The first written law in ancient China was in March 536 BC (the lunar calendar).
The ruling son of the State of Zheng cast the legal provisions of the State of Zheng on a metal tripod symbolizing the power of the vassal, and announced them to the whole society, which is called "the book of casting punishment" in history.
The Book of Casting Punishment initiated the publication of laws in ancient times and denied the secret law of "if the punishment is unknown, the power is unpredictable". This is the first time in the history of China that a written law has been published.
The criminal book is a symbol of state power, which is also conducive to the implementation of the law in the whole society and has a far-reaching impact on future generations.
Extended data
Historical background
The laws of Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties in China were completely attached to ceremony. During the Spring and Autumn Period, with the change of social relations, the traditional legal system increasingly exposed its irrationality. First of all, the previously undisclosed and unwritten laws conflict with the interests of the emerging landlord class.
Secondly, this legal system is conservative in form and outdated in content, which can no longer adapt to the new situation of social change and meet the development requirements of new social relations. Therefore, after the mid-Spring and Autumn Period, some vassal states broke the old tradition and published written laws.
In this way, public opinion will have a strong supervisory power over officials. These new things that seriously infringe on the interests of the nobility are intolerable to Uncle Xiang, who represents the interests of declining slave owners and nobles.
When the slave owners and nobles make judgments, they often flaunt that they follow the principle of "courtesy" and that they govern the country by courtesy. In his view, from the content point of view, it is because Zi Chan's punishment book completely deviates from the "ritual" system.
Baidu encyclopedia-the book of casting punishment