The Spring and Autumn period or Chunqiu in Chinese history lasted from approximately 770 to 481 BCE which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou period. The period's name derives from the Spring and Autumn Annals,a chronicle of the state of Lu between 722 and 481 BCE,which tradition associates with Confucius. During this period,royal control over the various local polities eroded as regional lords increasingly exercised political autonomy,negotiating their own alliances,waging wars amongst themselves,up to defying the king's court in Luoyi. The gradual Partition of Jin,one of the most powerful states,is generally considered to mark the end of the Spring and Autumn period and the beginning of the Warring States period.
Zhao was one of the seven major states during the Warring States period of ancient China. It emerged from the tripartite division of Jin,along with Han and Wei,in the 5th century BC. Zhao gained considerable strength from the military reforms initiated during the reign of King Wuling,but suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Qin at the Battle of Changping. Its territory included areas in the modern provinces of Inner Mongolia,Hebei,Shanxi and Shaanxi. It bordered the states of Qin,Wei,and Yan,as well as various nomadic peoples including the Hu and Xiongnu. Its capital was Handan,in modern Hebei province.
Jin,originally known as Tang (唐),was a major state during the middle part of the Zhou dynasty,based near the centre of what was then China,on the lands attributed to the legendary Xia dynasty:the southern part of modern Shanxi. Although it grew in power during the Spring and Autumn period,its aristocratic structure saw it break apart when the duke lost power to his nobles. In 403 BC,the Zhou court recognized Jin's three successor states:Han,Zhao,and Wei. The Partition of Jin marks the end of the Spring and Autumn Period and the beginning of the Warring States period.
The Qin officially the Great Qin,was an ancient Chinese state during the Zhou dynasty. It is traditionally dated to 897 BC. The Qin state originated from a reconquest of western lands that had previously been lost to the Xirong. Its location at the western edge of Chinese civilisation allowed for expansion and development that was not available to its rivals in the North China Plain.
Duke Mu of Qin,born Renhao,was a duke of Qin in the western reaches of the Zhou Kingdom during the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history. Sometimes considered one of China's Five Hegemons,he greatly expanded the territory of Qin during the reign of King Xiang. He was also known for his many talented advisors,such as Baili Xi,Jian Shu (蹇叔),Pi Bao (丕豹),and Gong Sun (公孫).
Chu,or Ch'u in Wade–Giles romanization,was a Zhou dynasty vassal state. Their first ruler was King Wu of Chu in the early 8th century BC. Chu was located in the south of the Zhou heartland and lasted during the Spring and Autumn period. At the end of the Warring States period it was destroyed by the Qin in 223 BC during the Qin's wars of unification.
Chen was a state founded by the Duke Hu of Chen during the Zhou dynasty of ancient China. It existed from c. 1045 BC–479 BC. Its capital was Wanqiu,in present-day Huaiyang County in the plains of eastern Henan province. Chen,the 4th most popular surname in the world,and members of the Hu clan would claim descent from the Duke Hu of Chen who was in turn descended from the legendary Emperor Shun. At its peak,Chen encompassed fourteen cities in modern-day Henan and Anhui.
Duke Wen of Jin,born Chong'er,was a member of the royal house of Jin during the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history. He was exiled from Jin for approximately 20 years before finally being restored to power and rapidly leading Jin to hegemony over the other Chinese states of his time. He is a figure in numerous Chinese legends,including those about his loyal courtier Jie Zhitui,whose death is said to have inspired China's Cold Food and Qingming Festivals.
The Battle of Bi was fought during the Spring and Autumn period in 597 BC,between the major states of Chǔand Jìn,in what is now modern day China. Occurring three and a half decades after the Battle of Chengpu,where Jin decisively defeated Chu,the battle was a major victory for Chu,cementing the position of its ruler King Zhuang as a hegemon among the states of the Zhou Dynasty.
The Zuo Zhuan,often translated The Zuo Tradition or The Commentary of Zuo,is an ancient Chinese narrative history that is traditionally regarded as a commentary on the ancient Chinese chronicle Spring and Autumn Annals. It comprises 30 chapters covering a period from 722 to 468 BC,and focuses mainly on political,diplomatic,and military affairs from that era.
The grand chancellor,also translated as counselor-in-chief,chancellor,chief councillor,chief minister,imperial chancellor,lieutenant chancellor and prime minister,was the highest-ranking executive official in the imperial Chinese government. The term was known by many different names throughout Chinese history,and the exact extent of the powers associated with the position fluctuated greatly,even during a particular dynasty.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a Chinese television series adapted from the classical 14th century novel of the same title by Luo Guanzhong. The series was produced by China Central Television (CCTV) and was first aired on the network in 1994. It spanned a total of 84 episodes,each approximately 45 minutes long. One of the most expensive television series produced at the time,the project was completed over four years and involved over 400,000 cast and crew members,including divisions of the People's Liberation Army from the Beijing,Nanjing and Chengdu military regions. Some of the dialogue spoken by characters was adapted directly from the novel. Extensive battle scenes,such as the battles of Guandu,Red Cliffs and Xiaoting,were also live-acted.
The Five Hegemons refers to several especially powerful rulers of Chinese states of the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history,sometimes alternatively referred to as the "Age of Hegemons". There are various lists of five hegemon rulers of those certain states which rose to power over the other states of this time period,states which were also formed during the period of dissolution of a once real and strong central state,namely the empire of the Zhou dynasty. The Hegemons mobilized the remnants of the Zhou empire,according to shared mutual political and martial interests. An especially prominent Hegemon was Duke Huan of Qi.
Wei,commonly spelled Wey to distinguish from the contemporary larger Wei (魏) state,was an ancient Chinese state that was founded in the early Western Zhou dynasty and rose to prominence during the Spring and Autumn period. Its rulers were of the surname Ji (姬),the same as that of the rulers of Zhou. It was located in modern northeastern Henan Province,east of Jin,and west of Cao.
The State of Shen was a Chinese vassal state during the Zhou dynasty ruled by the Jiāng family (姜) as an earldom. At the beginning of the Spring and Autumn period the State of Shen was annexed by the State of Chu and became one of its counties.
The Qin Empire is a 2009 Chinese television series based on Sun Haohui's novel of the same Chinese title,which romanticises the rise of the Qin state in the Warring States period under the leadership of Duke Xiao of Qin. It was produced in 2006 and first aired on television channels in China in December 2009. It was followed by three sequels:The Qin Empire II:Alliance (2012),The Qin Empire III (2017) and The Qin Empire IV (2019),which were also based on Sun Haohui's novels.
Cheng Dechen,also known by his courtesy name Ziyu (子玉),was a prime minister of the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history. He served under King Cheng of Chu and committed suicide after the Battle of Chengpu in 632 BCE.
Duke Li of Jin was a ruler of the State of Jin,a major power during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. His ancestral name was Ji,given name Zhoupu (州蒲),though Shiji records his given name as Shouman (壽曼),and Duke Li was his posthumous title. Duke Li succeeded his father,Duke Jing of Jin,who abdicated after falling ill in summer 581 BC. Duke Jing died a month later.
The Qin Empire II:Alliance is a 2012 Chinese television series adapted from Sun Haohui's novel of the same Chinese title,which romanticises the events in China during the Warring States period primarily from the perspective of the Qin state during the reigns of King Huiwen and King Wu.
Hu Yan was a Di tribesman who served as a minister and general of Jin during the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history. Hu Yan assisted Prince Chong'er during his long exile,his usurpation of his nephew Yu,and his rise to hegemonic status over the other states of the Zhou Kingdom. The Legalist Han Fei considered Hu Yan one of the best advisors of ancient China,and the historian Sima Qian listed him with Sun Tzu as the greatest tacticians of the age.
