Evolution of administrative divisions in Zhou dynasty

There are three reasons for the first feudalization of Zhou Wuwang: First, to appease the Yin people, and at the same time to monitor them; Secondly, carry out armed immigration and expand its power; There is also to win people's hearts and consolidate the rule of the Zhou Dynasty.

Feudalism is actually the enfeoffment of vassals, that is, the land is distributed to vassals to establish their own jurisdiction. The process and content of the first feudalization in the early Zhou Dynasty mainly included the following items:

After Yin Ke, King of Wu, he automatically withdrew from Yindu and appointed Wu Geng, the son of Zhou Wang, to continue to manage the adherents of Shang Dynasty. Near Yin, he enfeoffed his third brother, Cai Shu and Huo Shu to supervise Wu Geng, which was called "three prisons"; King Wu established his capital in Haojiang and made his relatives and heroes princes. Most of these princes concentrated in the south bank of the Yellow River. Zhou Wuwang died two years after the establishment of the Western Zhou Dynasty. His son Zhou Chengwang succeeded to the throne at a young age, and King Wu's younger brother Zhou Gongdan acted as a political agent. This practice is called "regency". When the Three Supervisors were dissatisfied, they spread rumors that it was not good for the Duke of Zhou to be king, and encouraged Wu Geng to rebel together, which was called "Three Supervisors Rebellion" in history.

Duke Zhou personally led the troops to deal with the third prison, and it took three years to put down the chaos. Later, it established the East Capital in Luoyi (now Luoyang, Henan Province) and used it as a political and military center to rule the eastern region. And moved the "stubborn people" who participated in the rebellion in Wu Geng there, and stationed heavy troops to supervise them. Duke Zhou also formulated a system of rites and music to maintain the order of the country and society.

Reasons for the Second Feudalism

Duke Zhou put down the rebellion in the third prison and implemented the second feudalism. There are three purposes:

Distinguish the adherents of the Yin people and prevent them from mutinying again. Consolidate the rule of the Zhou dynasty as a royal family; Expand the scope of governance and strengthen local control.

The second feudal situation

The contents of the second feudalism in the early Zhou Dynasty mainly include:

Divide the old land of Yin people into Song and Wei countries to facilitate rule; Dafeng's relatives and heroes, as the screen princes of the royal family; In order to expand the scope of his rule, the Duke of Zhou surrounded the feudal country of the Yin people and prevented them from rebelling again, he deliberately moved part of the first feudal country to the east and part of it to the eastern seaside. Among them, Lu Ji, the son of Jiang Shang, was sealed in Qi State, Shandong Province, and Yu Yan, the son of Gong Yuan, was called to strengthen control over the East.