The story of Dayu's harnessing the water and benefiting the people will not be unfamiliar to the students. That is a conscientious and conscientious Dayu. Shun was highly respected and spread in Dayu in his later years according to the traditional abdication system. In 2070 BC, Yu established the first dynasty in the history of China-Xia Dynasty. Will Dayu at this time be the former Dayu? Please pay attention to the illustration on page four of the textbook. Look, do you think Yu Xia's identity and status have changed at this time? At this time, because of his powerful power, Dayu has changed from the leader of the tribal alliance to the king of Xia. After his death, he was not transferred to Boyi according to the traditional abdication system of primitive society, but to his son Qi. In this way, abdication system was replaced by hereditary system. China society has also entered the "home world" from the era of "the world is for the public"
In Xia and Shang dynasties, the supreme ruler was the king, and the officials who assisted him were often given official names such as Xiang and Qing, and they were the highest administrative officials at that time. The following officials can be roughly divided into three categories: officials (such as ministers, Yin, etc. ), military attache (division) and historian (such as divination, volume, history, etc. ). Locally, there were many countries in Xia and Shang Dynasties, including Zhou or Shang kings.
Second, the enfeoffment system of the Western Zhou Dynasty
1, the time of implementing the enfeoffment system in the Western Zhou Dynasty began in the Zhou Wuwang period.
Why did Zhou Wuwang implement the enfeoffment system? After the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty, the enfeoffment system was widely implemented to consolidate its rule, with the aim of effectively governing the vast areas outside the "Wang" directly under the jurisdiction of the Western Zhou Dynasty. In fact, the so-called "state" under the direct jurisdiction of the Shang and Zhou rulers is very small, so for the vast areas outside the "king" under the direct jurisdiction, we should follow the previous generation and strengthen their rule by the method of enfeoffment.
2. The main content and influence of the Western Zhou Dynasty enfeoffment system.
The content of the enfeoffment system mainly involves the rights and obligations between Zhou Wang, the supreme ruler of the Western Zhou Dynasty, and local governors. The enfeoffment system means that the country was established by the enfeoffment system. Zhou Wang divided the area near the capital into Wang Ji, which was directly ruled by Zhou Wang. Areas outside Wang Ji were enfeoffed to vassals, allowing them to establish vassal States, defend their territories and defend the royal family. The enfeoffment king accepted Zhou Wang's knighthood and ritual vessels, and was responsible for Zhou Wang. He also participated in explorations, sacrifices, mourning celebrations and other activities with Zhou Wang. If there is any dispute or conflict between princes, Zhou Wang will mediate and handle it. Zhou Wang is the supreme ruler of the country and the co-owner of the vassal states. He calls himself the son of heaven, so he is also called the son of heaven. These princes are vassals of Zhou Wang and must obey his orders. Zhou Wang has the right to punish or even conquer princes who fail to perform their duties or resist. The enfeoffment system is also a classification. Doctor Qing also had to enfeoffment in his fief, and later he became a scholar and was assigned to the fief; The feudal system in the Western Zhou Dynasty strengthened the local rule of the Zhou Emperor and established the Western Zhou regime throughout the country. In addition, the establishment of the system of rites and music coordinated the hierarchical relationship between nobles and stabilized the society. These vassal States, large and small, are distributed all over the world, forming a ruling network extending in all directions and forming a political pattern as bright as the stars of the Zhou royal family. Among the vassal States of the Western Zhou Dynasty, they are the same clan. Or in-laws who marry each other, the horizontal connection is much closer than before. From the two aspects of strengthening the central control ability and promoting the contact between local governments, the system of enfeoffment in the Western Zhou Dynasty is of positive significance in history.
3, the end of the enfeoffment system
In the system of enfeoffment, the feudal state was hereditary, and the vassals enjoyed administrative, military and economic powers in their own fiefs, so they had relative independence. This made it impossible for the king of Zhou to directly intervene and control the vassal forces. With the passage of time, the gap between the vassal forces became larger and larger, and some powerful vassal States appeared. In the late Western Zhou Dynasty, the royal family declined, and the ceremony collapsed and the music was broken, gradually losing its position as the "master of the world". On the contrary, it relied more and more on powerful vassals politically and economically. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, powerful vassal states began to "seize the emperor to make princes" and compete for the hegemony of the Central Plains. The development and changes of society are impacting the old political system. The phenomenon of enfeoffment of vassals in Zhou Wang has become a thing of the past. The enfeoffment system was gradually replaced by the county system and gradually withdrew from the historical stage.
Third, the patriarchal clan system in the Western Zhou Dynasty.
China's early ancient countries (Xia, Shang and Zhou) developed on the basis of primitive society. In primitive society, the basic social relationship is blood relationship. This social structure remained intact after the birth of the country. Therefore, Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties are a tribal country with strong tribal colors, forming a political system with patriarchal clan system as the core. Patriarchal system evolved directly from primitive society. It establishes and consolidates the position of paternal parents in the clan by stipulating the clan system, thus ensuring the stability of kingship. The core content of patriarchal clan system is the eldest son inheritance system, that is, the eldest son inherits his father's suzerain status and the illegitimate child is enfeoffed. The legal heirs of emperors, princes and doctors are first and foremost the eldest son. Even if illegitimate children are older than the eldest son, they can't be heirs, that is, the patriarchal clan system, that is, clan rules, which is a kind of power inheritance system. In the form of eldest son inheritance system, the succession of the throne is determined, and the enfeoffment system is improved and consolidated to prevent disputes between nobles due to the inheritance of power. Under the patriarchal clan system, the concept of hierarchy is very strict, hierarchical and orderly. It takes the blood relationship as the link and the relationship between monarch and minister as the discipline, which ensures the political monopoly and privileged position of the nobility. Maintain the stability and unity within the aristocratic ruling group. Hereditary system, patriarchal clan system and enfeoffment system together constitute the main body of Xia, Shang and Zhou political system, which has a far-reaching impact on China society.