State

Zhou dynasty

c. 1046–256 BCE · 11th century BCE

The Zhou dynasty was the longest-ruling royal dynasty of China, which overthrew the Shang around 1046 BCE and nominally ruled until the State of Qin ended it in 256 BCE. Its kings granted lands to kinsmen and allies as hereditary states and justified their rule by the Mandate of Heaven. After the western capital fell in 771 BCE, the Eastern Zhou kings lost real power to the states of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

Zhou dynasty
Image: Territories_of_Dynasties_in_China.gif: Ian Kiu · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 profiles

Gokturk EmpireFoundationTang DynastyFoundation, SummaryClassical ChineseOrigins

Mentioned in 8 state histories

State of QiEastern GuoState of CaoState of LuDuchy of Western ZhouState of HanState of WeiState of Zhao

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Zhou dynasty. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/zhou-dynasty
MLA
“Zhou dynasty.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/zhou-dynasty. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Zhou dynasty.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/zhou-dynasty.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Zhou dynasty’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/zhou-dynasty (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻