Glossary · Term

Warring States period

c. 475–221 BCE · 5th century BCE

The Warring States period was the final phase of the Eastern Zhou in ancient China, when seven major states, Qin, Chu, Qi, Yan, Han, Zhao and Wei, fought for supremacy. It saw mass infantry armies, iron tools, legalist reforms and the work of thinkers such as Mencius and Zhuangzi. It ended when Qin conquered the others and unified China in 221 BCE.

Warring States period
Image: Philg88 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 5 profiles

State of QiSocioeconomy, DeclineWestern ZhouImpact, SummaryState of ChuMilitaryClassical ChineseOriginsDaoismOrigins, Summary

Mentioned in 5 state histories

State of YanState of ZouState of LuEastern ZhouYelang

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Warring States period. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/warring-states-period
MLA
“Warring States period.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/warring-states-period. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Warring States period.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/warring-states-period.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Warring States period’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/warring-states-period (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻