Lu state
Lu was a Zhou-dynasty state in what is now Shandong, China. It was Confucius’s home state and a center of early Chinese ritual and political life.
Duke of Zhou: A Zhou royal prince credited with founding the Zhou regency and shaping its early political order. Lu’s ruling house traced its descent to the Duke of Zhou, linking the state to Zhou royal authority.
Confucius: A Chinese teacher and political thinker of the sixth and fifth centuries BCE, whose teachings became the basis of Confucianism. Lu was Confucius’s home state and the setting for much of his life.
Zhou feudal system: A system of hereditary regional rule in which Zhou kings granted territories and authority to aristocratic houses. Lu’s hereditary rulers governed under the decentralized arrangements of Zhou rule.
Confucianism: A philosophical and ethical tradition rooted in Confucius’s teachings about moral cultivation, social relations, and political order. Lu became inseparable from the tradition because Confucius lived and taught there.
Qufu: A city in Shandong, China, best known as Confucius’s birthplace and the historic capital of Lu. Qufu was Lu’s political center and the setting associated with Confucius’s early life.
Western Zhou: The first period of the Zhou dynasty, from its establishment around 1046 BCE until the royal court moved east around 771 BCE. Lu emerged within the Western Zhou system of royal grants and regional rule.
Duke Ding of Lu: A ruler of Lu during Confucius’s lifetime, traditionally dated to 509–495 BCE. Confucius is traditionally said to have served Duke Ding’s government.
Spring and Autumn period: The era from 770 to 476 BCE, marked by weakening Zhou kingship and competition among regional states. Lu’s Confucius-era history belongs to this period of shifting state power.
Analects: A collection of sayings and conversations attributed to Confucius and his followers. The Analects preserves traditions about Confucius’s conduct and political experience in Lu.
Three Huan clans: The powerful aristocratic families of Ji, Meng, and Shu in the state of Lu. Their dominance weakened the authority of Lu’s dukes during the Spring and Autumn period.