Two systems of the Western Zhou Dynasty that had a profound influence on later generations

2025-01-09 11:17

The two systems of the Western Zhou Dynasty that had a profound influence on later generations were the enfeoffment system and the patriarch system. The enfeoffment system of the Western Zhou Dynasty referred to the King of Zhou bestowing land and people to the royal family, meritorious officials, and previous nobles, allowing them to establish vassal states and protect the royal family. The enfeoffed vassals had to obey the orders of the Zhou emperor and bear the obligations of guarding the territory, following the battle, paying tribute, and reporting on their work. The enfeoffment system consolidated the Zhou Dynasty's rule and expanded the area under the Zhou Dynasty's rule. However, as the power of some dukes grew, it also destroyed the enfeoffment system itself. The patriarch system was a system that evolved from the patrilineal system of primitive society. It was used to regulate the methods of the direct descendants within the clan. The establishment of the patriarch system and the strengthening of the status of the paternal patriarch in the clan had a profound impact on later generations, especially the formation of the family system and ethics of the blood lineage patriarch system in Chinese traditional culture.