Zhou Dynasty Surname System

Surname(姓) and Shi(氏) are the signs that signified the ralation of consangninity in the social structure. When the social structure had transformed greatly, the form of this sign and its applied principle would changed following, and reflected the change of the social nature. So, study of the Surname and Shi System (姓氏制度) are important in the pre-Qin(先秦) history. This thesis want to search after some basic questions about the Surname and Shi in Zhou dynasty, expose the static form and development of the Surname and Shi system during the Zhou dynasty.The thesis consists of three parts: preface, main body (five chapters) and conclusion.Preface: The auther narrated the achievement, character and the existing shortcoming in the more than two thousand years study about the Surname and Shi, and provided the writting purpose.The first chapter: The origin of Surname and Shi. This part is composed of four sections.The first section: The origin of Surname. In the clan society, the Surname was the name of every clan. During the matriarchal clan society, most of the Surname come from the name of totems that were worshiped. Aferward, in the patriarchal clan soiety, with the worship of ancestry developed, most of the Surnames'origin were related with its ancestor. The Surname of most patriarchal clans origined from the name of ancestor, its origin native place, experience, character or occupation. The course of Surname origin were plural and conldn't interpreted the origin of the Surname by one course.The second section: The auther debated the viewpoint that the ancient Surname origined from the totem. The auther believed some of the ancient Surname origined from the totem, but conldn't exaggerated the importance of totem in the origin of accient Surname. The legend of"God born"was only a myth created by the patriarchal clan for it's later ancestor.The third section: About"bestow Surname", this problem ought to be divided into periods. In clan age, as a matter of fact,"bestow Surname"was the chief of tribe named the newly-born clan; In Zhou dynasty, it inherited the custom of clan age, but was only admitted the old name of the fendal lords that existed already.The forth section: The origin of Shi(氏). Shi was the name of family, it appeared in the later period of the matriarchal clan society. In pre-Qin age.,"the Surname differed from the Shi"revealed as follows:1. The ancestor of Shi could be traced, but the Surname's couldn't.2"Shi"standed for real combination, but the"Surname"wasn't.3. As the sign of the official position, domain special skill and so on, the"Shi"changed as the time went on. On the contrary, the"Surname"had considerable stability.4.The"Shi"differed from the"Surname"in applied principle.The secord chapter: Survey of the Surname and the Shi(氏) in Zhou dynasty. This part is composed of four sections.The first section: Survey of the Surname. The auther had studyed the ancient Surname existed in the pre-Qin...