Warring States period

The Warring States period () was an era in ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded with the Qin wars of conquest that saw the annexation of all other contender states, which ultimately led to the Qin state's victory in 221 BC as the first unified Chinese empire, under the Qin dynasty. Although different scholars point toward different dates ranging from 481 BC to 403 BC as the true beginning of the Warring States, Sima Qian's choice of 475 BC is the most often cited. The Warring States era also overlaps with the second half of the Eastern Zhou period, though the Chinese sovereign, known as the king of Zhou, ruled merely as a figurehead. The "Warring States period" derives its name from the Record of the Warring States, a work compiled early in the Han dynasty. The political geography of the era was dominated by the Seven Warring States, namely: Qin located in the far west, with its core in the Wei River Valley and Guanzhong. This geographical position offered protection from the other states but limited its initial influence. The Three Jins located in the center on the Shanxi plateau were the three successor states of Jin. These were: Han south, along the Yellow River, controlling the approaches to Qin. Wei located in the middle, roughly today's eastern Henan Province. Zhao the northernmost of the three, roughly today's southern Hebei Province as well as northern Shanxi Province. Qi east, centered on the Shandong Peninsula Chu south, with its core territory around the valleys of the Han River and, later, the Yangtze River. Yan northeast, centered on modern-day Beijing. Late in the period it pushed northeast and began to occupy the Liaodong Peninsula Besides these seven major states other smaller states survived into the period. They include: Royal territory of the Zhou king was near Luoyi in the Han area on the Yellow River.