Zhou Dynasty (1122 BC - 256 BC)

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Zhou Dynasty (周朝 1122 BC - 256 BC) (Wade-Giles Chou Dynasty) followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty in China. In the Chinese historical tradition, the rulers of the Zhou displaced the Shang and legitimized their rule by invoking the mandate of heaven. The Zhou dynasty had its capital at Hao, near the city of Xian, or Chang'an, as it was known in its heyday in the imperial period. Sharing the language and culture of the Shang, the early Zhou rulers, through conquest and colonization, gradually sinicized, that is, extended Shang culture through much of China Proper north of the Chang Jiang (Yangtze River).

The term feudal has often been applied to the Zhou period because the Zhou's early decentralized rule invites comparison with medieval rule in Europe. At most, however, the early Zhou system was proto-feudal, being a more sophisticated version of earlier tribal organization, in which effective control depended more on familial ties than on feudal legal bonds. Whatever feudal elements there may have been decreased as time went on. The Zhou amalgam of city-states became progressively centralized and established increasingly impersonal political and economic institutions. These developments, which probably occurred in the latter Zhou period, were manifested in greater central control over local governments and a more routinized agricultural taxation.

Initially the Ji family was able to control the country firmly. In 771 BC, after You Wang had replaced his queen with a concubine, he was then sacked by the joint force of the queen's father, who was a powerful noble, and the barbarians. The queen's son Ping Wang became the puppet king and the capital was moved eastward to Luoyang in present-day Henan Province.

Because of this shift, historians divide the Zhou era into Western Zhou (1027-771 BC) and Eastern Zhou (770-221 BC). Eastern Zhou divides into two subperiods. The first, from 770 to 476 BC, is called the Spring and Autumn Period, after a famous historical chronicle of the time; the second is known as the Warring States Period (475-221 BC).

With the royal line broken, the power of the Zhou court gradually diminished; the fragmentation of the kingdom accelerated. From Ping Wang onwards, the Zhou kings ruled only symbolicly, with true power being held in the hands of powerful nobles. Towards the end of Zhou Dynasty, the nobles did not bother to obey the Ji family, even symbolically and declared themselves to be kings. They wanted to be the king of the kings. Finally, the dynasty was obliberated by Qin Shi Huangdi's reunification of China in 221 BC.

**Sovereigns of Zhou dynasty 1122 BC-256 BC**
Posthumous Names ( Shi Hao 諡號)	Born Names	Period of Reigns
Convention: "Zhou" + posthumous name
Note: all dates are approximate until the Duo* when first accurate dating of Chinese history began.*
Xi (Western) Zhou dynasty 1122 BC-771 BC
Wu Wang (武王 wu3 wang2)	Ji Fa (姬發 ji1 fa1)	1122 BC-1116 BC
Cheng Wang (成王 cheng2 wang2)	Ji Song (姬誦 ji1 song4)	1115 BC-1079 BC
Kang Wang (康王 kang1 wang2)	Ji Zhao (姬釗 ji1 zhao1)	1078 BC-1053 BC
Zhao Wang (昭王 zhao1 wang2)	Ji Xia (姬瑕 ji1 xia2)	1052 BC-1002 BC
Mo Wang (穆王 mo4 wang2)	Ji Man (姬滿 ji1 man3)	1001 BC-947 BC
Gong Wang (共王 gong1 wang2)	Ji Yi-Hu (姬繄扈 ji1 yi1 hu4)	946 BC-935 BC
Yi Wang (懿王 yi4 wang2)	Ji Jian (姬(喜replaces隹in 難) ji1 jian1)	934 BC-910 BC
Xiao Wang (孝王 xiao4 wang2)	Ji Man (姬辟方 ji1 pi4 fang1)	909 BC-895 BC
Yi Wang (夷王 yi2 wang2)	Ji Xie (姬燮 ji1 xie4)	894 BC-879 BC
Li Wang (厲王 li4 wang2)	Ji Hu (姬胡 ji1 hu2)	878 BC-841 BC
The Duumvirate 841 BC-828 BC
Xuan Wang (宣王 xuan1 wang2)	Ji Jing (姬靜 ji1 jing4)	827 BC-782 BC
You Wang (幽王 you1 wang2)	Ji Gong Sheng (姬宮湦 ji1 gong1 sheng1)	781 BC-771 BC
Dong (Eastern) Zhou dynasty 770 BC-256 BC
Ping Wang (平王 ping2 wang2)	Ji Yi Jiu (姬宜臼 ji1 yi2 jiu4)	770 BC-720 BC
Huan Wang (桓王 huan2 wang2)	Ji Lin (姬林 ji1 lin2)	719 BC-697 BC
春秋時代 (chun1 qiu1 shi2 dai4) Spring and Autumn Period 722 BC-481 BC
Zhuang Wang (莊王 zhuang1 wang2)	Ji Tuo (姬佗 ji1 tuo2)	696 BC-682 BC
Li Wang (釐王 li2 wang2) or Xi Wang ((僖 or 禧) &#29579 (xi1 or xi3) wang2)	Ji Hu Qi (姬胡齊 ji1 hu2 qi2)	681 BC-677 BC
Hui Wang (惠王 hui4 wang2)	Ji Lang (姬閬 ji1 (Guoyu: lang3 or Putonghua: lang4))	676 BC-652 BC
Xiang Wang (襄王 xiang1 wang2)	Ji Zheng (姬鄭 ji1 zheng)	651 BC-619 BC
Qing Wang (頃王 qing3 wang2)	Ji Ren Chen (姬壬臣 ji1 ren2 chen2)	618 BC-613 BC
Kuang Wang (匡王 kuang1 wang2)	Ji Ban (姬班 ji1 ban1)	612 BC-607 BC
Ding Wang (定王 ding4 wang2)	Ji Yu (姬瑜 ji1 yu2)	606 BC-586 BC
Jian Wang (簡王 jian3 wang2)	Ji Yi (姬夷 ji1 yi2)	585 BC-572 BC
Ling Wang (靈王 ling2 wang2)	Ji Xie Xin (姬泄心 ji1 xie4 xin1)	571 BC-545 BC
Jing Wang (景王 jing3 wang2)	Ji Gui (姬貴 ji1 gui4)	544 B.C.-521 B.C.
Dao Wang (悼王 dao4 wang2)	Ji Meng (姬猛 ji1 meng3)	520 BC
Jing Wang (敬王 jing4 wang2)	Ji Gai (姬丐 ji1 gai4)	519 BC-476 BC
Yuan Wang (元王 yuan2 wang2)	Ji Ren (姬仁 ji1 ren2)	475 BC-469 BC
Zhen Ding Wang (貞定王 zhen1 ding4 wang2)	Ji Jie (姬介 ji1 jie4)	468 BC-442 BC
Ai Wang (哀王 ai1 wang2)	Ji Qu Ji (姬去疾 ji1 qu4 ji2)	441 BC
Xi Wang (思王 xi1 wang2)	Ji Shu (姬叔 ji1 shu2)	441 BC
Kao Wang (考王 kao3 wang2)	Ji Wei (姬嵬 ji1 wei2)	440 BC-426 BC
Wei Lie Wang (威烈王 wei1 lie4 wang2)	Ji Wu (姬午 ji1 wu3)	425 BC-402 BC
戰國時代(zhan4 guo2 shi2 dai4) Period of the Warring States 403 BC-221 BC
An Wang (安王 an1 wang2)	Ji Jiao (姬驕 ji1 jiao1)	401 BC-376 BC
Lie Wang (烈王 lie4 wang2)	Ji Xi (姬喜 ji1 xi3)	375 BC-369 BC
Xian Wang (顯王 xian3 wang2)	Ji Bian (姬扁 ji1 bian3)	368 BC-321 BC
Shen Jing Wang (慎靚王 shen4 jing4 wang2)	Ji Ding (姬定 ji1 ding4)	320 BC-315 BC
Nan Wang (赧王 nan3 wang2)	Ji Yan (姬延 ji1 yan2)	314 BC-256 BC
Hui Wang (惠王 hui4 wang2)	?	255 BC-249 BC
Note: nobles of the Ji family proclaim Hui Wang as the succesor to the dynasty after Luoyang fell to Qin. However the resistance did not last long when Qin army advanced southwards. So Zhou Nan Wang is conventionally considered as the last emperor of Zhou.