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Warring States
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Warring States

Chinese history
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Also known as: Chan-kuo, Contending States, Zhanguo
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
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Last Updated: • Article History
Quick Facts
Also called:
Contending States
Chinese (Pinyin):
Zhanguo or
(Wade-Giles romanization):
Chan-kuo
Date:
475 BCE - 221
Location:
China
Major Events:
Three Kingdoms
See all related content

Warring States, (475–221 bce), designation for seven or more small feuding Chinese kingdoms whose careers collectively constitute an era in Chinese history. The Warring States period was one of the most fertile and influential in Chinese history. It not only saw the rise of many of the great philosophers of Chinese civilization, including the Confucian thinkers Mencius and Xunzi, but also witnessed the establishment of many of the governmental structures and cultural patterns that were to characterize China for the next 2,000 years.

The Warring States period is distinguished from the preceding age, the Spring and Autumn (Chunqiu) period (770–476 bce), when the country was divided into many even smaller states. The name Warring States is derived from an ancient work known as the Zhanguoce (“Intrigues of the Warring States”). In these intrigues, two states, Qin and Chu, eventually emerged supreme. Qin finally defeated all the other states and established the first unified Chinese empire in 221 bce.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.