Owing to the rich Chinese culture, majority of overseas are fighting to learn Chinese in China recent years. Before the preparation to study Chinese in China, they have already familiar with the history of Chinese culture. Thus, they could understand these historic stories in Zhou Dynasty about vassals more easily.
When you came to study Mandarin in China, the history of Zhou Dynasty would be the elementary knowledge for you to learn Chinese culture. At the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, the consolidation of the political power could be put into the first place. Therefore, vassalage (reward vassals) began with the development of Zhou Dynasty throughout the country. This is the so called “”封邦建国. The more you learn Chinese in China, the more you know about the Chinese culture about Zhou Dynasty. It was recorded that the emperors of Zhou Dynasty, Wu Wang, Zhou Gong and Cheng Wang included, had unremittingly created 71 smaller countries. If you learn Chinese in China, you will get this information in history class either.
Besides, some among 71 smaller countries were controlled by 15 brothers of Wu Wang and Zhou Gong. And 40 who people shared the same name were included. The successions who shared the same name, Zhou, had received the lands from the central government, coming into being the different vassals located in various places. As you study Mandarin in China, these could be learnt from the library after class. In addition, who hold the second largest number of those vassals who did not share the same name Zhou were Jiang nobilities. And there other nobilities with different names were accounted for the present nobilities such as the decedents of Shen Nong, Huang Di, Yao, Shun, and Yu and so on. These groups had been introduced to you at the beginning to learn Chinese in China.
The purpose of carrying out vassals was to unite those nobilities and strengthen the power of Zhou Dynasty. This is the so called 封建亲戚，以蕃屏周 in Chinese culture. To learn Chinese in China would give you enough knowledge to understand these words. All the vassals thus were not only the main force to govern the local places, but also the important part to protect the main force of Zhou Dynasty from division. At that time, the valuable smaller countries included Wei, Lu, Qi, Song, Jin and Yan.
For Wei county, located in Chao Ge (now in Qi county, He Nan province), it was controlled by Kang Shu who was the brother of Wu Wang. Seven nationalities, the remnant of Shang Dynasty, were granted to Kang Shu as the racial slaves, including Tao Shi, Shi Shi, Fan Shi, Ji Shi, Zhong Kui Shi, Fan Shi and Qi Shi. Majority of students who study Mandarin in China are interested on these seven nationalities. Wei was located in the business center of the former Dynasty, Shang. Due to the position of Kang Shu in Zhou Dynasty, the destiny of those remnants, to die or to live, was decided by Kang Shu because he was entitled to suppress those people by Zhou Gong.
When every vassal was authorized by the king, it was inevitable to hold the ceremony in public. What’s more, those honored vassals located in different place through the country had a firm grip on the politics, economy, and military. On the other hand, they could lose those powers without being granted by the king, together with the disagreement that Zhou Wang was their common master. Thanks to study Chinese in China, you will have deeper understanding of the history of Zhou Dynasty. In order to contact with the vassals closer, the most efficient way for their common master, Zhou Wang, was to inspect every vassal regularly.
According to the system of vassals in the early Zhou Dynasty, it not only strengthened the development of the conquered places, especially those places which used to be controlled under Shang Dynasty, but also expanded the power and increased the influence of the Zhou Dynasty. As the system of vassals going on, the Zhou people had affinities with those minorities who lived around the capital city so that the remote locations’ economy and culture had been improved into further stage.