| In the historical studies of Western Zhou dynasty, researchers have mainly fo-cused on its politics, economy and culture while the study of the ancient ecologicalenvironment, though a significant factor influencing the development of the dynasty,has not been given adequate attention. Some researches have ever touched upon someaspects of the ecological changes but they do not have systematicity, which has re-sulted in an unsystematic or dis-unified cognition of the many significant mattersconcerning the development of the dynasty. As a matter of fact, the ecological envi-ronment as a system had always influenced the developmental process, especially inthe vital stages of Western Zhou, therefore, rethinking the problems in the historyprocess of Western Zhou dynasty with a new perspective of environmental histo-ry,and including ecological environment into the study of Western Zhou history, canintegrate such factors as natural science, archeology, and historical geography withhistorical studies, which can help present a more accurate and comprehensive pictureof that period.According to the historic records in Shijing (??), Guo Yu (??) and ZuoZhuan (Zuo qiuming's Chronicles??), the ancestor of Zhou people is ‘saturnalia'Qi (?, also known as??), who prospered in Tai (?) area in roughly what is Fu-feng County (???) and Wugong County(???) in Shan'xi province today. Thewarm climate in Yangshao(??) Period had provided favorable conditions for theagricultural development of Zhou people, which may explain why Zhou people hadbeen always migrating in the pre-Zhou period. The archeological studies of Nianzipo(???) site indicate that Gongliu (??) had built his state in Bin (?, also SouthBin??), as the historical record says “this is the beginning of Zhou's development”.In the period or the reign of Gugongdanfu (????), Rong people (??) launchedmany attacks on Zhou people to expand its territories due to the worsening ecologicalenvironment. Then Zhou people were forced to move into zhouyuan(??) regionwhere the better geographical and ecological environment provided a more favorable condition for the agricultural development, besides, the unification by marriages be-tween Zhou people and Ji people (??) ensured a stable exterior condition for thefurther prosperity of Zhou people. As a result, with this better natural and humanityconditions, the influence of Zhou people had rapidly expanded, especially on the westregion of Yin (?)Dynasty, laying a solid foundation for exterminating Shang dynastyin the near future.The origin of Zhou people chronologically correspond with the end of Holo-cence Megathermal (85000–3000aB.P.). The comprehensive studies of naturalscience, archeology and historic records have all shown that in the period from theorigin to the fall of Zhou dynasty, the general climatic changes were from warm andwet to cold and dry, though sometimes there were some short temperature variations,drought is the climatic characteristic of the middle and later Western Zhou dynasty.Agricultural economy is the foundation to ensure the stability of the state powerof Western Zhou. The particular natural and ecological conditions helped form thefarming styles characteristic of Zhou people: rotation and lie fallow farming, whichmade better use of the old lie fallow farming and established the fundamental direc-tion of the future evolution of the ancient Chinese farming methods. This has beenproved by the recent archeological discoveries at Sanyangzhuang site (???????).The particular ecological conditions in Zhouyuan (??) region made farmingan inevitable alternative for Zhou people in pre-Zhou period. Its agricultural devel-opment had economically guaranteed its rise and comprehensive promotion of its in-fluence. Meanwhile, the changeable climatic conditions in the end of Holocence Me-gathermal severely undermined the state power of Shang dynasty, Zhou Wuwang(???)just took advantage of this natural opportunity and the many political contra-dictions inside Shang dynasty as well as all the favorable geographical conditions andcompleted the heroic undertaking in which a small state destroyed a large dynasty,ushering in a new stage of Chinese civilization.After overturning Shang dynasty, Zhou people founded a vast Western Zhou dy-nasty by dividing the country into many small kingdoms, or a packet control, whichallowed local cultural diversities inside the huge dynasty, and the distances between the central government and kingdoms helped promote the further development of thelocal cultures. Likewise, this type of packet control resulted in the dis-centralizationof its military powers, and the centrifugal pull already existing in cultures and politicsat the beginning of the dynasty also posed a potential threat to both the royal safetyand the stability of the state power. Therefore, though the packet control had played asignificant role in safeguarding the dynasty in centuries, the many potential problemshad also resulted in the decline and fall of the dynasty.The fall of Western Zhou is also closely linked to the wars with North-westRong people. Both historical records and epigraph on the bronze wares indicate thatthe offensive and defensive situation had always been switching, in which the factorof ecological environment, i.e. cold and drought changes, had played a vital role inthe situation change. Zhou people usually launched attacks when the climate waswarm and wet and took defensive tactics when it was cold and dry. Although some-times Zhou people might have an upper hand, generally, the ecological worseningfrom cold and drought after Holocence Megathermal gradually undermined its powerto counterbalance the North-west Rong people, and finally had to move its capitaleastward to Luoyi (??also known as Luoyang??).One of the reasons why Zhou Wuwang(???)and Zhou Gong (??) choseLuoyi(??) as the another capital in the early period of the dynasty was to indicatethat their governance was to carry on Xia Yu's (??) work, which may be ethicallysound. The traditional opinion to link Luoyi(??) the capital site with the idea“Luoyi as the center of the world” may be further researched. In fact, the idea of“the center of the world” has strong political implications in Western Zhou dynasty.Choosing Luoyi(??) as the capital or the political center, the dynasty could notonly receive tributes from all the kingdoms around, but also exercise effective controlover the eastern territories. This may be a major reason why Zhou Gong chose Luoyi(??) as the capital. At the fall of Western Zhou, Zhou Pingwang (??) movedthe capital to Luoyi(??) mainly because of its safer geographical position.Overall, the ecological environments, as an important material basis of formationand development of human society, have had a vital impact on the origin of WesternZhou Dynasty and its historical evolution process, constituted the most important ob- jective reason of Western Zhou Dynasty's change. The ecological environment dete-riorate caused by gradually dry and cold climatic changes,and the potential threat toboth the royal safety and the stability of the state power caused by the dividing thecountry into many small kingdoms, had become significant sources of Western ZhouDynasty's declining in the late. |
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