Two Weeks The Sima Study

Sima occupied an important position of the official system in the Western and Eastern Zhou period. This article combines the bronze inscriptions data with the handed down documents, preliminary discussing the origin of Sima, function, selection of government officials and its effects on the Zhou military and political issues, and analysis its reflection of social change. This article is made up of the following parts:The introduction summarizes the research results of the origination of Sima, function and the nobility of outcome research on Sima, summarizing their achievements, analyzing of its shortcomings.The first part is the prevue of Sima in the Western and Eastern Zhou period, mainly discusses the origin of Sima and the classification of Sima in Zhou period. Sima may not originated from the military attaches, whereas Sima may originated from the special persons for King hunting. According to some relevant papers, Sima can be divided into three categories, such as Zhou Royal Count Sima, Feudal Princes Sima and Sima.The second part is the function and appointment of Sima in the Western and Eastern Zhou period. Referring from the bronze inscriptions, researching on Sima and its functions in Western Zhou Dynasty and the Spring and Autumn and Warring stage period, the appointment of Sima in Western and Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Through some related information from the study of bronze inscriptions, Sima in West Zhou Dynasty was responsible for administering the national military and political affairs in a unified way, involving in the management of land affairs, serving as the right and participating in ceremonial activities, and other functions. Sima also palmed army assigned in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period, managed vehicle cavalry charge, received the military operation, trained soldiers, visited and guarded the city, and managed weapons and the military horses. The Western and Eastern Zhou period of Sima praised elected mainly elected from the public, and the Duke appointed in three ways, the methods of election gradually changed from single to multi.The third part is Sima and the politics and society in the Western and Eastern Zhou period. Discussing from Sima and the war, East Zhou Sima and the political situation of the States, Sima and ritual system in the Zhou Dynasty, through the changes of the status of Sima to see the social change in the Western and Eastern Zhou period, and so on. The role of Sima in Zhou Dynasty, war mainly embodied in the following three main areas:direct participation in military battles, affected the war situation, and engaged in logistics support, ensured the need of war; implemented strictly the military law, maintained the military order. The influence of Sima on the political situation was also reflected in three main areas:loyalty to due diligence, spare no effort in maintaining. Political stability; involved in political vortex, became victims of the struggle for powers; expanded power, grabbed the officials'power. Sima participated in the following etiquette protocal activities scheduled life acted as officer in the right; participation in the meetings to form alliance and pilgrimages, responsibility and visit a friendly nation on behalf of one's own country diplomatic etiquette activities such as Yan Xiang; participation of sacrifice rites. By the above analyses, we can see that Sima along with "the take-off and landing" of the political status and its stepping down from the stage of history in the Western and Eastern Zhou period, to a certain extent it was a miniature of the social change at that time.The fourth part is the conclusion:comprehensive summaries the main contents and viewpoints of this article.