Book of Zhou: Establishing Government

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJul 2024

4.3

Word count: 941 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

The Duke of Zhou spoke: "I bow my head and touch the ground, and announce to you, the king who has succeeded the Son of Heaven." He then solemnly admonished the king: "The attendants at the king's left and right: the Ordinary Elders, the Ordinary Affairs Officers, the Standard-Setters, the Robe-Attendants, and the Tiger Guards."

Editor's review

This passage comes from the "Establishment of Government" chapter of the Book of Zhou. It records the Duke of Zhou's address to the successor king and lists the important officials around the king: the Ordinary Elders, Ordinary Affairs Officers, Standard-Setters, Robe-Attendants, and Tiger Guards. Though brief, it is a key entry point for understanding Western Zhou officialdom and the Duke of Zhou's political thought. The 2024 Bashu Publishing House edition makes this classical passage accessible to readers. Its strength lies in juxtaposing the solemnity of "announcing to the king who has succeeded the Son of Heaven" with repeated injunctions about the duties of close officials, showing how early Zhou politics valued those around the king: the Ordinary Elders, Ordinary Affairs Officers, and Standard-Setters concerned governance and personnel, while the Robe-Attendants and Tiger Guards involved personal service and protection. Behind these offices lies institutional thinking about how power operates. When reading, note the ritual context of the Duke of Zhou's bowing and the manner of assisting governance embodied in "solemnly admonished the king." Suitable for students of ancient history, institutional history, and the Book of Documents, and as introductory material for understanding Western Zhou official titles; but the text is archaic and requires annotation.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students majoring in ancient Chinese history who need to study the officialdom chapters of the Book of Documents
Readers interested in Western Zhou political institutions and the Duke of Zhou's thought on assisting governance
Those taking courses in ancient Chinese or classical studies who need a short annotated edition

Not a good fit for

Beginners without classical Chinese who want vernacular stories
Readers seeking a systematic overview of the entire Western Zhou official system, which a single chapter cannot provide

Reading tips

First clarify what offices the Ordinary Elders, Ordinary Affairs Officers, Standard-Setters, Robe-Attendants, and Tiger Guards each refer to, then read through.
Read alongside the full "Establishment of Government" chapter and the background of the Duke of Zhou's regency to understand the audience and political context.
Copy out the list of office names and try to distinguish administrative, service, and military-guard functions.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
周书·立政第二十一

FAQ

What do the "Ordinary Elders, Ordinary Affairs Officers, and Standard-Setters" each refer to?

These are officials around the king listed in the "Establishment of Government" chapter. The Ordinary Elders generally refer to regional lords who govern civil affairs, the Ordinary Affairs Officers to officials responsible for administrative matters, and the Standard-Setters to officials who administered judicial standards. Specific interpretations vary among commentators; readers should consult the annotations in the edition they use rather than infer from the literal words alone.

Why are the "Robe-Attendants and Tiger Guards" also included in the admonition?

The Robe-Attendants were personal attendants in charge of the king's clothing, and the Tiger Guards were the king's military guards. The Duke of Zhou admonished about them alongside administrative officials, showing that whether administrative, personal-service, or guard personnel, those around the king all affected how power operated and could not be treated lightly. This reflects early Zhou emphasis on choosing the ruler's associates.

Do I need to read the whole "Establishment of Government" chapter first?

Reading the full chapter first is recommended. This passage is the opening scene of admonition in the chapter; later sections review the personnel practices of the Xia and Shang and discuss specific offices. Reading only the fragment makes it easy to treat office names as isolated entries; only the full chapter reveals the complete logic of the Duke of Zhou's address.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.