Editing Spring and Autumn period

{{Short description|Period in Chinese history (c. 770 – c. 481 BCE)}}
[[File:Chinese plain 5c. BC-en.svg|thumb|upright=1. |Chinese polities in the late 5th century BCE, before the breakup of Jin and the Qin move into Sichuan. The Wei on this map is [[Wey (state)|Wey]] ({{lang|zh|衛}}), not the [[state of Wei]] ({{lang|zh|魏}}) that arose from the Partition of Jin.]]
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{{History of China|BCE= 1}}

The '''Spring and Autumn period''' ({{circa|770|481&nbsp;BCE}}{{sfn|Hsu|1999|p=547}}{{efn|There is no academic consensus on the end of the Spring and Autumn period. Criteria differ, but there is general agreement that the [[Partition of Jin]] marks the watershed affair of state politically marking the subsequent Warring States period. Common choices include:
* 481 BCE. Final entry in the ''[[Spring and Autumn Annals]]''. [[Usurpation of Qi by Tian]]: [[Tian Heng]] assassinated his duke along with the duke's advisors and most of his family, confiscating most of their lands.{{sfn|Lewis|1999|p=598}}
* 479 BCE. Death of [[Confucius]].{{sfn|Falkenhausen| 1999|p=450}}
* 475 or 476 BCE. Accession of [[King Yuan of Zhou]]. This is the year chosen by [[Sima Qian]] in his deeply influential ''[[Records of the Grand Historian]]'', motivated by the dearth of sources available for the following period given [[Qin Shi Huang's biblioclasm]]. The initial year of a new king was a methodological convenience. Modern Chinese sources generally prefer this choice.{{sfn|General Office of the State Council|2021}}
* 453 BCE. Partition of Jin: the clan of Zhi ({{ZH|智}}), previously the most powerful aristocratic family in Jin, is eliminated at the [[Battle of Jinyang]], leaving only the three clans who would become the successor states of [[Han (Warring States)|Han]], [[Wei (state)|Wei]], and [[Zhao (state)|Zhao]].{{sfn|Pines|2002}}
* 403 BCE. Partition of Jin: the successor states are formally recognized by the Zhou king. This year was the choice of [[Sima Guang]], compiler of the ''[[Zizhi Tongjian]]''.{{Sfn | Falkenhausen| 1999|p=450}}
* Some historians decline to assign a single year as the boundary.{{sfn|Cook|1995|p=148}} Others will choose arbitrarily.{{sfn|Kiser|Cai|2003|p=512}} }}) was a period in [[History of China|Chinese history]] corresponding roughly to the first half of the [[Eastern Zhou]] ({{circa|771}}{{snd}}256&nbsp;BCE), characterized by the gradual erosion of royal power as local lords nominally subject to the Zhou exercised increasing political autonomy. The period's name{{efn|The Chinese language does not mark plurals. There is an increasing trend in languages with plural markers to translate the name of this period as "Springs and Autumns",{{sfn|Falkenhausen|1999|p=450}} which better conveys the vicissitudes of time. The translation "Spring–Autumn period" also occurs in the literature.{{sfnp|Zhao|2004}}}} derives from the ''[[Spring and Autumn Annals]]'', a chronicle of the [[state of Lu]] between 722 and 481&nbsp;BCE, which tradition associates with [[Confucius]] (551–479 BCE). 

During this period, local polities negotiated their own alliances, waged wars against one another, up to defying the king's court in [[Luoyang|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]]. The periodization dates to the late [[Western Han]] ({{circa|48&nbsp;BCE|9&nbsp;CE}}).{{sfnp|Wong|2024|pp=564–566}}

==Background==
[[File:Horse Armor, Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng (10170676483).jpg|thumb|Leather horse armour from the [[Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng]], 5th century&nbsp;BCE]]

In 771&nbsp;BCE, a [[Quanrong]] invasion in coalition with the states of [[Zeng (state)|Zeng]] and [[Shen (state)|Shen]]—the latter polity being the fief of [[Marquess of Shen (King Ping's grandfather)|the grandfather]] of the disinherited crown prince [[Yijiu]]—destroyed the [[Western Zhou]] capital at [[Haojing]], killing [[King You of Zhou|King You]] and establishing Yijiu as king at the eastern capital [[Luoyi]].{{sfn|Chen and Pines|2018|p=4}} 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 ''[[fengjian]]'' system 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.{{sfn|Chin|2007|p=43}} As the power of the Zhou kings waned, these fiefdoms became increasingly independent [[Ancient Chinese states|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 [[hegemony|hegemon]].

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

Amid the interstate power struggles, internal conflict was also rife: six elite 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&nbsp;BCE when the three remaining elite families in Jin—Zhao, Wei, and Han—partitioned the state.

==Early Spring and Autumn (771–685 BCE)==
[[File:春秋伎乐铜屋1.jpg|thumb|[[Yue (state)|Yue]] style bronze building and entertainers (Spring and Autumn period)]]

===Court moves east (771)===
After the Zhou capital was sacked by the [[Marquess of Shen]] and the [[Quanrong]] [[Hua-Yi distinction|barbarians]], the Zhou moved the capital east from the now desolated [[Zongzhou]] in [[Haojing]] near modern [[Xi'an]] to [[Wangcheng (Zhou dynasty)|Wangcheng]] in the [[Yellow River]] Valley{{Efn|The events immediately following the fall of Haojing are subject to debate due to the recent discovery of the Xinian Manuscript. See the page on the [[Eastern Zhou]] for details.}}.  The Zhou royalty was then closer to its main supporters,<ref>{{harvnb|Hsu|1999|p=546}}</ref> particularly Jin, and [[Zheng (state)|Zheng]];<ref name="Higham-p412">{{harvnb|Higham|2004|p=412}}</ref><ref name="Shaughnessy-p350">{{harvnb|Shaughnessy|1999|p=350}}</ref> 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 of Zhou|King Ping]].<ref name="Shaughnessy-p350" />  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 regional states and ritual leader of the [[Ji (Zhou dynasty ancestral surname)|Ji clan]] ancestral temple. Though the king 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.<ref>{{harvnb|Lewis|2000|pp=359, 363}}</ref>  A total of 148 states are mentioned in the chronicles for this period,{{efn|The 148 states mentioned in the ''Spring and Autumn  Annals'' are not considered to comprise an exhaustive list.{{r|禮記}}}} 128 of which were absorbed by the four largest states by the end of the period.<ref name="Hsu-p567">{{harvnb|Hsu|1999|p=567}}</ref>

Shortly after the royal court's move to Chengzhou, a hierarchical alliance system arose where the Zhou king would give the title of hegemon ({{zh|c=霸|labels=no}}) 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:{{Sfn |Lewis|2000|p = 365}}{{Sfn |Hsu| 1999| pp= 549–50}} the [[Beidi|Northern Di]], the [[Nanman|Southern Man]], the [[Dongyi|Eastern Yi]], and the [[Xirong (people)|Western Rong]].  This political framework retained the ''[[fengjian|fēngjiàn]]'' power structure, though interstate and intrastate conflict often led to declining regard for [[fengjian#Zongfa|clan customs]], respect for the Ji family, and solidarity with other Zhou peoples.{{Sfn |Hsu|1999|pp=568, 570}}  The king's prestige legitimized the military leaders of the states, and helped mobilize collective defense of Zhou territory against "[[Hua–Yi distinction|barbarians]]".{{Sfn | Lewis |2000|p= 366}}

Over the next two centuries, the four most powerful states—[[Qin (state)|Qin]], [[Jin (Chinese state)|Jin]], [[Qi (Shandong)|Qi]] and [[Chu (state)|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,{{Sfn |Hsu|1999| p = 567}} interstate relations alternated between low-level warfare and complex diplomacy.{{Sfn | Lewis|2000|p= 367}}

===Zheng falls out with the court (722–685)===
[[Duke Yin of Lu]] ascended the throne in 722.<ref name="Shi Ji, chapter 4">{{ cite book
| author1= Sima Qian | author1-link= Sima Qian
| author2= Sima Tan| author2-link= Sima Tan
 | script-title=zh:史記
| title= [[Records of the Grand Historian]]
| orig-year= 90s BCE
| year = 1959 | publisher= Zhonghua Shuju
| chapter=[[:zh:s:史記/卷004|4: 周本紀]]
| ref={{sfnref|Shiji}}
}}</ref> From this year on, the state of [[Lu (state)|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 [[Qin Shi Huang's biblioclasm|lost]].

In 717, [[Duke Zhuang of Zheng]] went to the capital for an audience with [[King Huan of Zhou|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.<ref name="Shi Ji, chapter 4"/> In 715, 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]].<ref name="Shi Ji, chapter 4"/> For Zheng to regard the fields as just any other piece of land was an insult to the court.

By 707, 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.<ref name="Hsu-p567" /><ref name="Shi Ji, chapter 4"/><ref>{{harvnb|Pines|2002|p=3}}</ref> Zheng was the first vassal to openly defy the king, kicking off the centuries of warfare without respect for the old traditions 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.<ref name="Higham-p412"/>

In 692, there was a failed assassination attempt against [[King Zhuang of Zhou|King Zhuang]], orchestrated by elements at court.<ref name="Shi Ji, chapter 4"/>

==The Five Hegemons (685–591 BCE)==
{{Main|Five Hegemons}}
[[File:Five Hegemons.png|thumb|400px|Map of the Five Hegemons during the Spring and Autumn period of the Zhou dynasty]]
[[File:Guo State Shields (10279302544).jpg|thumb|Shields from a [[Western Guo|Guo]] tomb]]

===Hegemony of Qi (685–643)===
{{Main|Duke Huan of Qi}}
<section begin="齊桓公霸" />The first hegemon was [[Duke Huan of Qi]] (r. 685–643).  With the help of his prime minister, [[Guan Zhong]], Duke Huan reformed Qi to centralize its power structure.  The state consisted of 15 "[[Administration of territory in dynastic China#County|townships]]" ({{zh|c=縣|labels=no}}) 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.{{Sfn |Hsu|1999 | pp = 553–54}}

By 667, Qi had clearly shown its economic and military predominance, and Duke Huan assembled the leaders of [[Lu (state)|Lu]], [[Song (state)|Song]], [[Chen (state)|Chen]], and [[Zheng (state)|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.{{Sfn |Hsu|1999|p=555}}{{Sfn |Lewis|2000|pp= 366, 369}}<section end="齊桓公霸" /> An important basis for justifying Qi's dominance over the other states was presented in the slogan 'Revere the King, Expel the Barbarians' ({{zh|labels=no|c=尊王攘夷|p=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, during the first eleven years of his hegemony, Duke Huan intervened in a power struggle in Lu; protected [[Yan (state)|Yan]] from encroaching [[Xirong (people)|Western Rong]] nomads; drove off [[Beidi|Northern Di]] nomads after their invasions of [[Wey (state)|Wey]] and [[Xing (state)|Xing]], providing the people with provisions and protective garrison units; and led an alliance of eight states to conquer [[Cai (state)|Cai]] and thereby block the northward expansion of [[Chu (state)|Chu]].{{Sfn |Hsu|1999| pp = 555–56}}

At his death in 643, five of Duke Huan's sons [[War of Qi's succession|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.{{Sfn |Hsu|1999|p= 560}}

[[Image:China 2b.jpg|thumb|left|Urbanization during the Spring and Autumn period.]]

===Hegemony of Song (643–637)===
{{Main|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's ambitions met their 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 ([[:zh:泓水之戰|泓]]) in 638, 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.<ref>{{ cite book | title= Zuozhuan | title-link= Zuozhuan| chapter = [[:zh:s:春秋左氏傳/僖公#僖公二十八年|Lord Xi years 18–23]] |language=zh }}</ref>

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)===
{{Main|Duke Wen of Jin}}
When [[Duke Wen of Jin]] came to power in 636 after extensive peregrinations in exile, he capitalized on the reforms of his father, [[Duke Xian of Jin|Duke Xian]] (r. 676–651), 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.{{Sfn |Hsu| 1999 | p = 559}}  When he assisted [[King Xiang of Zhou|King Xiang]] in a succession struggle in 635, the king awarded Jin with strategically valuable territory near Chengzhou.

Duke Wen 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]] in 632, Duke Wen's loyalty to the Zhou king was rewarded at an interstate conference when King Xīang awarded him the title of ''bà''.{{Sfn |Hsu|1999|p= 560}}

After the death of Duke Wen in 628, 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.{{Sfn |Hsu| 1999| pp = 560–61}}

===Hegemony of Qin (628–621)===
{{Main|Duke Mu of Qin}}
[[Duke Mu of Qin]] ascended the throne in 659 and forged an alliance with Jin by marrying his daughter to Duke Wen. In 624, 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)===
{{Main|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 Chengzhou, upon which King Zhuang sent a messenger to inquire into the heft and bulk of the  [[Nine Tripod Cauldrons|Nine Cauldrons]] – the symbols of royal ritual authority – 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.<ref>{{ citation | title=[[Zuozhuan]] | chapter=[[:zh:s:春秋左氏傳/宣公|Duke Xuan]]|mode=cs2}}</ref>

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 as ''Zi'' ({{zh|labels=no|c=子}}, ruler; unratified lord),{{sfn|Milburn|2016|p=64}} 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 BCE)==
[[File:春秋青铜鎏金虎噬羊形器座.jpg|thumb|Bronze tiger eating an animal, gold inlay, Spring and Autumn period]]

===The Six Ministers (588)===
{{further|Six Ministers}}
In addition to interstate conflict, internal conflicts between state leaders and local aristocrats also occurred. <section begin="ministers" />Eventually the dukes of Lu, Jin, Zheng, Wey and Qi would all become figureheads to powerful aristocratic families.{{Sfn |Pines|2002|p= 4}}

In the case of Jin, the shift happened in 588 when the army was split into six independent divisions, each dominated by a separate noble family: Zhi (智), Zhao (趙), Han (韓), Wei (魏), Fan (范), and Zhonghang (中行). The heads of the six families were conferred the titles of viscounts and made ministers,<ref>{{ cite book
| author1= Sima Qian | author1-link= Sima Qian
| author2= Sima Tan| author2-link= Sima Tan
 | script-title=zh:史記
| title= [[Records of the Grand Historian]]
| orig-year= 90s BCE
| year = 1959 | publisher= Zhonghua Shuju
| chapter=[[:zh:s:史記/卷039|39: 晉世家]]
| ref={{sfnref|Shiji}}
}}</ref> each heading one of the six departments of Zhou dynasty government.<ref>''[[Rites of Zhou]]''</ref> From this point on, historians refer to "The Six Ministers" as the true power brokers of Jin.

The same happened to Lu in 562, 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.<section end="ministers" />

===Rise of Wu (584)===
[[Wu (state)|Wu]] was a state in modern [[Jiangsu]] outside the Zhou cultural sphere, considered "barbarian", where the inhabitants sported short hair and tattoos and spoke an unintelligible language.{{sfn|Milburn|2004|pp=203–204}}{{sfn|Milburn|2016|p=104}} Although its ruling house claimed to be a senior lineage in the [[Ji (Zhou dynasty ancestral surname)|Ji]] ancestral temple,{{efn|Descent of the Wu ruling house from the Zhou ancestral line is not universally dismissed in modern scholarship.{{sfn|Milburn|2004|p=203}}}} 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, when a Wu force attacked the small border state of Tan ([[:zh:郯國|郯]]) causing some alarm in the various Chinese courts. Jin was quick to dispatch an ambassador to the court of the Wu king, [[King Shoumeng of Wu|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.<ref>{{ cite book | title= [[Zuo Zhuan]] | chapter = [[:zh:s:春秋左氏傳/成公#成公八年|Duke Cheng year 8]]}}</ref>

===Attempts at peace (579)===
[[Image:Pu with openwork interlaced dragons design.jpg|thumb|230px|right|''[[Chinese ritual bronzes#Sacrificial vessels|Dòu]]'' vessel with interlaced [[Chinese dragon|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 and agreed to declare a truce to limit their military strength.{{Sfn |Hsu|1999| p= 561}}  This peace did not 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.{{Sfn |Hsu|1999|p=562}}

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, possibly because territory available for expansion had been largely exhausted.{{Sfn |Hsu|1999 | p= 562}} The Zhou kings had also lost much of their prestige{{Sfn |Pines|2002| p= 4}} so that, when Duke Dao of Jin (r. 572–558) was recognized as ''bà'', it carried much less meaning than it had before.

===Hegemony of Wu (506–496)===
{{Main|King Helü of Wu}}
In 506, [[King Helü of Wu|King Helü]] ascended the throne of Wu. With the help of [[Wu Zixu]] and [[Sun Tzu]],{{sfn|Petersen|1992}} 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 of Wu|King Helü]] died during an invasion of Yue in 496. Some sources such as the Confucian text ''[[Bai Hu Tong]]'' list him as one of the [[Five Hegemons]].<ref>{{cite book | chapter-url=https://ctext.org/bai-hu-tong/juan-yi#n52859 | chapter= vol. 1: Ranks, epithets, and posthumous names | language=lzh | title= Bai Hu Tong | script-title= zh:白虎通 | title-link= Bai Hu Tong }}</ref>

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, 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 [[Four Books and Five Classics#Five Classics|Five Classics]], including the ''Spring and Autumn Annals''.

===Hegemony of Yue (496–465)===
{{Main|King Goujian of Yue}}
In 482, [[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. Yue then concentrated on weaker neighbouring states, rather than the great powers to the north.{{Sfn |Hui| 2004| p = 186}} 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, after which he was recognized as hegemon.

The ''[[Zuozhuan]]'', ''[[Guoyu (book)|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 |Partition of Jin}}
After the great age of Jin power, the Jin rulers began to lose authority over their ministerial lineages.  A full-scale civil war between 497 and 453 ended with the elimination of most noble lines; the remaining aristocratic families divided Jin into three successor states: [[Han (Warring States)|Han]], [[Wei (state)|Wei]], and [[Zhao (state)|Zhao]].{{Sfn | Hui | 2004| p = 186}} This is the last event recorded in the ''[[Zuozhuan]]''.

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 (state)|Yan]] ({{zh|labels=no|c=燕}}) near modern Beijing. The partition of Jin, along with the [[Usurpation of Qi by Tian]], marks the beginning of the [[Warring States period]].

==Interstate relations==
{{Main |Interstate relations during the Spring and Autumn period}}
Ancient sources such as the ''[[Zuo Zhuan]]'' and the eponymous ''[[Spring and Autumn Annals|Chunqiu]]'' record the various diplomatic activities, such as court visits paid by one ruler to another ({{zh | c = {{linktext|朝}} | hp =cháo|labels = no}}), meetings of officials or nobles of different states ({{zh | first=t|s =会|t={{linktext|會}}|hp=huì| labels = no}}), missions of friendly inquiries sent by the ruler of one state to another ({{zh|c = {{linktext|聘}}|hp=pìn|labels= no}}), emissaries sent from one state to another ({{zh |c={{linktext|使}}|hp=shǐ|labels= no}}), and hunting parties attended by representatives of different states ({{zh|c = {{linktext|狩}}|hp=shou|labels= no}}).

Because of Chu's non-Zhou origin, the state was considered semi-barbarian and its rulers—beginning with [[King Wu of Chu|King Wu]] in 704 BCE—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 [[Battle of Chengpu|Chengpu]] (632 BCE), [[Battle of Bi|Bi]] (595 BCE) and [[Battle of Yanling|Yanling]] (575 BCE), which restored the states of [[Chen (state)|Chen]] and [[Cai (state)|Cai]].

==Literature==
[[File:Birth Places of Chinese Philosophers.png|thumb|Birthplaces of notable Chinese philosophers of the Hundred Schools of Thoughts in the Zhou dynasty.]]
Some version of the [[Five Classics]] existed in Spring and Autumn period, as characters in the ''[[Zuozhuan]]'' and ''[[Analects]]'' frequently quote the ''[[Book of Poetry]]'' and ''[[Book of Documents]]''. On the other hand, the ''Zuozhuan'' depicts some characters actually ''composing'' poems that would later be included in the received text of the ''[[Book of Poetry]]''.{{which|date=April 2023}} In the ''Analects'' there are frequent references to "The Rites",<ref>E.g. {{ citation| title=[[Analects]] | chapter=[[:zh:s:論語/陽貨第十七|17:10]]|mode=cs2}}</ref> but as Classical Chinese does not employ punctuation or any markup to 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. On the other hand, the existence of the ''[[Book of Changes]]'' is well-attested in the ''Zuozhuan'', as multiple characters use it for divination and accurately 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]]''.<ref>{{ cite book
| author1= Sima Qian | author1-link= Sima Qian
| author2= Sima Tan| author2-link= Sima Tan
 | script-title=zh:史記
| title= [[Records of the Grand Historian]]
| orig-year= 90s BCE
| year = 1959 | publisher= Zhonghua Shuju
| chapter=[[:zh:s:史記/卷047|47: 孔子世家]]
| ref={{sfnref|Shiji}}
}}</ref> 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. The transmitted versions of these works all derive from the versions edited by [[Liu Xin (scholar)|Liu Xin]] in the century following Sima Qian.

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

==Aristocracy==
{{Main|Fengjian|Zhou dynasty nobility}}
[[File:Periodo delle primavere e degli autunni, stato qin, acroterio con cervo e capriolo, 770-475 ac ca., da doufu, baoji (ist. prov.le di archeologia dello shaanxi).jpg|thumb|Spring and Autumn period, Qin state, [[acroterion]] with deer and roe deer, {{circa}} 770-475 BCE, from Doufu, Baoji (Provincial institute of archeology of Shaanxi).]]
While the aristocracy of the [[Western Zhou]] frequently interacted via the medium of the royal court, the collapse of central power at the end of the first half of the dynasty left in its wake hundreds of autonomous polities varying drastically in size and resources, nominally connected by bonds of cultural and ritual affiliation increasingly attenuated by the passage of time. Whole lineage groups moved around under socioeconomic stress, border groups not associated with the Zhou culture gained in power and sophistication, and the geopolitical situation demanded increased contact and communication.{{sfn|Li|2008a|pp=120–123}}

Under this new regime, an emergent systematization of noble ranks took root. Where the Western Zhou had concerned itself with politics, the ancestral temples, and legitimacy, in the Eastern Zhou politics came to the fore.{{sfn|Li|2008a|p=114}} Titles which had previously reflected lineage seniority took on purely political meanings. At the top of the bunch were ''[[Gong (title)|Gong]]'' ({{zh|c=公|labels=no}}) and ''Hou'' ({{zh|c=侯|labels=no}}), favoured lineages of old with generally larger territories and greater resources and prestige at their disposal. The majority of rulers were of the middling but tiered grades ''Bo'' ({{zh|c=伯|labels=no}}) and ''Zi'' ({{zh|c=子|labels=no}}). The rulers of two polities maintained the title ''Nan'' ({{zh|c=男|labels=no}}). A 2012 survey found no difference in grade between ''Gong'' and ''Hou'', or between ''Zi'' and ''Nan''.{{sfn|Wei|2012|loc=abstract}} Meanwhile, a new class of lower-tier aristocrats formed: the ''Shi'' ({{zh|c=士|labels=no}}), gentlemen too distantly related to the great houses to be born into a life of wielding power, but still part of the elite culture, aiming at upward social mobility, typically through the vector of officialdom.

One individual well attested in the process of fixing the ranks of rulers into a coherent scheme was [[Zichan]] of [[Zheng (state)|Zheng]], who both submitted a memorial to the king of Chu informing him of the proposed new system in 538 BCE, and argued at a 529 BCE interstate conference that tributes should be graded based on rank, given the disparity in available resources.{{sfn|Li|2008a|pp=123–124}}

Alongside this development, there was precedent of Zhou kings "upgrading" noble ranks as a reward for service to the throne, giving the recipients a bit more diplomatic prestige without costing the royal house any land.{{sfn|Chen and Pines|2018|p=5}} During the decline of the royal house, although real power was wrested from their grasp, their divine legitimacy was not brought into question, and even with the king reduced to something of a figurehead, his prestige remained supreme as Heaven's eldest son.{{sfn|Pines|2004|p=23}}

Archaeologically excavated primary sources and received literature agree to a high degree of systematization and stability in noble titles during the Eastern Zhou, indicating an actual historical process. A 2007 survey of bronze inscriptions from 31 states found only eight polities whose rulers used varying titles of nobility to describe themselves.{{sfn|Li|2008a|pp=115–118}}

==Important figures==
[[File:Spring and Autumn Bronze Ding.jpg|thumb|A large [[bronze]] tripod vessel from the Spring and Autumn period, now located at the [[Henan Museum]]]]

'''The Five Hegemons''' (春秋五霸):
With the royal house of Zhou lacking the military strength to defend itself, and with the various states experiencing tension and conflict, certain very powerful lords took the position of hegemon, ostensibly to uphold the house of Zhou and maintain the peace to the degree possible. They paid tribute to the royal court, and were owed tribute by the other rulers. Traditional history lists five hegemons during the Spring and Autumn period:<ref>{{harvnb|Ye, Fei, and Wang|2007|pp=34–35}}</ref>
* [[Duke Huan of Qi]] (r. 685–643 BCE)
* [[Duke Xiang of Song]] (r. 650–637 BCE)
* [[Duke Wen of Jin]] (r. 636–628 BCE)
* [[Duke Mu of Qin]] (r. 659–621 BCE)
* [[King Zhuang of Chu]] (r. 613–591 BCE)

Alternatively:{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}
* [[Duke Huan of Qi]] (r. 685–643 BCE)
* [[Duke Wen of Jin]] (r. 636–628 BCE)
* [[King Zhuang of Chu]] (r. 613–591 BCE)
* [[King Fuchai of Wu]] (r. 495–473 BCE)
* [[King Goujian of Yue]] (r. 496–465 BCE)

'''Bureaucrats or Officers'''
* [[Guan Zhong]], advisor of Duke Huan of Qi
* [[Baili Xi]], prime minister of Qin
* [[Wu Zixu]], Duke of Shen, important adviser of King [[Helü]], early culture hero,{{sfn|Petersen|1992}} sometimes considered "the single best recorded individual in the history of the Spring and Autumn period"{{sfn|Milburn|2016|p=77}}
* [[Bo Pi]], bureaucrat under King [[Helü]] who played an important diplomatic role in Wu–Yue relations
* [[Wen Zhong (Spring and Autumn)|Wen Zhong]], advisor of [[King Goujian of Yue]] in his war against Wu
* [[Fan Li]], another advisor to Goujian, also renowned for his incredible business acumen
* [[Zichan]], leader of self-strengthening movements in [[Zheng (state)|Zheng]]
* [[Yan Ying]] or ''Yanzi'', central figure of the ''[[Yanzi Chunqiu]]''

'''Influential scholars'''
* [[Confucius]] or ''Kongzi'', leading figure in [[Confucianism]]
* [[Lao-tse]] or ''Laozi'', teacher of [[Taoism]]
* [[Mo Di]], ''Mozi'', or ''Mo-tse'', founder of [[Mohism]]
* [[Sun Tzu]] or ''Sunzi'', author of ''[[The Art of War]]''

'''Other people'''
* [[Lu Ban]], master builder 
* [[Yao Li]], sent by King Helü to kill [[Qing Ji]]
* [[Zhuan Zhu]], sent by Helü to kill his cousin King Liao
* [[Bo Ya]], outstanding musician
* [[Ou Yezi]], swordsmaker

==List of states==
{{Incomplete list|date=February 2012}}
The ''[[Liji]]'' claims that the Eastern Zhou was divided into 1773 [[State (Ancient China)|states]],<ref name="禮記">{{ citation | title=[[Liji]]| chapter= [[:zh:s:禮記/王制|5: 王制]]|mode=cs2}}</ref> of which 148 are known by name as mentioned in the [[Zuo Zhuan]].<ref name="Hsu-p567" />

<!--Please keep this list in alphabetical (Pinyin) order when making additions-->
<!--For consistency please use BCE format for dates-->
<!--Please maintain synchronization with [[Template:Zhou dynasty Topics]]-->
{| class="wikitable collapsible"
|- "
! Name
! Chinese
! Capital
! Location{{sfn|Tan|1996|pages=22–30}}
! Established
! Dissolved
|-
|rowspan=6 | [[Ba (state)|Ba]]
|rowspan=6 | [[:zh:巴国|巴]]
| Yicheng (夷城)
| [[Changyang Tujia Autonomous County|Changyang County]], [[Hubei]]
|rowspan=6 | [[King Wu of Zhou|King Wu]]'s reign
|rowspan=6 | 316 BCE: 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 (state)|Bi]]
| [[:zh:毕国|畢]]
| Bi
| ''unknown''
| King Wu's reign
| ''unknown''
|-
|Biyang, Fuyang
|[[:zh:偪阳国|偪陽]] ''or'' 傅陽
|Biyang
|[[Yicheng District, Zaozhuang]], [[Shandong]]
|''unknown''
|563 BCE: to Song
|-
|rowspan=3| [[Cai (state)|Cai]]
|rowspan=3| [[:zh:蔡國|蔡]]
| Shangcai (上蔡)
| [[Shangcai County]], [[Henan]]
|rowspan=3| King Wu's reign
|rowspan=3| 447 BCE: to Chu
|-
|Xincai (新蔡)
| [[Xincai County]], Henan
|-
|Xiacai (下蔡)
| [[Fengtai County]], [[Anhui]]
|-
| [[Cao (state)|Cao]]
| [[:zh:曹國|曹]]
| Taoqiu (陶丘)
| [[Dingtao District]], [[Heze]], Shandong
| King Wu's reign
| 487 BCE: to Song
|-
| [[Chao (state)|Chao]]
| [[:zh:巢国|巢]]
| Chao
| [[Chaohu]], Anhui
| ''unknown''
| {{circa|518 BCE}}: to Wu
|-
| [[Chen (state)|Chen]]
| [[:zh:陈国|陳]]
| Wanqiu (宛丘)
| [[Huaiyang District]], [[Zhoukou]], Henan
| King Wu's reign
| 479 BCE: to Chu
|-
| Cheng
| [[:zh:郕国|郕]] ''or'' 成
|Cheng
|[[Ningyang County]], Shandong
| King Wu's reign
| 408 BCE: to Qi
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
|rowspan=4| [[Chu (state)|Chu]]
|rowspan=4| [[:zh:楚国|楚]] ''or'' 荊
| [[Danyang (Chu)|Danyang]] (丹陽)
|[[Xichuan County]], Henan
|rowspan=4| [[King Cheng of Zhou|King Cheng]]'s reign
|rowspan=4| 223 BCE: to Qin
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
|[[Ying (Chu)|Ying]] (郢)
|[[Jingzhou]], [[Hubei]]
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
|Chen (陳)
|Huaiyang District, Zhoukou, Henan
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
|Shouchun (壽春)
| [[Shou County]], Anhui
|-
|Chunyu, Zhou
|[[:zh:淳于国|淳于]] ''or'' 州
|Zhou (州)
| [[Anqiu]], Shandong
|King Wu's reign
|706 BCE: to Qi (杞)
|-
|Dai
|[[:zh:戴国|戴]]
|Dai
|[[Minquan County]], Henan
|''unknown''
|713 BCE: to Zheng
|-
| [[Dao (state)|Dao]]
| [[:zh:道國|道]]
| Dao 
| ''unknown''
| ''unknown''
| ''unknown''
|-
| [[Deng (state)|Deng]]
| [[:zh:邓国|鄧]]
| Deng
| [[Dengzhou]], Henan
| before Western Zhou
| 678 BCE: to Chu
|-
| [[E (state)|E]]
| [[:zh:鄂国|鄂]]
| E
| [[Nanyang, Henan]]
| before Western Zhou
| 863 BCE: to Chu
|-
|Fan
|[[:zh:番国|番]] ''or'' 潘 ''or'' 鄱
|Fan
|[[Gushi County]], Henan
|''unknown''
|504 BCE: to Wu
|-
|Fan 
|[[:zh:凡国|凡]]
|Fan 
|[[Huixian]], Henan
|''unknown''
|''unknown''
|-
|rowspan=2| Fan
|rowspan=2| [[:zh:樊國|樊]]
| Fan 
| [[Chang'an District, Xi'an]], [[Shaanxi]]
|rowspan=2| [[King Xuan of Zhou|King Xuan]]'s reign
|rowspan=2| 635 BCE: to Jin
|-
|Yang (陽)
|[[Jiyuan]], Henan
|-
| Gan
| [[:zh:甘國|甘]]
| Gan
| [[Yuanyang County, Henan]]
| [[King Xiang of Zhou|King Xiang]]'s reign
| ''unknown''
|-
|Gao
|[[:zh:郜國|郜]]
|Gao 
| [[Chengwu County]], Shandong
|King Wu's reign
|8th century BCE: to Song
|-
|Ge
|[[:zh:葛国|葛]]
|Ge
|[[Ningling County]], Henan
|before Western Zhou
|''unknown''
|-
| Gong
| [[:zh:巩国|鞏]]
| Gong
| [[Xiaoyi]], Henan
| ''unknown''
| 516 BCE: to Jin
|-
|Gong
|[[:zh:共國|共]]
|Gong
|Huixian, Henan
|''unknown''
|mid-7th century BCE: to Wey
|-
|Guang
|[[:zh:光國|光]]
|Guang
|[[Guangshan County]], Henan
|before Western Zhou
|650 BCE: to Chu
|-
|Guo
|[[:zh:郭國|郭]]
|Guo 
| [[Liaocheng]], Shandong
|''unknown''
|670 BCE: to Qi
|-
| [[Eastern Guo]]
| [[:zh:东虢国|東虢]]
| Zhi (制)
| [[Xingyang]], Henan
| King Wu's reign
| 767 BCE: to Zheng
|-
| rowspan=2| [[Western Guo]]
| rowspan=2| [[:zh:西虢国|西虢]]
| Yongdi (雍地)
|[[Baoji]], [[Shaanxi]]
| rowspan=2| King Wu's reign
| rowspan=2| 687 BCE: to Jin
|-
|Shangyang (上陽)
|[[Shan County, Henan]]
|-
| Hu
| [[:zh:胡國|胡]]
| Hu
| [[Wuyang County]], Henan
| ''unknown''
| 763 BCE: to Zheng
|-
|rowspan= 2| [[Hua (state)|Hua]]
|rowspan= 2| [[:zh:滑國|滑]]
| Hua
| Minquan County, Henan
|rowspan= 2| ''unknown''
|rowspan= 2| 627 BCE: to Qin
|-
| Fei (費)
| [[Yanshi]], [[Henan]]
|-
|[[Huang (state)|Huang]]
|[[:zh:黄国|黃]]
|Longgu Xiang
|[[Huangchuan County|Huangchuan County, Henan]]
|''unknown''
|648 BCE: to Chu
|-
|Hui
|[[:zh:鄶國|鄶]] ''or'' 會 ''or'' 檜
|Hui
|[[Xinzheng]], Henan
|''unknown''
|769 BCE: to Zheng
|-
| [[Ji (former state)|Ji]]
| [[:zh:纪国|紀]]
| Ji
| [[Shouguang]], Shandong
| ''unknown''
| 690 BCE: to Qi
|-
| Ji
| [[:zh:極國|極]]
| Ji
| [[Shan County, Shandong]]
| ''unknown''
| 721 BCE: to Lu
|-
| rowspan=2|Ji
| rowspan=2| [[:zh:祭国|祭]]
|Ji
|[[Changyuan]], Henan
| rowspan=2| King Wu's reign
| rowspan=2| 750 BCE: to Zheng
|-
|Guan (管)
|[[Zhengzhou]], Henan
|-
|[[Jiāng (state)|Jiang]]
| [[:zh:江国|江]]
|Jiang ({{zh|t=江}})
| [[Xi County, Henan]]
| 1101 BCE
| 623 BCE: to Chu
|-
|[[Jiǎng (Chinese state)|Jiang]]
| [[:zh:蔣國|蔣]]
| Jiang 
| [[Gushi County]], Henan
|King Cheng's reign
|617 BCE: to Chu
|-
|Jie
|[[:zh:介國|介]]
|Jie
| [[Jiaozhou City|Jiaozhou]], Shandong
|''unknown''
|''unknown'': to Qi
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
| rowspan=4| [[Jin (Chinese state)|Jin]]
| rowspan=4| [[:zh:晋国|晉]]
| Tang (唐), or Jin
|[[Yicheng County]], Shanxi
| rowspan=4| King Cheng's reign
| rowspan=4| 376 BCE: to [[Han (Warring States)|Han]] and [[Zhao (state)|Zhao]]
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
|Quwo (曲沃)
| [[Wenxi County]], Shanxi
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
|Jiang (絳), or Yi (翼)
|[[Yicheng County]], Shanxi
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
|Xintian (新田), or Xinjiang (新絳)
| [[Houma, Shanxi|Houma]], Shanxi
|-
| rowspan=2| [[Ju (state)|Ju]]
| rowspan=2| [[:zh:莒国|莒]]
| Jiegen (介根)
| [[Jiaozhou City|Jiaozhou]], Shandong
| rowspan=2| King Wu's reign
| rowspan=2| 431 BCE: to Chu
|-
|Ju 
| [[Ju County]], Shandong
|-
| [[Lai (state)|Lai]]
| [[:zh:莱国|萊]]
| Changle (昌樂)
| [[Changle County]], Shandong
| before Western Zhou
| 567 BCE: to Qi
|-
|Lan
|[[:zh:濫國|濫]]
|Lan 
| [[Tengzhou]], Shandong
|781 BCE
|521 BCE: to Lu
|-
| [[Liang (state)|Liang]]
| [[:zh:梁国 (嬴姓)|梁]]
| Liang
|[[Hancheng]], [[Shaanxi]]
| ''unknown''
| 641 BCE: to Qin
|-
| [[Liao (Zhou dynasty state)|Liao]], Miu
| [[:zh:蓼国|蓼]] ''or'' 繆
| Liao 
| [[Gushi County]], [[Henan]]
| ''unknown''
| 622 BCE: to Chu
|-
| Liu
| [[:zh:劉國|劉]]
| Liu
| [[Yanshi]], Henan
| 592 BCE
| {{circa|5th century BCE}}: to Zhou dynasty
|-
| rowspan=3| [[Lu (state)|Lu]]
| rowspan=3| [[:zh:鲁国|魯]]
| Lu 
| [[Lushan County, Henan]]
| rowspan=3| King Cheng's reign
| rowspan=3| 256 BCE: to Chu
|-
|Yancheng (奄城)
| [[Qufu]], Shandong
|-
|Qufu (曲阜)
| Qufu, Shandong
|-
| [[Lü (state)|Lü]]
| [[:zh:吕国|呂]]
| Lü 
| Nanyang, Henan
| ''unknown'
| 688 BCE: to Chu
|-
| Mao
| [[:zh:毛國|毛]]
| Mao 
| [[Qishan County]], Shaanxi
| King Wu's reign
| 516 BCE: to Qin
|-
|Mao
|[[:zh:茅國|茅]]
|Mao 
|[[Jinxiang County]], Shandong
|King Cheng's reign
|6th century BCE: to Zou
|-
| [[Ni (state)|Ni]], Xiaozhu
| [[:zh:郳國|郳]] ''or'' 小邾
| Ni 
| [[Shanting District]], Zaozhuang, Shandong
|King Cheng's reign
|335 BCE: to Chu
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
| [[Qi (state)|Qi]]
| [[:zh:齐国|齊]]
| Yingqiu (營丘), or [[Ancient Linzi|Linzi]] (臨淄)
| [[Linzi District]], [[Zibo]], Shandong
| King Wu's reign
| 221 BCE: to Qin
|-
|rowspan=4| [[Qi (Henan)|Qi]]
|rowspan=4| [[:zh:杞國|杞]]
| Qi 
| [[Qi County, Kaifeng|Qi County]], Henan
|rowspan=4| before Western Zhou
|rowspan=4| 445 BCE: to Chu
|-
|Pingyang (平陽)
|[[Xintai]], Shandong
|-
|Yuanling (緣陵)
|Changle County, Shandong
|-
|Chunyu (淳于)
| Anqiu, Shandong
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
|rowspan=6| [[Qin (state)|Qin]]
|rowspan=6| [[:zh:秦国|秦]]
| Qin 
| [[Qingshui County]], [[Gansu]]
|rowspan=6| [[King Xiao of Zhou|King Xiao]]'s reign
|rowspan=6| 206 BCE: to Western Chu
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
|Qian (汧)
| [[Long County, Shaanxi]]
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
|Pingyang (平陽)
| [[Mei County, Shaanxi]]
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
|Yong (雍)
| [[Fengxiang County]], Shaanxi
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
|[[Yueyang (Qin)|Yueyang]] (櫟陽)
| [[Yanliang District]], Xi'an, Shaanxi
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
|[[Xianyang]] (咸阳)
|Xianyang, Shaanxi
|-
| [[Quan (state)|Quan]]
| [[:zh:权国|權]]
| Quan 
| [[Jingmen]], Hubei
| ''unknown''
| 704 BCE: to Chu
|-
|Ren
|[[:zh:任國|任]]
|Ren 
| [[Weishan County, Shandong|Weishan County]], Shandong
|''unknown''
|Warring States period
|-
|rowspan=2| [[Ruo (state)|Ruo]]
|rowspan=2| [[:zh:鄀国|鄀]]
| Shangruo (上鄀) or Shangmi (商密)
| [[Xichuan County]], Henan 
|rowspan=2| ''unknown''
|rowspan=2| ''unknown''
|-
|Xiaruo (下鄀)
| [[Yicheng, Hubei]]
|-
| Shao
| [[:zh:召國|召]] ''or'' 邵
| Shao
| [[Qishan County]], Shaanxi
| King Wu's reign
| 513 BCE: to Zhou dynasty
|-
| Shan, Tan
| [[:zh:单国|單]] ''or'' 檀
| Shan 
| Mengjin County, Henan
| King Cheng's reign
| ''unknown''
|-
| [[Shen (state)|Shen]], Xie
| [[:zh:申國|申]] ''or'' 謝
| Shen
| Nanyang, Henan
| King Xuan's reign
| 688 – 680 BCE: to Chu
|-
| [[Shěn (state)|Shen]]
| {{linktext|沈}}
| Shen 
| [[Linquan County]], Anhui
| King Cheng's reign
| 506 BCE: to Cai
|-
| [[Shu (state)|Shu]]
| [[:zh:古蜀|蜀]]
| ''unknown''
| ''unknown''
| ''unknown''
| 316 BCE: to Qin
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
| [[Song (state)|Song]]
| [[:zh:宋国|宋]]
| Shangqiu (商丘)
| [[Shangqiu]], Henan
| King Cheng's reign
| 286 BCE: to Qi
|-
|Su
|[[:zh:宿国|宿]]
|Su 
| [[Dongping County]], Shandong
|''unknown''
|7th century BCE: to Song
|-
|Sui
|[[:zh:遂国|遂]]
|Sui 
| [[Ningyang County]], Shandong
|before Western Zhou
|681 BCE: to Qi
|-
|Tan
|[[:zh:郯国|郯]]
|Tan 
| [[Tancheng County]], Shandong
|''unknown''
|414 BCE: to Yue
|-
|[[Tan (state)|Tan]]
|[[:zh:譚國|譚]]
|Tan 
| [[Zhangqiu]], Shandong
|{{circa|1046 BCE}}
|684 BCE: to Qi
|-
| [[Teng (state)|Teng]]
| [[:zh:滕国|滕]]
| Teng 
| [[Tengzhou]], Shandong
| King Wu's reign
| 297 BCE: to Song
|-
| Wangshu
| [[:zh:王叔国|王叔]]
| Wangshu 
| [[Mengjin County]], Henan
| King Xiang of Zhou
| 563 BCE: to Zhou dynasty
|-
|rowspan=5 | [[Wey (state)|Wei (Wey)]]
|rowspan=5| [[:zh:卫国|衛]]
| [[Zhaoge]] (朝歌)
| [[Qi County, Hebi|Qi County]], Henan
|rowspan=5| King Cheng's reign
|rowspan=5| 209 BCE: 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
| [[:zh:温国|溫]]
| Wen 
| [[Wen County, Henan]]
| King Wu's reign
| 650 BCE: to [[Beidi]]
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
| [[Wu (state)|Wu]]
| [[:zh:吴国|吳]]
| Wu, or Gusu (姑蘇)
| [[Suzhou, Jiangsu|Suzhou]], Jiangsu
| ''unknown''
| 473 BCE: to Yue
|-
| [[Xi (state)|Xi]]
| [[:zh:息國|息]]
| Xi 
|[[Xi County, Henan]]
| ''unknown''
| 684 – 680 BCE: to Chu
|-
| [[Xian (state)|Xian]]
| [[:zh:弦國|弦]]
| Xian 
| [[Huanggang]], Hubei
| ''unknown''
| 655 BCE: to Chu
|-
| Xiang
| [[:zh:向国|向]]
| Xiang 
| [[Ju County]], Shandong
| ''unknown''
| 721 BCE: to Ju
|-
|rowspan=2 | [[Xing (state)|Xing]]
|rowspan=2 | [[:zh:邢国|邢]]
| Xing 
| [[Xingtai]], Hebei
|rowspan=2 | King Cheng's reign
|rowspan=2 | 632 BCE: to Wey
|-
|Yiyi (夷儀)
| [[Liaocheng]], Shandong
|-
<!--note there were two states – both are romanized as Xu-->
| [[Xu (state)|Xu]]
| [[:zh:徐国|徐]]
| Xu 
| [[Tancheng County]], Shandong
| before Western Zhou
| 512 BCE: to Wu
|-
|rowspan=5 | [[Xǔ (state)|Xu]]
|rowspan=5 | [[:zh:许国|許]] ''or'' 鄦
| Xu 
| [[Xuchang]], Henan
|rowspan=5 | King Wu's reign
|rowspan=5 | {{circa|5th century BCE}}: 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]]
|-
|rowspan=3 | Xue, [[Pi (state)|Pi]]
|rowspan=3 | 薛 ''or'' [[:zh:邳国|邳]]
|Xue 
| [[Tengzhou]], Shandong
|rowspan=3 |before Western Zhou
|rowspan=3 |418 BCE: to Qi
|-
|Xiapi (下邳)
| [[Pizhou]], Jiangsu
|-
|Shangpi (上邳)
| Pizhou, Jiangsu
|-
|Xuqu
|[[:zh:須句國|須句]]
|Xuqu
| [[Dongping County]], Shandong
|''unknown''
|620 BCE: to Lu
|-
|rowspan=2 | [[Yan (state)|Yan]]
|rowspan=2 | [[:zh:燕国|燕]]
| Bo (亳), or Shengju (聖聚)
| [[Fangshan District]], [[Beijing]]
|rowspan=2 | King Wu's reign
|rowspan=2 | 222 BCE: to Qin
|-
|[[Jicheng (Beijing)|Ji]] (薊)
|Beijing
|-
| Southern Yan
| [[:zh:南燕国|南燕]]
| Yan
| [[Yanjin County, Henan|Yanjin County]], Henan
| ''unknown''
| ''unknown''
|-
| Yan
| 鄢
| Yan
| [[Yanling County, Henan|Yanling County]], Henan
| King Wu's reign
| 769 BCE: to Zheng
|-
|Yang
|{{linktext|陽}}
|Yang 
| [[Yinan County]], Shandong
|''unknown''
|660 BCE: to Qi
|-
| Yin
| [[:zh:尹國|尹]]
| Yin 
| [[Xin'an County]], Henan
| King Xuan's reign
| ''unknown''
|-
| [[Ying (state)|Ying]]
| [[:zh:應國|應]]
| Ying 
| [[Pingdingshan]], Henan
| King Cheng's reign
| 646 BCE: to Chu
|-
|Yu
|[[:zh:邘国|邘]] ''or'' 于
|Yu
|Qinyang, Henan
|King Wu's reign
|''unknown''
|-
| Yu 
| [[:zh:鄅国|鄅]]
| Yu 
| [[Linyi]], Shandong
| ''unknown''
| 524 BCE: to Lu
|-
| Yuan
| [[:zh:原国|原]]
| Yuan 
| [[Jiyuan]], Henan
| King Wu's reign
| 635 BCE: to Jin
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
|rowspan=3 | [[Yue (state)|Yue]]
|rowspan=3| [[:zh:越國|越]]
| Kuaiji (會稽)
| [[Shaoxing]], [[Zhejiang]]
|rowspan=3| ''unknown''
|rowspan=3| 306 BCE: to Chu
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
|Langya (琅邪)
| [[Jiaonan]], Shandong
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
| Wu (吳)
| Suzhou, Jiangsu
|-
| [[Zeng (state)|Zeng]], [[Sui (state)|Sui]]
| [[:zh:曾国 (姬姓)|曾]] ''or'' 隨
| Sui 
| [[Suizhou]], Hubei
| ''unknown''
| ''unknown'': to Chu
|-
|Zeng
|[[:zh:鄫国|鄫]]
|Zeng 
| [[Fangcheng County]], Henan
|before Western Zhou
|567 BCE: to Ju
|-
| Zhan
| [[:zh:詹國|詹]]
| ''unknown''
| ''unknown''
| 827 BCE
| ''unknown''
|-
|Zhang
|[[:zh:鄣国|鄣]]
|Zhang 
|Dongping County, Shandong
|early Western Zhou
|664 BCE: to Qi
|-
|rowspan=2| [[Zheng (state)|Zheng]]
|rowspan=2| [[:zh:鄭國|鄭]]
| Zheng 
| [[Hua County, Shaanxi]]
|rowspan=2| 806 BCE
|rowspan=2| 375 BCE: to Han
|-
|Xinzheng (新鄭)
|[[Xinzheng]], Henan
|-
|rowspan=2| [[Zhongshan (state)|Zhongshan]]
|rowspan=2| [[:zh:中山国|中山]]
| Gu (顧)
| [[Dingzhou]], Hebei
|rowspan=2| 506 BCE
|rowspan=2| 296 BCE: to Zhao
|-
|Lingshou (靈壽)
| [[Lingshou County]], Hebei
|-
<!--Fief of Duke of Zhou's descendants, not the same as Zhou dynasty -->
| Zhou
| [[:zh:周邑|周]]
| Zhou
| [[Fengxiang County]], Shaanxi
| King Wu's reign
| ''unknown''
|-
| [[Zhoulai]]
| [[:zh:州來國|州來]]
| Zhoulai 
| Fengtai County, Anhui
| 8th century BCE
| 528 BCE: to Chu
|-
| Zhu
| [[:zh:祝國|祝]]
| Zhu 
| [[Changqing District]], Jinan, Shandong
| King Wu's reign
| 768 BCE: to Qi
|-
|Zhu
|[[:zh:铸国|鑄]]
|Zhu
|[[Feicheng]], Shandong
|King Wu's reign
|''unknown'': to Qi
|-
|Zhuan
|[[:zh:鄟国|鄟]]
|Zhuan
|Tancheng, Shandong
|''unknown''
|585 BCE: to Lu
|-
|Zhuanyu
|[[:zh:顓臾國|顓臾]]
|Zhuanyu
|[[Pingyi County]], Shandong
|King Wu's reign
|''unknown''
|-
|rowspan=2| [[Zou (state)|Zou]], Zhu
|rowspan=2| [[:zh:邾国|鄒]] ''or'' 邾
| Zhu (邾)
| Qufu, Shandong
|rowspan=2| King Wu's reign
|rowspan=2| 4th century BCE: to Chu
|-
|Zou (鄒)
| [[Zoucheng]], Shandong
|-
| colspan="6" | '''Key:'''
|- style="background:#eca4a4"
| colspan="6" | Hegemon
|-
| colspan="6" |''Note: Capitals are listed in chronological order.''
|}

==Notes==
{{Notelist }}

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
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===Further reading===
* {{Cite book|last=Ebrey|first= Patricia Buckley| author-link= Patricia Buckley Ebrey| date=1999| title=The Cambridge Illustrated History of China|publisher =Cambridge University Press|isbn=0-521-66991-X| edition=paperback}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Portal |China}}
* {{Citation | publisher = C text | contribution-url = http://ctext.org/dynasty.pl?if=en&dynasty=27 | title = Dynasty | contribution = Rulers of the states of Zhou}} – linked to their occurrences in classical Chinese texts.
* {{Commons category-inline|Spring and Autumn Period}}

{{Zhou dynasty topics}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spring and Autumn period}}
[[Category:Spring and Autumn period| ]]
[[Category:1st millennium BC in China]]
[[Category:8th-century BC establishments]]