The Zhou Dynasty begins to emerge in the Yellow River valley, overrunning the territory of the ShangB by the end of the second millennium BCE.

The Zhou, a semi-nomadic people who live west of the Shang, appear to have begun their rule under a semi-feudal system, with the Zhou leader having been appointed "Western Protector" by the Shang.

The ruler of the Zhou, King Wu, with the assistance of his brother, the Duke of Zhou, as regent, manages to defeat the Shang at the Battle of Muye.

The king of Zhou at this time invokes the concept of the Mandate of Heaven to legitimize his rule, a concept that will be influential for almost every succeeding Chinese dynasty.

The Zhou initially move their capital west to an area near modern Xi'an, on the Wei River, a tributary of the Yellow River, but they are to preside over a series of expansions into the Yangtze River valley.

This is the first of many population migrations from north to south in Chinese history.