On the Formation and Characteristics of the Concept of Territory in the Spring and Autumn Period
The old political structure of Zhou Dynasty has changed during the Spring and Autumn Period.The vassal states,which were originally local administrative units,started to develop independently.They constantly improved sovereignty and strengthened control to their territory.In the past,as the subordinate of the king of Zhou,the main duty of vassal was to"governing fief".However,in the Spring and Autumn Period,this duty has been replaced by"expanding territory".For economic and security reasons,many states,especially Jin,Qin,Qi and Chu,which were adjacent to Rong(戎)and Di(狄),continued invading small neighboring states and gradually became major power with vast territory and large population.Comparing with the original sacrifice system,expanding territory was getting more and more important.Names like"Qifang(启方)""Qijiang"(启疆)have become popular in the nobility,which reflected that expanding territory was the mainstream pursuit of the aristocratic society in Spring and Autumn Period.The states paid more attention on the security of their borders,some nobles advocated to defend their borders.Territory was regard as a entirety,and people started to recognize that peripheral areas also had specific values and should not be easily given up.
the Spring and Autumn Periodthe Idea of TerritoryFeudal VassalTerritory Security
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维普
