Age of Warring States

Warring States period
"Warring States" in seal script (top), Traditional (middle), and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
Traditional Chinese	戰國時代
Simplified Chinese	战国时代
Literal meaning	"Warring States era"
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhànguó shídài Gwoyeu Romatzyh Janngwo shyrday Wade–Giles Chan4-kuo2 shih2-tai4 IPA [ʈʂân.ku̯ǒ ʂɨ̌.tâi̯] Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Jin-gwok sìh-doih Jyutping Zin3-gwok3 si4-doi6 Southern Min Tâi-lô Tsiàn-kok sî-tāi

The Warring States period (Chinese: 戰國時代; pinyin: Zhànguó shídài) was an era in ancient Chinese history following the Spring and Autumn period and concluding with the Qin wars of conquest that saw the annexation of all other contender states, which ultimately led to the Qin state's victory in 221 BC as the first unified Chinese empire known as the Qin dynasty. Although different scholars point toward different dates ranging from 481 BC to 403 BC as the true beginning of the Warring States, Sima Qian's choice of 475 BC is generally the most often cited and popularly accepted one. The Warring States era also overlaps with the second half of the Eastern Zhou dynasty, though the Chinese sovereign, known as the king of Zhou, ruled merely as a figurehead and served as a backdrop against the machinations of the warring states.

The "Warring States Period" derives its name from the Record of the Warring States, a work compiled early in the Han dynasty.

The political geography of the era was dominated by the Seven Warring States, namely:

Besides these seven major states, some minor states also survived into the period.

The Spring and Autumn period was initiated by the eastward flight of the Zhou court. There is no one single incident or starting point for the Warring States era. The political situation of the period was a culmination of historical trends of conquest and annexation which also characterised the Spring and Autumn period; as a result there is some controversy as to the beginning of the era. Some proposed starting points are as follows: