The Warring States Period (simplified Chinese: 战 国 时 代; traditional Chinese: 戰 國 時 代; pinyin: Zhàn guó Shí dài), also known as the Era of Warring States, covers the period from 475 BCE to the unification of China by the Qin Dynasty in 221 BCE. It is nominally considered to be the second part of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, following the Spring and Autumn Period, although the Zhou dynasty itself ended in 256 BCE, 35 years earlier than the end of the Warring States period. As with the Spring and Autumn Period, the king of Zhou acted merely as a figurehead.
The name Warring States Period was derived from the Record of the Warring States, a work historically compiled early in the Han Dynasty. The date for the beginning of the Warring States Period is somewhat in dispute. While it is frequently cited as 475 BCE (following the Spring and Autumn Period), 403 BCE, the date of the tripartite Partition of Jin, is also sometimes considered as the beginning of the period.
The Warring States period was a period when regional warlords annexed smaller states around them and consolidated their rule. The process began in the Spring and Autumn Period, and by the 3rd century BCE, seven major states had risen to prominence. These Seven Warring States were Qi (齊/齐), Chu (楚), Yan (燕), Han (韓/韩), Zhao (趙/赵), Wei (魏) and Qin (秦). Another sign of this shift in power was a change in title: rulers had earlier called themselves dukes (公 gōng) of the Zhou dynasty king; but now they began to call themselves kings (王 wáng), meaning they were equal to the Zhou king.
The Warring States Period saw the proliferation of iron working in China, replacing bronze as the dominant metal used in warfare. Areas such as Shu (modern Sichuan) and Yue (modern Zhejiang) were also brought into the Chinese cultural sphere during this time. Different philosophies, known as the Hundred Schools of Thought, developed in this period, the most notable including those of Mencius, Sun Tzu, Lao Zi, Zhuang Zi, Han Feizi, Xun Zi and Mozi. Trade also became important, and some merchants had considerable power in politics. Military tactics also changed. Unlike the Spring and Autumn Period, most armies in the Warring States Period made combined use of infantry and cavalry, and the use of chariots gradually fell into disfavor (see Horses in East Asian warfare). Thus from this period on, the nobles in China remained a literate rather than warrior class, as the kingdoms competed by throwing masses of soldiers against each other. Arms of soldiers gradually changed from bronze to unified iron arms.
This period is also notable because of the development of complex bureaucracies and centralized governments, as well as a clearly established legal system. The developments in political and military organization were the basis of the power of the Qin state, which gradually conquered the other states, and in 221 B.C. united them into the Qin empire.
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Eugene
Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:05:00 GM
It's unfortunate that Chinese history during the Three Kingdoms period and Japanese history during the . Warring States period. isn't a regular part of the high school curriculum. It would impress upon students how resilient the human ...
