仲山父の時代

Abstract

Zhong Shan Fu was a vassal of King Xuan 宣王 of the Western Zhou dynasty. His name is composed of "zhong" 仲 (the second son), "Shan" 山, and "fu" 父 (honorific title). The names, which composed of the character representing the seniority among brothers at first and then the proper name, and finally the title "fu", are frequently found in bronze inscriptions of the Western Zhou period. Through analyzing this kind of names in bronze inscriptions, we can comprehend the characteristics of the age of Zhong Shan Fu here. The features of the bronze inscriptions containing this kind of names are as follows: 1. Most of these inscriptions were made in the middle and late period of the Western Zhou. 2. Most of these inscriptions belonged to the holders of "bo" 伯, the eldest heirs. 3. The number of Chinese characters of these inscriptions is largely from 10 to 20, or even up to 30. This kind of names originally indicated the superior position of the named person in the lineage, and was used in the ceremony of ancestor worship. It can explain the second and third features mentioned above. The middle and late period of the Western Zhou was also the peak age of bronze inscriptions recording ceming 册命 (the ceremony of conferring noble position). The vassal who received orders from the King in the ceremony could obtain his own political and social status. So even though he was not the eldest heir, he could use this kind of name in the ceremony of ancestor worship. In the age of Zhong Shan Fu, both the clan system and the ceming system shaped the political and social structure of the Western Zhou dynasty.