Spring and Autumn period

Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 771 to 476 BC (or according to some authorities until 403 BC[lower-alpha 1])[2] 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 479 BC, which tradition associates with Confucius (551–479 BC).

Late Spring and Autumn period, 5th century BC, before the breakup of Jin and the Qin move into Sichuan. The Wei on this map is Wey, not the other Wei that arose from the Partition of Jin

Spring and Autumn period
Traditional Chinese	春秋時代
Simplified Chinese	春秋时代
Hanyu Pinyin	Chūn-Qiū Shídài
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Chūn-Qiū Shídài Bopomofo ㄔㄨㄣ   ㄑㄧㄡ ㄕˊ   ㄉㄞˋ Gwoyeu Romatzyh Chuen Chiou Shyrday Wade–Giles Chʻun^1 Chʻiu^1 Shih^2-tai^4 Tongyong Pinyin Chun Ciou Shíhdài Yale Romanization Chwūn Chyōu Shŕdài MPS2 Chuēn Chiōu Shŕdài IPA [ʈʂʰwə́n tɕʰjóu ʂɻ̩̌.tâi] Middle Chinese Middle Chinese /t͡ɕʰiuɪn t͡sʰɨu d͡ʑɨ dʌi^H/ Old Chinese Baxter–Sagart (2014) *tʰun tsʰiw [d]ə (~ [d]əʔ) lˤək-s Zhengzhang /*tʰjun sʰɯw djɯ l'ɯːɡs/

During this period, the Zhou royal authority over the various feudal states eroded as more and more dukes and marquesses obtained de facto regional autonomy, defying the king's court in Luoyi and waging 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.

Background

In 771 BC, the Quanrong invasion destroyed the Western Zhou and its capital Haojing, forcing the Zhou king to flee to the eastern capital Luoyi (Chinese: 洛邑). The event ushered in the Eastern Zhou dynasty, which is divided into the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States periods. During the Spring and Autumn period, China's feudal system of fengjian (封建) became largely irrelevant. The Zhou court, having lost its homeland in the Guanzhong region, held nominal power, but had real control over only a small royal demesne centered on Luoyi. During the early part of the Zhou dynasty period, royal relatives and generals had been given control over fiefdoms in an effort to maintain Zhou authority over vast territory.[3] As the power of the Zhou kings waned, these fiefdoms became increasingly independent states.

The most important states (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 (Chinese: 伯; pinyin: bó; later, Chinese: 霸; pinyin: bà).

As the era continued, larger and more powerful states annexed or claimed suzerainty over smaller ones. By the 6th century BC most small states had disappeared and just a few large and powerful principalities dominated China. Some southern states, such as Chu and Wu, claimed independence from the Zhou, who undertook wars against some of them (Wu and Yue).

Amid the interstate power struggles, internal conflict was also rife: six élite landholding families waged war on each other inside Jin, political enemies set about eliminating the Chen family in Qi, and the legitimacy of the rulers was often challenged in civil wars by various royal family members in Qin and Chu. Once all these powerful rulers had firmly established themselves within their respective dominions, the bloodshed focused more fully on interstate conflict in the Warring States period, which began in 403 BC when the three remaining élite families in Jin—Zhao, Wei and Han—partitioned the state.

Early Spring and Autumn (771–685 BC)

Court moves east (771 BC)

After the Zhou capital was sacked by the Marquess of Shen and the Quanrong barbarians, the Zhou moved the capital east from the now desolated Zongzhou in Haojing near modern Xi'an to Wangcheng in the Yellow River Valley. The Zhou royalty was then closer to its main supporters,[4] particularly Jin, and Zheng;[5][6] the Zhou royal family had much weaker authority and relied on lords from these vassal states for protection, especially during their flight to the eastern capital. In Chengzhou, Prince Yijiu was crowned by his supporters as King Ping.[6] However, with the Zhou domain greatly reduced to Chengzhou and nearby areas, the court could no longer support the six army groups it had in the past; Zhou kings had to request help from powerful vassal states for protection from raids and for resolution of internal power struggles. The Zhou court would never regain its original authority; instead, it was relegated to being merely a figurehead of the feudal states. Though the king de jure retained the Mandate of Heaven, the title held little actual power.

With the decline of Zhou power, the Yellow River drainage basin was divided into hundreds of small, autonomous states, most of them consisting of a single city, though a handful of multi-city states, particularly those on the periphery, had power and opportunity to expand outward.[7] A total of 148 states are mentioned in the chronicles for this period, 128 of which were absorbed by the four largest states by the end of the period.[8]

Shortly after the royal family's move to Chengzhou, a hierarchical alliance system arose where the Zhou king would give the title of hegemon to the leader of the state with the most powerful military; the hegemon was obligated to protect both the weaker Zhou states and the Zhou royalty from the intruding non-Zhou peoples:[9][10] the Northern Di, the Southern Man, the Eastern Yi, and the Western Rong. This political framework retained the fēngjiàn power structure, though interstate and intrastate conflict often led to disregard for feudal customs, respect for the Ji family, and solidarity with other Zhou peoples.[11] The king's prestige legitimized the military leaders of the states, and helped mobilize collective defense of Zhou territory against "barbarians".[12]

Over the next two centuries, the four most powerful states—Qin, Jin, Qi and Chu—struggled for power. These multi-city states often used the pretext of aid and protection to intervene and gain suzerainty over the smaller states. During this rapid expansion,[13] interstate relations alternated between low-level warfare and complex diplomacy.[14]

Zheng falls out with the court (722–685 BC)

Duke Yin of Lu ascended the throne in 722 BC.[15] From this year on the state of Lu kept an official chronicle, the Spring and Autumn Annals, which along with its commentaries is the standard source for the Spring and Autumn period. Corresponding chronicles are known to have existed in other states as well, but all but the Lu chronicle have been lost.

In 717 BC, Duke Zhuang of Zheng went to the capital for an audience with King Huan. During the encounter the duke felt he was not treated with the respect and etiquette which would have been appropriate, given that Zheng was now the chief protector of the capital.[15] In 715 BC Zheng also became involved in a border dispute with Lu regarding the Fields of Xu. The fields had been put in the care of Lu by the king for the exclusive purpose of producing royal sacrifices for the sacred Mount Tai.[15] For Zheng to regard the fields as just any other piece of land was an insult to the court.

By 707 BC, relations had soured enough that the king launched a punitive expedition against Zheng. The duke counterattacked and raided Zhou territory, defeating the royal forces in the Battle of Xuge and injuring the king himself.[8][15][16] Zheng was the first vassal to openly defy the king, kicking off the centuries of warfare without respect for titles which would characterize the period.

The display of Zheng's martial strength was effective until succession problems after Zhuang's death in 701 weakened the state.[5]

In 692 BC, there was a failed assassination attempt against King Zhuang, orchestrated by elements at court.[15]

The Five Hegemons (685–591 BC)

Main article: Five Hegemons

Map of the Five Hegemons during the Spring and Autumn period of Zhou Dynasty

Hegemony of Qi (685–643 BC)

Main article: Duke Huan of Qi

The first hegemon was Duke Huan of Qi (r. 685–643 BC). With the help of his prime minister, Guan Zhong, Duke Huan reformed Qi to centralize its power structure. The state consisted of 15 "townships" with the duke and two senior ministers each in charge of five; military functions were also united with civil ones. These and related reforms provided the state, already powerful from control of trade crossroads, with a greater ability to mobilize resources than the more loosely organized states.[17]

By 667 BC, Qi had clearly shown its economic and military predominance, and Duke Huan assembled the leaders of Lu, Song, Chen, and Zheng, who elected him as their leader. Soon after, King Hui of Zhou conferred the title of bà (hegemon), giving Duke Huan royal authority in military ventures.[18][19] An important basis for justifying Qi's dominance over the other states was presented in the slogan 'supporting the king, and expelling the barbarians' (尊王攘夷 zun wang rang yi); the role of subsequent hegemons would also be framed in this way, as the primary defender and supporter of nominal Zhou authority and the existing order. Using this authority, Duke Huan intervened in a power struggle in Lu; protected Yan from encroaching Western Rong nomads (664 BC); drove off Northern Di nomads after they'd invaded Wey (660 BC) and Xing (659 BC), providing the people with provisions and protective garrison units; and led an alliance of eight states to conquer Cai and thereby block the northward expansion of Chu (656 BC).[20]

At his death in 643 BC, five of Duke Huan's sons contended for the throne, badly weakening the state so that it was no longer regarded as the hegemon. For nearly ten years, no ruler held the title.[21]

Urbanization during the Spring and Autumn period.

Hegemony of Song (643–637 BC)

Main article: Duke Xiang of Song

Duke Xiang of Song attempted to claim the hegemony in the wake of Qi's decline, perhaps driven by a desire to restore the Shang Dynasty from which Song had descended. He hosted peace conferences in the same style as Qi had done, and conducted aggressive military campaigns against his rivals. Duke Xiang however met his end when, against the advice of his staff, he attacked the much larger state of Chu. The Song forces were defeated at the battle of Hong in 638 BC, and the duke himself died in the following year from an injury sustained in the battle. After Xiang's death his successors adopted a more modest foreign policy, better suited to the country's small size.[22]

As Duke Xiang was never officially recognized as hegemon by the King of Zhou, not all sources list him as one of the Five Hegemons.

Hegemony of Jin (636–628 BC)

Main article: Duke Wen of Jin

When Duke Wen of Jin came to power in 636 BC, he capitalized on the reforms of his father, Duke Xian (r. 676–651 BC), who had centralized the state, killed off relatives who might threaten his authority, conquered sixteen smaller states, and even absorbed some Rong and Di peoples to make Jin much more powerful than it had been previously.[23] When he assisted King Xiang in a succession struggle in 635 BC, Xiang awarded Jin with strategically valuable territory near Chengzhou.

Duke Wen of Jin then used his growing power to coordinate a military response with Qi, Qin, and Song against Chu, which had begun encroaching northward after the death of Duke Huán of Qi. With a decisive Chu loss at the Battle of Chengpu (632 BC), Duke Wen's loyalty to the Zhou king was rewarded at an interstate conference when King Xīang awarded him the title of bà.[21]

After the death of Duke Wen in 628 BC, a growing tension manifested in interstate violence that turned smaller states, particularly those at the border between Jin and Chu, into sites of constant warfare; Qi and Qin also engaged in numerous interstate skirmishes with Jin or its allies to boost their own power.[24]

Hegemony of Qin (628–621 BC)

Main article: Duke Mu of Qin

Duke Mu of Qin had ascended the throne in 659 BC and forged an alliance with Jin by marrying his daughter to Duke Wen. In 624 BC, he established hegemony over the western Rong barbarians and became the most powerful lord of the time. However he did not chair any alliance with other states nor was he officially recognized as hegemon by the king. Therefore, not all sources accept him as one of the Five Hegemons.

Hegemony of Chu (613–591 BC)

Main article: King Zhuang of Chu

King Zhuang of Chu expanded the borders of Chu well north of the Yangtze River, threatening the Central States in modern Henan. At one point the Chu forces advanced to just outside the royal capital of Zhou, upon which King Zhuang sent a messenger to ask how heavy and bulky the Nine Cauldrons were; implying he might soon arrange to have them moved to his own capital. In the end the Zhou capital was spared, and Chu shifted focus to harassing the nearby state of Zheng. The once-hegemon state of Jin intervened to rescue Zheng from the Chu invaders but were resolutely defeated, which marks the ascension of Chu as the dominant state of the time.[25]

Despite his de facto hegemony, King Zhuang's self-proclaimed title of "king" was never recognized by the Zhou states. In the Spring and Autumn Annals he is defiantly referred to by the Chu ruler's original title "viscount" (the second-lowest noble rank), even at a time when he dominated most of south China. Later historians however always include him as one of the Five Hegemons.

Late Spring and Autumn (591–453 BC)

The Six Ministers (588 BC)

In addition to interstate conflict, internal conflicts between state leaders and local aristocrats also occurred. Eventually the dukes of Lu, Jin, Zheng, Wey and Qi would all become figureheads to powerful aristocratic families.[26]

In the case of Jin, the shift happened in 588 BC when the army was split into six independent divisions, each dominated by a separate noble family: the Zhao, Wei, Han, Fan, Zhi and Zhongxing. The heads of the six families were conferred the titles of viscounts and made ministers,[27] each heading one of the six departments of Zhou Dynasty government.[28] From this point on, historians refer to "The Six Ministers" as the true power brokers of Jin.

The same happened to Lu in 562 BC, when the Three Huan divided the army into three parts and established their own separate spheres of influence. The heads of the three families were always among the department heads of Lu.

Rise of Wu (584 BC)

Wu was a "barbarian" state in modern Jiangsu, where the inhabitants sported short hair and tattoos. Although legend ascribed a Chinese origin to the ruling dynasty, Wu did not participate in the politics and wars of China until the last third of the Spring and Autumn period.

Their first documented interaction with the Spring and Autumn states was in 584 BC, when a Wu force attacked the small border state of Tan, causing some alarm in the various Chinese courts. Jin was quick to dispatch an ambassador to the court of the Wu king, Shoumeng. Jin promised to supply Wu with modern military technology and training in exchange for an alliance against Chu, a neighbour of Wu and Jin's nemesis in the struggle for hegemony. King Shoumeng accepted the offer, and Wu would continue to harass Chu for years to come.[29]

Attempts at peace (579 BC)

Chinese pu vessel with interlaced dragon design, Spring and Autumn period.

After a period of increasingly exhausting warfare, Qi, Qin, Jin and Chu met at a disarmament conference in 579 BC and agreed to declare a truce to limit their military strength.[30] This peace didn't last very long and it soon became apparent that the bà role had become outdated; the four major states had each acquired their own spheres of control and the notion of protecting Zhou territory had become less cogent as the control over (and the resulting cultural assimilation of) non-Zhou peoples, as well as Chu's control of some Zhou areas, further blurred an already vague distinction between Zhou and non-Zhou.[31]

In addition, new aristocratic houses were founded with loyalties to powerful states, rather than directly to the Zhou kings, though this process slowed down by the end of the seventh century BC, possibly because territory available for expansion had been largely exhausted.[31] The Zhou kings had also lost much of their prestige[26] so that, when Duke Dao of Jin (r. 572–558 BC) was recognized as bà, it carried much less meaning than it had before.

Hegemony of Wu (506–496 BC)

In 506 BC King Helü ascended the throne of Wu. With the help of Wu Zixu and Sun Zi, the author of The Art of War, he launched major offensives against the state of Chu. They prevailed in five battles, one of which was the Battle of Boju, and conquered the capital Ying. However, Chu managed to ask the state of Qin for help, and after being defeated by Qin, the vanguard general of Wu troops, Fugai, a younger brother of Helü, led a rebellion. After beating Fugai, Helü was forced to leave Chu. Fugai later retired to Chu and settled there. King Helü died during an invasion of Yue in 496 BC. Some sources list him as one of the Five Hegemons.

He was succeeded by his son King Fuchai of Wu, who nearly destroyed the Yue state, imprisoning King Goujian of Yue. Subsequently, Fuchai defeated Qi and extended Wu influence into central China.

In 499 BC, the philosopher Confucius was made acting prime minister of Lu. He is traditionally (if improbably) considered the author or editor of the Spring and Autumn annals, from which much of the information for this period is drawn. After only two years he was forced to resign and spent many years wandering between different states before returning to Lu. After returning to Lu he did not resume a political career, preferring to teach. Tradition holds that it was in this time he edited or wrote the Five Classics, including the Spring and Autumn.

Hegemony of Yue (496–465 BC)

In 482 BC, King Fuchai of Wu held an interstate conference to solidify his power base, but Yue captured the Wu capital. Fuchai rushed back but was besieged and died when the city fell in 473 BC. Yue then concentrated on weaker neighbouring states, rather than the great powers to the north.[32] With help from Wu's enemy Chu, Yue was able to be victorious after several decades of conflict. King Goujian destroyed and annexed Wu in 473 BC, after which he was recognized as hegemon.

The Zuo Commentary, Guoyu and Shiji provide almost no information about Goujian's subsequent reign or policies. What little is said is told from the perspective of other states, such as Duke Ai of Lu trying to enlist Yue's help in a coup against the Three Huan. Sima Qian notes that Goujian reigned on until his death, and that afterwards his descendants—for whom no biographical information is given—continued to rule for six generations before the state was finally absorbed into Chu during the Warring States period.

Partition of Jin

Main article: Partition of Jin

After the great age of Jin power, the Jin dukes began to lose authority over their nobles. A full-scale civil war between 497 and 453 BC ended with the elimination of most noble lines; the remaining aristocratic families divided Jin into three successor states: Han, Wei, and Zhao.[32] This is the last event recorded in the Zuo Commentary.

With the absorption of most of the smaller states in the era, this partitioning left seven major states in the Zhou world: the three fragments of Jin, the three remaining great powers of Qin, Chu and Qi, and the weaker state of Yan near modern Beijing. The partition of Jin, along with the Usurpation of Qi by Tian, marks the beginning of the Warring States period.

List of states

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

A total of 148 states are mentioned in the chronicles for this period.[8]

Name	Chinese	Capital	Location[33]	Established	Dissolved
Ba	巴	Yicheng (夷城)	Changyang County, Hubei	King Wu's reign	316 BC: to Qin
		Pingdu (平都)	Fengdu County, Chongqing
		Zhi (枳)	Fuling District, Chongqing
		Jiangzhou (江州)	Chongqing
		Dianjiang (垫江)	Hechuan District, Chongqing
		Langzhong (閬中)	Langzhong, Sichuan
Bi	畢	Bi	unknown	King Wu's reign	unknown
Biyang, Fuyang	偪陽 or 傅陽	Biyang	Yicheng District, Zaozhuang, Shandong	unknown	563 BC: to Song
Cai	蔡	Shangcai (上蔡)	Shangcai County, Henan	King Wu's reign	447 BC: to Chu
		Xincai (新蔡)	Xincai County, Henan
		Xiacai (下蔡)	Fengtai County, Anhui
Cao	曹	Taoqiu (陶丘)	Dingtao District, Heze, Shandong	King Wu's reign	487 BC: to Song
Chao	巢	Chao	Chaohu, Anhui	unknown	c. 518 BC: to Wu
Chen	陳	Wanqiu (宛丘)	Huaiyang District, Zhoukou, Henan	King Wu's reign	479 BC: to Chu
Cheng	郕 or 成	Cheng	Ningyang County, Shandong	King Wu's reign	408 BC: to Qi
Chu	楚 or 荊	Danyang (丹陽)	Xichuan County, Henan	King Cheng's reign	223 BC: to Qin
		Ying (郢)	Jingzhou, Hubei
		Chen (陳)	Huaiyang District, Zhoukou, Henan
		Shouchun (壽春)	Shou County, Anhui
Chunyu, Zhou	淳于 or 州	Zhou (州)	Anqiu, Shandong	King Wu's reign	706 BC: to Qi (杞)
Dai	戴	Dai	Minquan County, Henan	unknown	713 BC: to Zheng
Dao	道	Dao	unknown	unknown	unknown
Deng	鄧	Deng	Dengzhou, Henan	before Western Zhou	678 BC: to Chu
E	鄂	E	Nanyang, Henan	before Western Zhou	863 BC: to Chu
Fan	番 or 潘 or 鄱	Fan	Gushi County, Henan	unknown	504 BC: to Wu
Fan	凡	Fan	Huixian, Henan	unknown	unknown
Fan	樊	Fan	Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi	King Xuan's reign	635 BC: to Jin
		Yang (陽)	Jiyuan, Henan
Gan	甘	Gan	Yuanyang County, Henan	King Xiang's reign	unknown
Gao	郜	Gao	Chengwu County, Shandong	King Wu's reign	8th century BC: to Song
Ge	葛	Ge	Ningling County, Henan	before Western Zhou	unknown
Gong	鞏	Gong	Xiaoyi, Henan	unknown	516 BC: to Jin
Gong	共	Gong	Huixian, Henan	unknown	mid-7th century BC: to Wey
Guang	光	Guang	Guangshan County, Henan	before Western Zhou	650 BC: to Chu
Guo	郭	Guo	Liaocheng, Shandong	unknown	670 BC: to Qi
Eastern Guo	東虢	Zhi (制)	Xingyang, Henan	King Wu's reign	767 BC: to Zheng
Western Guo	西虢	Yongdi (雍地)	Baoji, Shaanxi	King Wu's reign	687 BC: to Jin
		Shangyang (上陽)	Shan County, Henan
Hu	胡	Hu	Wuyang County, Henan	unknown	763 BC: to Zheng
Hua	滑	Hua	Minquan County, Henan	unknown	627 BC: to Qin
		Fei (費)	Yanshi, Henan
Huang	黃	Huang	Huangchuan County, Henan	unknown	648 BC: to Chu
Hui	鄶 or 會 or 檜	Hui	Xinzheng, Henan	unknown	769 BC: to Zheng
Ji	紀	Ji	Shouguang, Shandong	unknown	690 BC: to Qi
Ji	極	Ji	Shan County, Shandong	unknown	721 BC: to Lu
Ji	祭	Ji	Changyuan, Henan	King Wu's reign	750 BC: to Zheng
		Guan (管)	Zhengzhou, Henan
Jiang	江	Jiang	Xi County, Henan	unknown	623 BC: to Chu
Jiang	蔣	Jiang	Gushi County, Henan	King Cheng's reign	617 BC: to Chu
Jie	介	Jie	Jiaozhou, Shandong	unknown	unknown: to Qi
Jin	晉	Tang (唐), or Jin	Yicheng County, Shanxi	King Cheng's reign	376 BC: to Han and Zhao
		Quwo (曲沃)	Wenxi County, Shanxi
		Jiang (絳), or Yi (翼)	Yicheng County, Shanxi
		Xintian (新田), or Xinjiang (新絳)	Houma, Shanxi
Ju	莒	Jiegen (介根)	Jiaozhou, Shandong	King Wu's reign	431 BC: to Chu
		Ju	Ju County, Shandong
Lai	萊	Changle (昌樂)	Changle County, Shandong	before Western Zhou	567 BC: to Qi
Lan	濫	Lan	Tengzhou, Shandong	781 BC	521 BC: to Lu
Liang	梁	Liang	Hancheng, Shaanxi	unknown	641 BC: to Qin
Liao, Miu	蓼 or 繆	Liao	Gushi County, Henan	unknown	622 BC: to Chu
Liu	劉	Liu	Yanshi, Henan	592 BC	c. 5th century BC: to Zhou dynasty
Lu	魯	Lu	Lushan County, Henan	King Cheng's reign	256 BC: to Chu
		Yancheng (奄城)	Qufu, Shandong
		Qufu (曲阜)	Qufu, Shandong
Lü	呂	Lü	Nanyang, Henan	unknown'	688 BC: to Chu
Mao	毛	Mao	Qishan County, Shaanxi	King Wu's reign	516 BC: to Qin
Mao	茅	Mao	Jinxiang County, Shandong	King Cheng's reign	6th century BC: to Zou
Ni, Xiaozhu	郳 or 小邾	Ni	Shanting District, Zaozhuang, Shandong	King Cheng's reign	335 BC: to Chu
Qi	齊	Yingqiu (營丘), or Linzi (臨淄)	Linzi District, Zibo, Shandong	King Wu's reign	221 BC: to Qin
Qi	杞	Qi	Qi County, Henan	before Western Zhou	445 BC: to Chu
		Pingyang (平陽)	Xintai, Shandong
		Yuanling (緣陵)	Changle County, Shandong
		Chunyu (淳于)	Anqiu, Shandong
Qin	秦	Qin	Qingshui County, Gansu	King Xiao's reign	206 BC: to Western Chu
		Qian (汧)	Long County, Shaanxi
		Pingyang (平陽)	Mei County, Shaanxi
		Yong (雍)	Fengxiang County, Shaanxi
		Yueyang (櫟陽)	Yanliang District, Xi'an, Shaanxi
		Xianyang (咸阳)	Xianyang, Shaanxi
Quan	權	Quan	Jingmen, Hubei	unknown	704 BC: to Chu
Ren	任	Ren	Weishan County, Shandong	unknown	Warring States period
Ruo	鄀	Shangruo (上鄀) or Shangmi (商密)	Xichuan County, Henan	unknown	unknown
		Xiaruo (下鄀)	Yicheng, Hubei
Shao	召 or 邵	Shao	Qishan County, Shaanxi	King Wu's reign	513 BC: to Zhou dynasty
Shan, Tan	單 or 檀	Shan	Mengjin County, Henan	King Cheng's reign	unknown
Shen, Xie	申 or 謝	Shen	Nanyang, Henan	King Xuan's reign	688 – 680 BC: to Chu
Shen	沈	Shen	Linquan County, Anhui	King Cheng's reign	506 BC: to Cai
Shu	蜀	unknown	unknown	unknown	316 BC: to Qin
Song	宋	Shangqiu (商丘)	Shangqiu, Henan	King Cheng's reign	286 BC: to Qi
Su	宿	Su	Dongping County, Shandong	unknown	7th century BC: to Song
Sui	遂	Sui	Ningyang County, Shandong	before Western Zhou	681 BC: to Qi
Tan	郯	Tan	Tancheng County, Shandong	unknown	414 BC: to Yue
Tan	譚	Tan	Zhangqiu, Shandong	c. 1046 BC	684 BC: to Qi
Teng	滕	Teng	Teng County, Shandong	King Wu's reign	297 BC: to Song
Wangshu	王叔	Wangshu	Mengjin County, Henan	King Xiang of Zhou	563 BC: to Zhou dynasty
Wei (Wey)	衛	Zhaoge (朝歌)	Qi County, Henan	King Cheng's reign	209 BC: to Qin
		Cao (曹)	Hua County, Henan
		Chuqiu (楚丘)	Hua County, Henan
		Diqiu (帝丘)	Puyang County, Henan
		Yewang (野王)	Qinyang, Henan
Wen	溫	Wen	Wen County, Henan	King Wu's reign	650 BC: to Beidi
Wu	吳	Wu, or Gusu (姑蘇)	Suzhou, Jiangsu	unknown	473 BC: to Yue
Xi	息	Xi	Xi County, Henan	unknown	684 – 680 BC: to Chu
Xian	弦	Xian	Huanggang, Hubei	unknown	655 BC: to Chu
Xiang	向	Xiang	Ju County, Shandong	unknown	721 BC: to Ju
Xing	邢	Xing	Xingtai, Hebei	King Cheng's reign	632 BC: to Wey
		Yiyi (夷儀)	Liaocheng, Shandong
Xu	徐	Xu	Tancheng County, Shandong	before Western Zhou	512 BC: to Wu
Xu	許 or 鄦	Xu	Xuchang, Henan	King Wu's reign	c. 5th century BC: to Chu
		Ye (葉)	Ye County, Henan
		Yi (夷) or Chengfu (城父)	Bozhou, Anhui
		Xi (析)	Xixia County, Henan
		Rongcheng (容城)	Lushan County, Henan
Xue, Pi	薛 or 邳	Xue	Tengzhou, Shandong	before Western Zhou	418 BC: to Qi
		Xiapi (下邳)	Pi County, Jiangsu
		Shangpi (上邳)	Pi County, Jiangsu
Xuqu	須句	Xuqu	Dongping County, Shandong	unknown	620 BC: to Lu
Yan	燕	Bo (亳), or Shengju (聖聚)	Fangshan District, Beijing	King Wu's reign	222 BC: to Qin
		Ji (薊)	Beijing
Southern Yan	南燕	Yan	Yanjin County, Henan	unknown	unknown
Yan	鄢	Yan	Yanling County, Henan	King Wu's reign	769 BC: to Zheng
Yang	陽	Yang	Yinan County, Shandong	unknown	660 BC: to Qi
Yin	尹	Yin	Xin'an County, Henan	King Xuan's reign	unknown
Ying	應	Ying	Pingdingshan, Henan	King Cheng's reign	646 BC: to Chu
Yu	邘 or 于	Yu	Qinyang, Henan	King Wu's reign	unknown
Yu	鄅	Yu	Linyi, Shandong	unknown	524 BC: to Lu
Yuan	原	Yuan	Jiyuan, Henan	King Wu's reign	635 BC: to Jin
Yue	越	Kuaiji (會稽)	Shaoxing, Zhejiang	unknown	306 BC: to Chu
		Langya (琅邪)	Jiaonan, Shandong
		Wu (吳)	Suzhou, Jiangsu
Zeng, Sui	曾 or 隨	Sui	Suizhou, Hubei	unknown	unknown: to Chu
Zeng	鄫	Zeng	Fangcheng County, Henan	before Western Zhou	567 BC: to Ju
Zhan	詹	unknown	unknown	827 BC	unknown
Zhang	鄣	Zhang	Dongping County, Shandong	early Western Zhou	664 BC: to Qi
Zheng	鄭	Zheng	Hua County, Shaanxi	806 BC	375 BC: to Han
		Xinzheng (新鄭)	Xinzheng, Henan
Zhongshan	中山	Gu (顧)	Dingzhou, Hebei	506 BC	296 BC: to Zhao
		Lingshou (靈壽)	Lingshou County, Hebei
Zhou	周	Zhou	Fengxiang County, Shaanxi	King Wu's reign	unknown
Zhoulai	州來	Zhoulai	Fengtai County, Anhui	8th century BC	528 BC: to Chu
Zhu	祝	Zhu	Changqing District, Jinan, Shandong	King Wu's reign	768 BC: to Qi
Zhu	鑄	Zhu	Feicheng, Shandong	King Wu's reign	unknown: to Qi
Zhuan	鄟	Zhuan	Tancheng, Shandong	unknown	585 BC: to Lu
Zhuanyu	顓臾	Zhuanyu	Pingyi County, Shandong	King Wu's reign	unknown
Zou, Zhu	鄒 or 邾	Zhu (邾)	Qufu, Shandong	King Wu's reign	4th century BC: to Chu
		Zou (鄒)	Zoucheng, Shandong
Key:
Hegemon
Note: Capitals are listed in chronological order.

Important figures

Birth places of notable Chinese philosophers of the Hundred Schools of Thoughts in the Zhou dynasty.

A large bronze tripod vessel from the Spring and Autumn period, now located at the Henan Museum

The Five Hegemons (春秋五霸):

Traditional history lists five hegemons during the Spring and Autumn period:[34]

• Duke Huan of Qi
• Duke Xiang of Song
• Duke Wen of Jin
• Duke Mu of Qin
• King Zhuang of Chu

Alternatively:

• Duke Huan of Qi
• Duke Wen of Jin
• King Zhuang of Chu
• King Fuchai of Wu
• King Goujian of Yue

Bureaucrats or Officers

• Guan Zhong, advisor of Duke Huan of Qi
• Baili Xi, prime minister of Qin.
• Wu Zixu, (Wu Yun), Duke of Shen and important adviser of King Helü
• Bo Pi, bureaucrat under King Helü who played an important diplomatic role in Wu-Yue relations.
• Fan Li and Wen Zhong, two advisors of King Goujian of Yue in his war against Wu
• Zi Chan, leader of self-strengthening movements in Zheng

Influential scholars

• Confucius or Kongzi, leading figure in Confucianism
• Lao-tse or Laozi, teacher of Taoism
• Mo-tse, Mozi, or Micius, founder of Mohism
• Sun Tzu or Sunzi, author of The Art of War

Other people

• Lu Ban
• Yao Li, sent by King Helü to kill Qing Ji
• Zhuan Zhu, sent by Helü to kill his cousin King Liao
• Bo Ya

Interstate relations

Main article: Interstate relations during the Spring and Autumn period

Ancient sources such as the Zuo Zhuan and the eponymous Chunqiu record the various diplomatic activities, such as court visits paid by one ruler to another (Chinese: 朝; pinyin: cháo), meetings of officials or nobles of different states (simplified Chinese: 会; traditional Chinese: 會; pinyin: huì), missions of friendly inquiries sent by the ruler of one state to another (Chinese: 聘; pinyin: pìn), emissaries sent from one state to another (Chinese: 使; pinyin: shǐ), and hunting parties attended by representatives of different states (Chinese: 狩; pinyin: shou).

Because of Chu's non-Zhou origin, the state was considered semi-barbarian and its rulers—beginning with King Wu in 704 BC—proclaimed themselves kings in their own right. Chu intrusion into Zhou territory was checked several times by the other states, particularly in the major battles of Chengpu (632 BC), Bi (595 BC) and Yanling (575 BC), which restored the states of Chen and Cai.

Nobility

Main article: Fengjian

King Wu abolished the Shang dynasty title "emperor" (di), making the king the highest office of the Zhou dynasty.

Below the king were five ranks of vassals, which from top to bottom rank were:

1. duke – gōng 公(爵)
2. marquis or marquess – hóu 侯(爵)
3. count or earl – bó 伯(爵)
4. viscount – zǐ 子(爵)
5. baron – nán 男(爵)

The ranks had been assigned by King Wu upon the foundation of the dynasty and were usually not revised to reflect changing levels of military strength. In the Spring and Autumn Period this led to contradictory situations such as the relatively insignificant state of Song being a duchy while a great power like Chu was only a viscounty.

Literature

Some version of the Five Classics existed in Spring and Autumn period, as characters in the Zuo Commentary and Analects frequently quote the Book of Poetry and Book of Documents. On the other hand, the Zuo Commentary depicts some characters actually composing poems that would later be included in the received text of the Book of Poetry. In the Analects there are frequent references to "The Rites",[35] but as Classical Chinese does not distinguish book titles from regular nouns it is not possible to know if what is meant is the Etiquette and Ceremonial (known then as the Book of Rites) or just the concept of ritual in general. The existence of the Book of Changes on the other hand is well-attested in the Zuo Commentary, as multiple characters use it for divination and correctly quote the received text.

Sima Qian claims that it was Confucius who, towards the close of the Spring and Autumn period, edited the received versions of the Book of Poetry, Book of Documents and Book of Rites, wrote the "Ten Wings" commentary on the Book of Changes and wrote the entirety of the Spring and Autumn Annals.[36] This was long the predominant opinion in China, but modern scholarship considers it unlikely that all five classics could be the product of one man.

While many philosophers such as Lao Zi and Sun Zi were active in the Spring and Autumn period, their ideas were probably not put into writing until the following Warring States period.

Religion

While sources such as the Book of Poetry contain passing references to "The Emperor Above" (Shang Di), there is no proper mythology around supernatural entities preserved in the Confucian Classics. The mythology is instead focused around the founders of the dynasty, kings Wen and Wu, who were worshipped as gods.

The various states also worshipped their respective founders as local patron deities. As such the rulers of Qi worshipped Yu the Great and Song worshipped Tang long after the Xia and Shang dynasties had ceased to exist on a national level.

Notes

1. The Partition of Jin, the watershed between the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods took several decades, thus there is some debate between scholars as to the exact date. 481 BC, 475 BC, and 468 BC are other common dates selected by historians.[1]

References

Citations

1. Kiser & Cai 2003.
2. Hsu 1990, p. 547.
3. Chinn 2007, p. 43.
4. Hsu (1990:546)
5. Higham (2004:412)
6. Shaughnessy (1990:350)
7. Lewis (2000:359, 363)
8. Hsu (1999:567) harvcoltxt error: no target: CITEREFHsu1999 (help)
9. Lewis 2000, p. 365.
10. Hsu 1990, pp. 549–50.
11. Hsu 1999, pp. 568, 570. sfn error: no target: CITEREFHsu1999 (help)
12. Lewis 2000, p. 366.
13. Hsu 1990, p. 567.
14. Lewis 2000, p. 367.
15. Shi Ji, chapter 4
16. Pines (2002:3)
17. Hsu 1999, pp. 553–54. sfn error: no target: CITEREFHsu1999 (help)
18. Hsu 1999, p. 555. sfn error: no target: CITEREFHsu1999 (help)
19. Lewis 2000, pp. 366, 369.
20. Hsu 1999, pp. 555–56. sfn error: no target: CITEREFHsu1999 (help)
21. Hsu 1990, p. 560.
22. Zuo Zhuan; Duke Xi years 18–23. sfn error: no target: CITEREFZuo_Zhuan;_Duke_Xi_years_18–23 (help)
23. Hsu 1990, p. 559.
24. Hsu 1990, pp. 560–61.
25. Zuo Zhuan, Duke Xuan
26. Pines 2002, p. 4.
27. Shi Ji chapter 39
28. Zhou Li
29. Zuo Commentary, Duke Cheng year 8
30. Hsu 1999, p. 561. sfn error: no target: CITEREFHsu1999 (help)
31. Hsu 1999, p. 562. sfn error: no target: CITEREFHsu1999 (help)
32. Hui 2004, p. 186.
33. Tan, Qixiang (1996). The Historical Atlas of China, Volume I. Beijing: China Cartographic Publishing House. pp. 22–30. ISBN 9787503118401.
34. Ye (2007:34–35)
35. E.g. Analects 17:10
36. Shi Ji, chapter 17

Sources

• Blakeley, Barry B (1977), "Functional disparities in the socio-political traditions of Spring and Autumn China: Part I: Lu and Ch'i", Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 20 (2): 208–43, doi:10.2307/3631778
• Chinn, Ann-ping (2007), The Authentic Confucius, Scribner, ISBN 0-7432-4618-7
• Higham, Charles (2004), Encyclopedia of Ancient Asian Civilizations, Infobase
• Hsu, Cho-yun (1990), "The Spring and Autumn Period", in Loewe, Michael; Shaughnessy, Edward L (eds.), The Cambridge history of ancient China: from the origins of civilization to 221 BC, Cambridge University Press, pp. 545–86
• Hui, Victoria Tin-bor (2004), "Toward a dynamic theory of international politics: Insights from comparing ancient China and early modern Europe", International Organization, 58 (1): 175–205, doi:10.1017/s0020818304581067
• Kiser, Edgar; Cai, Young (2003), "War and bureaucratization in Qin China: Exploring an anomalous case", American Sociological Review, 68 (4): 511–39, doi:10.2307/1519737
• Lewis, Mark Edward (2000), "The City-State in Spring-and-Autumn China", in Hansen, Mogens Herman (ed.), A Comparative Study of Thirty City-State Cultures: An Investigation, 21, Copenhagen: The Royal Danish Society of Arts and Letters, pp. 359–74
• Pines, Yuri (2002), Foundations of Confucian Thought: Intellectual Life in the Chunqiu Period (722–453 BCE), University of Hawaii Press
• Shaughnessy, Edward L (1990), "Western Zhou History", in Loewe, Michael; Shaughnessy, Edward L (eds.), The Cambridge history of ancient China: from the origins of civilization to 221 BC, Cambridge University Press, pp. 292–351
• Ye, L (2007), China: five thousand years of history and civilization, Hong Kong: University of Hong Kong Press

Further reading

• Ebrey, Patricia Buckley (1999). The Cambridge Illustrated History of China. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-66991-X (paperback).

External links

• "Rulers of the states of Zhou", Dynasty, C text – linked to their occurrences in classical Chinese texts.
• Media related to Art of the Spring and Autumn Period at Wikimedia Commons