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The Zhou Dynasty, which followed the [[Shang Dynasty]], was the third of China's legendary Three Dynasties. Though little historical evidence providing information about the dynasty survives, according to tradition, numerous customs, beliefs, and policies central to the culture of Imperial China are said to have continued since the Zhou Dynasty. Among these is the Zhou belief in Heaven, and the [[Mandate of Heaven]], a concept not shared by the Shang; the use of the term "Son of Heaven" (''tiānzi'') to refer to the Chinese emperor originates at this time.

The Zhou Dynasty, which followed the [[Shang Dynasty]], was the third of China's legendary Three Dynasties. Though little historical evidence providing information about the dynasty survives, according to tradition, numerous customs, beliefs, and policies central to the culture of Imperial China are said to have continued since the Zhou Dynasty. Among these is the Zhou belief in Heaven, and the [[Mandate of Heaven]], a concept not shared by the Shang; the use of the term "Son of Heaven" (''tiānzi'') to refer to the Chinese emperor originates at this time.

The Western Zhou is said to have run from roughly 1045-771 BCE. It was founded by [[King Wu of Zhou]], who defeated the armies of the Shang at Muye in 1045 BCE. The Zhou capital at Chengzhou, and the Western Zhou Dynasty more generally, fell in 771 BCE to steppe nomad invaders, and was succeeded by the Eastern Zhou (770-256 BCE), a period of considerable disunity and violence. The Eastern Zhou period is divided into the [[Spring and Autumn Period|Spring and Autumn]] and [[Warring States Period]]s of Chinese history.

The Western Zhou is said to have run from roughly 1045-771 BCE. It was founded by [[King Wu of Zhou]], who defeated the armies of the Shang at Muye in 1045 BCE. The Western Zhou fell in 771 BCE to steppe nomad invaders, and the capital was moved to Chengzhou, in the east. This marks the beginning of the Eastern Zhou (770-256 BCE), a period of considerable disunity and violence. The Eastern Zhou period is divided into the [[Spring and Autumn Period|Spring and Autumn]] and [[Warring States Period]]s of Chinese history.

Fairly decentralized, the Zhou Dynasty operated as a quasi-feudal, multi-state system, often contrasted to the centralized, bureaucratic state established in the [[Han Dynasty]], and maintained by every major dynasty since (with the obvious exceptions of periods of disunity, such as the period of [[Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms]] which followed the fall of the [[Tang Dynasty]]).<ref>Albert Craig, ''The Heritage of Chinese Civilization'', Third Edition, Prentice Hall (2011), 21-27.</ref> This quasi-feudal structure consisted chiefly of domains granted by the emperor to his close relatives, generals, or retainers otherwise. In theory, these were tied closely to the state by the personal loyalty or kinship ties of the lords to the emperor; however, as lordship of domains was passed down hereditarily, within even a single generation the ties of loyalty and kinship could weaken dramatically. The Zhou gained further territory, both through conquest and peaceful alliances, naming the local rulers of those areas "lords" in a similar fashion, and establishing fictive kinship ties which were meant to help assure these domains' loyalties.

Fairly decentralized, the Zhou Dynasty operated as a quasi-feudal, multi-state system, often contrasted to the centralized, bureaucratic state established in the [[Han Dynasty]], and maintained by every major dynasty since (with the obvious exceptions of periods of disunity, such as the period of [[Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms]] which followed the fall of the [[Tang Dynasty]]).<ref>Albert Craig, ''The Heritage of Chinese Civilization'', Third Edition, Prentice Hall (2011), 21-27.</ref> This quasi-feudal structure consisted chiefly of domains granted by the emperor to his close relatives, generals, or retainers otherwise. In theory, these were tied closely to the state by the personal loyalty or kinship ties of the lords to the emperor; however, as lordship of domains was passed down hereditarily, within even a single generation the ties of loyalty and kinship could weaken dramatically. The Zhou gained further territory, both through conquest and peaceful alliances, naming the local rulers of those areas "lords" in a similar fashion, and establishing fictive kinship ties which were meant to help assure these domains' loyalties.