Research on the Zhou Dynasty's Diplomatic System

Author: Li Wuwen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: A Study on the Zhou Dynasty's Court Visit System is the doctoral dissertation of Professor Li Wuwen, a doctoral supervisor at the Institute of Ancient Books, Jilin University. Previous scholars have paid much attention to the issue of court visits in the Zhou Dynasty, but most of their efforts were focused on minor details, often neglecting comprehensive research, so many issues remain unclear. Professor Li Wuwen's A Study on the Zhou Dynasty's Court Visit System conducts a systematic and comprehensive research on the court visit system of the Zhou Dynasty as a whole. The materials collected are extensive and rich, the analysis of historical records is thorough and meticulous, the research is rigorous, and it offers numerous original insights, basically solving a very important issue in the history of political system research on the Zhou Dynasty that scholars had not resolved well. Professor Li Wunen's research on the court visit system of the Zhou Dynasty starts with the basic concepts, then determines the categories and nature. On this basis, he provides an in-depth explanation of the formation and development and changes of the Zhou Dynasty's court visit system. The focus of this book is on the Western Zhou period. The author comprehensively discusses the Western Zhou court visit system from several aspects: the Western Zhou court visit system, the Western Zhou visit system, the officials in charge of court visits in the Western Zhou, the relationship between the Western Zhou court visit system and the Western Zhou inspection tours, alliances, and musical and dance systems, as well as the political functions of the Western Zhou court visit system. Its features are quite distinct, mainly including the following aspects: First, through evidence such as bronze inscriptions, archaeological excavation sites, and traditional literature, it reveals the basic appearance and main characteristics of the Western Zhou court visit system. Second, the understanding of the political role of the Western Zhou court visit system is also very accurate. The value of the research on the Western Zhou court visit system is thus greatly demonstrated. Third, combining textual research and analysis, it untangles the complexities of the Western Zhou court visit system. It is particularly noteworthy that Chapter 5 of this work, The Destruction of the Court Visit System in the Warring States Period, provides an in-depth analysis of the destruction of the court visit system. This section is crucial not only for the overall study of the Zhou Dynasty's court visit system but also for the study of the court visit system in the Warring States period. The author, without focusing on the spiritual essence of the Western Zhou court visit system, emphasizes the specific rituals of its "destruction" and discusses it accordingly, which is very realistic. In this way, the clues of the evolution of the entire Zhou Dynasty's court visit system become clearer.