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35-644: In 770 BCE, the Zhou capital was moved from Haojing (Chang'an County in Xi'an City) to Chengzhou , near present-day Luoyang .. With the death of King You of Zhou , the last king of the Western Zhou Dynasty, Crown Prince Yijiu was proclaimed the new king by the nobles from the states of Zheng , Lü , Qin and the Marquess of Shen . He became King Ping of Zhou . In the second year of his reign, he moved

70-590: A policy "Revere the king, expel the barbarians" ( 尊王攘夷 , see Sonnō jōi ). Adopting and adhering to it, Duke Huan of Qi assembled the vassals to strike down the threat of barbarians from the country. During the Warring States period, many of the leading vassals' clamoring for kingship further limited the Zhou royal family's influence. In 635 BCE, the Chaos of Prince Dai took place. King Xiang of Zhou turned to Duke Wen of Jin for help, who killed Prince Dai and

105-617: A process of "subinfeudation" or "rear vassalage" occurred in the early and middle parts of the Spring and Autumn period, wherein aristocratic title and territory were awarded to vassals loyal to Jin, rather than to the Zhou royalty. However, Jin was unique among the major states in a major respect; whereas other states often enfeoffed the cadet branches of the ruling house, Jin had a policy of exiling or disempowering its own cadet houses. Instead, powerful ministerial families arose which were given fiefs like cadet houses in other states. For example,

140-468: The state of Qi with only the troops under his command. The House of Zhao (趙/赵) gained in prominence after Duke Wen placed them in charge of newly conquered lands such that, in 607 BCE, they deposed a duke that attempted to curb their political power. The Xian clan (先) was eliminated in 596 BCE. Duke Li of Jin encouraged the Luan clan (栾) to lead a military coalition that squashed the rising power of

175-416: The "Six Titled Retainers" ( Chinese : 六 卿 ; pinyin : Lìu Qīng ). These six aristocratic families dominated Jin in the late Spring and Autumn period, basically using the ruling duke as a figurehead until Jin was split into three separate states. After the 546 BCE truce agreement between Jin and Chu (itself prompted in part by Jin's internal difficulties), conflicts between aristocrats and with

210-584: The Duke escalated and a civil war (497–453 BCE) commenced. In 514 BCE, Yangshe clan and Qi clan's force was destroyed by the conspiracy of Zhao, Han, Wei, Zhi, Zhonghang and Fan clan. During the time of Duke Ding of Jin (511–475), the Fan and Zhonghang clans were in turn eliminated, leaving only the Zhi, Zhao, Han, and Wei clans remaining. By about 450s BCE, the Zhi clan was the most dominant and began demanding territory from

245-652: The Han clan and Wei Huanzi of the Wei clan. After Zhao Xiangzi ( simplified Chinese : 赵 襄 子 ; traditional Chinese : 趙 襄 子 ) of the Zhao clan rejected Zhi Xiangzi's demands in 455 BCE, Zhi Xiangzi attacked the Zhao clan while compelling the Han and Wei clans to send troops. Zhao Xiangzi retreated to the Jin city of Jinyang in 455 BCE, and the united forces laid siege for two years while also diverting water supplies away from

280-431: The Xi clan (郤). Subsequently, in 573, Luan supporters had Duke Li murdered and placed a puppet on the throne and the clan was then itself eliminated by 550, making the Zhi, Zhao, and Han (韩) clans the most powerful at about this time. Soon after, the Wei clan (魏) also grew in power. In the leadup to the civil war, the dominant clans were the Zhao, Wei, Han, Fan (范), Zhi (智) and Zhonghang (中行) who were collectively called

315-460: The Zhou royal authority over the various feudal states started to decline, as more and more dukes and marquesses obtained de facto regional autonomy, defied the king's court in Luoyi, and waged wars amongst themselves. The gradual partition of Jin , one of the most powerful states, marked the end of the Spring and Autumn period and the beginning of the Warring States period. The Warring States period

350-511: The aim of eliminating Fan clan. In 471 BCE, Handan clan was eliminated by Jianzi. In 470 BCE, Zhaozi of Fan lost all his lands and fled to the state of Qi. Acting on his own accord, the Jin Minister Zhi Xiangzi ( Chinese : 智 襄 子 ) used the Zhi clan's place in the Jin court to intimidate and demand territory from ministers Han Kangzi ( simplified Chinese : 韩 康 子 ; traditional Chinese : 韓 康 子 ) of

385-618: The capital east to Luoyi as Quanrong people invaded Haojing, spelling the end of the Western Zhou dynasty. The first half of the Eastern Zhou dynasty, from approximately 771 to 476 BCE, was called the Spring and Autumn period , during which more and more dukes and marquesses obtained regional autonomy, defying the king's court in Luoyi, and waging wars amongst themselves. The second half of the Eastern Zhou dynasty, from 475 to 221 BCE,

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420-460: The city. Faced with a critical situation, Zhao Xiangzi sent an envoy who persuaded the Han and Wei clans to change sides. They arrived and diverted a huge stream of water that split Zhi Xiangzi's camp in two, then captured and killed Zhi Xiangzi. In 453 BCE, the Zhao, Han, and Wei clans annihilated the Zhi clan. As their respective powers were so balanced, none of the three remaining aristocratic families felt they could feasibly gain an upper hand over

455-474: The course of a few generations, the major aristocratic families gained enough power to undermine the ruling duke's authority. During most of the seventh and sixth centuries BCE, Jin was composed of an assortment of semi-independent city-states fighting each other and the Jin Duke as much as they fought other states. In one extreme case, Viscount Xian of Xi , a retainer of Duke Jing of Jin , attempted to invade

490-450: The demands of Handan clan. In August, 497 BCE, Zhonghang, Fan and Handan attacked Zhao's force and defeated him. Zhonghang and Fan's triumphs caused other vassal clans of the Duke of Jin to worry. Jianzi of Han , Xiangzi of Wei and Wenzi of Zhi invaded Zhonghang and Fan's fief under the name of Duke Ding of Jin . Wenzi of Zhonghang and Zhaozi of Fan eventually lost their struggle against Han, Zhao, Wei and Zhi. Their attempt of attacking

525-672: The ground although it is not known if those in Fēngjīng survived the conflagration. The newly enthroned King Ping of Zhou (r. 770-720 BCE) thereafter had no choice but to move the capital east to Chéngzhōu. For sometime after, there were still people who referred to themselves as "Western Zhou" and to Chéngzhōu as Zōngzhōu. Partition of Jin The Partition of Jin ( simplified Chinese : 三 家 分 晋 ; traditional Chinese : 三 家 分 晉 ; pinyin : Sānjiā Fēn Jìn ; lit. 'Three Families Partitioning Jin'),

560-453: The house of Zhao descended from Zhao Cui , while the house of Wei descended from Wei Chou , both of whom were retainers of Duke Wen of Jin ; the house of Han in turn descended from Han Wan , who was an uncle of Duke Wu of Jin. Over time, while other powerful states (like Chu ) were centralizing power through a rising bureaucracy, Jin continued to have a feudal power structure with aristocratic families ruling even individual counties. Over

595-455: The king of Zhou was not able to master the country. Constantly, he would have to turn to the powerful vassals for help. The most important vassals (known later as the twelve vassals) came together in regular conferences where they decided important matters, such as military expeditions against foreign groups or against offending nobles. During these conferences one vassal ruler was sometimes declared hegemon . Chancellor Guan Zhong of Qi initiated

630-409: The last remaining Jin territory between themselves, which marked the end of the Jin state. Succession issues were constant in Jin as far back as seventh century BCE. Even when, for example, King Xi of Zhou used his royal clout to give legitimacy to Wu of Quwo as the rightful duke of Jin in 678 BCE, succession issues continued to arise. At the same time that the Jin duke was conquering new lands,

665-488: The other clans. In 497 BCE, Handan Wu of Handan 's Zhao and Jianzi of Jinyang 's Zhao became enemies with each other over 500 soldiers' ownership. Jianzi of Zhao insisted that Handan should transfer the 500 soldiers to Jinyang. After consulting with his clansmen, Handan Wu (or Zhao Wu of Handan) refused his cousin Jianzi. Jianzi summoned Wu and imprisoned him for his trespass against the main branch of Zhao clan. Later, Wu

700-405: The others. So, in 403 BCE, they divided the state's lands among themselves into the "three Jins" of Wei , Han , and Zhao . All three states quickly formed strong bureaucracies, thereby weakening the potential for any aristocratic families from encroaching on their power. This same year, King Weilie of Zhou proclaimed Jin, Wei, Han, and Zhao as equals. Duke Ai of Jin died in 434 BCE and

735-519: The reigning dynasty. At the time of King Nan of Zhou , the kings of Zhou had lost almost all political and military power, as even their remaining crown land was split into two states or factions, led by rival feudal lords: West Zhou, where the capital Wangcheng was located, and East Zhou, centered at Chengzhou and Kung. King Nan of Zhou managed to preserve his weakened dynasty through diplomacy and conspiracies for fifty-nine years until his deposition and death by Qin in 256 BCE. Seven years later, West Zhou

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770-473: The time of King Zhao of Zhou (r. 996–977 BCE), further reinforcement of the eastern part of the Zhou kingdom took place thus Chéngzhōu became the major center of operations. In King You of Zhou 's reign (r. 781–771 BCE), the Marquess of Shen with support from Quanrong nomads from the west overran Hàojīng heralding the end of the Western Zhou dynasty. All the royal buildings in the settlement were razed to

805-504: The true partition of Jin. Kiser & Cai (2003) state the most common dates picked by historians are 481, 475, 468, and 403 BCE. The last date, according to Sima Guang marks the conferring of Marquessates by King Weilie of Zhou on Wei Si , ruler of the State of Wei ; Zhao Ji , ruler of the State of Zhao , and Han Qian , ruler of the State of Han . In 386 BCE, the states of Han, Wei and Zhao deposed Duke Jing of Jin and divided

840-516: The united force with the Jin duke inside was disastrous. After the battle, Zhonghang and Fan fled to Chao Ge while Jianzi of Zhao returned to the state of Jin. The Handan conflict led to the decline of Zhonghang and Fan clan which prepared the way for the formation of Han, Zhao and Wei's hegemony in Jin's court. Fan clan's resistance in Chao Ge was supported by Zhou dynasty , Qi , Lu , Wey and Zheng . Jianzi of Zhao waged numerous battles with

875-418: The watershed between the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, refers to the division of the State of Jin between rival families into the three states of Han , Zhao and Wei . As a result, the three states were often referred to as the " Three Jins " ( 三 晋 ; 三 晉 ; Sān Jìn ). Because the process took several decades, there is some debate between scholars as to the year which best marks

910-535: Was also known as Zōngzhōu to indicate its role as the capital of the vassal states. During the reign of King Cheng of Zhou (r. 1042–1021 BCE), the Duke of Zhou built a second settlement at Luoyi , also known as Chengzhou ( 成周 ), in order to reinforce control of the eastern part of the kingdom. From then on, although King Cheng was permanently stationed in Chengzhou, Haojing remained the main operations center. At

945-509: Was an era in ancient Chinese history following the Spring and Autumn period, concluding with the Qin wars of conquest . Those wars resulted in the annexation of all other contender states, completed with the Qin state's victory in 221 BCE. That meant that the Qin state became the first unified Chinese empire, known as the Qin dynasty . Haojing Hao or Haojing , also called Zongzhou ( 宗周 ),

980-571: Was called the Warring States period , during which the King of Zhou gradually lost his power and ruled merely as a figurehead. After moving the capital east, the Zhou royal family fell into a state of decline. Also, King Ping's popularity fell as rumors went that he had killed his father. With vassals becoming increasingly powerful, strengthening their position through defeating other rival states, and increasing invasion from neighboring countries,

1015-520: Was conquered by Qin. The dominant material for making tools had become iron by the end of the Eastern Zhou; as such, it is considered to be the beginning of the Iron Age in China. There was a considerable development in agriculture with a consecutive increase in population. There were constantly fights between vassals to scramble for lands or other resources. People started using copper coins. Education

1050-446: Was executed by Jianzi. The clan conflicts within the Zhao clan escalated to a higher level after the execution of Handan Wu. Wenzi of Zhonghang , whose nephew was executed, was enraged. Zhaozi of Fan , who intermarried with Zhonghang clan, was also concerned with Zhao's imprudence on the matter of Handan's execution. When Handan Ji and Shebing started their rebellion against Jinyang's Zhao, Zhonghang and Fan clan intervened and supported

1085-548: Was made universal for civilians. The boundaries between the nobility and the civilians subsided. A revolutionary transformation of the society was taking place, to which the patriarchal clan system made by the Zhou Dynasty could no longer adapt. The period's name derives from the Spring and Autumn Annals , a chronicle of the state of Lu between 722 and 479 BCE, which tradition associates with Confucius . During this period,

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1120-591: Was one of the two settlements comprising the capital of the Western Zhou dynasty (1066–770 BCE), the other being Fēng or Fēngjīng ( 灃京 ). Together they were known as Fenghao and stood on opposite banks of the Feng River ( 沣河 ): with Feng on west bank and Hao on the east bank. Archaeological discoveries indicate that the ruins of Haojing lie next to the Feng River around the north end of Doumen Subdistrict ( 斗门街道 ) in present-day Xi'an , Shaanxi Province . It

1155-545: Was rewarded with rule over Henei and Yangfan. In 632 BCE, King Xiang of Zhou was forced by Duke Wen of Jin to attend the conference of vassals in Jiantu. In 606, King Zhuang of Chu inquired for the first time regarding the "weight of the Nine Tripod Cauldrons " only to be rebuffed by the Zhou minister Wangsun Man ( 王孫滿 ). Asking such a question was, at that time, a direct challenge to the power and authority of

1190-800: Was succeeded by Duke You of Jin . The Han, Zhao and Wei clans divided up surplus Jin territory amongst themselves, leaving only Jiang County and Quwo County (both in modern-day Shanxi Province ) for Duke You of Jin. Because Zhao Xiangzi was the younger son who forced his way to the inheritance, he decided to name his elder brother Zhao Bolu ( simplified Chinese : 赵 伯 鲁 ; traditional Chinese : 趙 伯 魯 ) and his descendants as heir, with Bolu's grandson Zhao Xianzi ( simplified Chinese : 赵 献 子 ; traditional Chinese : 趙 獻 子 ) eventually becoming heir apparent. However, after Zhao Xiangzi died, his son Zhao Huanzi ( simplified Chinese : 赵 桓 子 ; traditional Chinese : 趙 桓 子 ) banished Zhao Xianzi and appointed himself ruler of

1225-425: Was the center of government for King Wu of Zhou (r. 1046-1043 BCE). King Wen of Zhou (r. 1099-1056 BCE) moved the Zhou capital eastward from Qíyì ( 岐邑 ) to Fēngjīng; his son King Wu later relocated across the river to Haojing, next to a certain lake Hao (鎬池). Fēngjīng became the site of the Zhou ancestral shrine and gardens whilst Haojing contained the royal residence and government headquarters. The settlement

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