西周封建制是以宗法制为基础建立起来的一套政治制度,它的核心是血缘关系,这套以血缘关系为核心的政治制度维持了四百余年,最终在玁狁的手中宣告终结。周平王迁都于洛以后,历史遂进入东周的格局,质子制度即于此时发端。质子制度是国与国之间以交换身份矜贵的人员为质,表示信任的一种行为。而在长期的演变过程中,它与继嗣制度渐渐发生了关系,周代本身以嫡长子继承制为主,诸侯国大抵亦如此,交质行为则使一种以功劳为准的继嗣关系得以出现。王位继承人本来仅凭血缘关系就可以确定自己是否为适格的继嗣人,而质子制度则让交质关系进入到继嗣关系当中来:衡量一名王位继承人是否是适格的继嗣人,不仅要看他的血缘,还要看他是否曾经出质,是否有功于母国。这意味着继嗣的核心准则有从血缘向功劳转移的趋势。周代继嗣原则的这种变化,其背后是卿大夫作为武力阶层的兴起。为了干预上层政应该形成屏障,将周边戎狄阻挡在西周王畿之外,然而在幽王时期发生的玁狁战争之中,东方封国却没有一个参战保护摇摇欲坠的王畿之地。非但如此,在西周灭亡之后的平王迁都过程中,东方封国也没有一个予以护卫。由此可见封国与王畿之间的血缘关系已经淡漠无存。西周的灭亡将周朝看似稳固、实则脆弱的防御体系揭示了出来,并且证明建立在宗法关系上的封建制度,并不能保证西周的安全。周朝经受的这一场毁灭性打击使得平王对周朝立国的基础丧失了信心。我们很快就会发现,王室开始积极寻找新的社会关系,以代替,至少也是补充不甚可靠的血缘关系。 The feudal system in the Western Zhou Dynasty was a set of political system based on the patriarchal clan system. Its core was kinship. The political system centered on kinship was maintained for more than 400 years and finally ended in shyness. Zhou Ping Wang moved in Los after the history then entered the pattern of the East, the proton system that is, at this time. The proton system is an act of trust which is based on the exchange of identities between countries. In the course of long-term evolution, it gradually became related to the succession system. In the Zhou Dynasty itself, the eldest son’s inheritance system was the dominant force, while the vassal states were also roughly the same. . The heir to the throne would have been able to determine whether he was a heir apparent by reason of his blood relationship, while the proton system allowed the cross-fertilization of relations into successors: a measure of whether a heir to the throne is a heir apparent and not only depends on His blood, but also whether he had a quality, whether in the home country. This means that the heir to the core norms have the tendency to transfer from blood to credit. This change in the principle of heir to the Zhou dynasty is behind the rise of Qing as a force. In order to intervene in the upper government should form a barrier, the surrounding Rong Di blocked outside the Western Zhou Dynasty, however, during the Youji war, the East sealed the country there is no one to defend the crumbling land of Wang. Not only that, in the Western Zhou Dynasty after the demise of King Ping moved to the capital, the East also did not seal a country to be escorted. From this we can see that the kinship between the country of seal and Wang Ji has become indifferent. The demise of the Western Zhou Dynasty revealed Zhou’s seemingly solid, real and fragile defense system and demonstrated that the feudal system based on patriarchal relations did not guarantee the security of the Western Zhou Dynasty. This devastating blow to the Zhou Dynasty made Ping lost his confidence in the founding foundations of the Zhou Dynasty. We will soon find that the royal family began to actively seek new social relations in place of, or at least complement, less reliable bloodlines.