empire. It was clear that they would fight each other until only one was left. At the end of this period the leader of the Qin state, Qin Shi Huang, conquered the other six states and crowned himself as the first emperor of all China.
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source 2