principality · China, Tibet and Mongolia

Duchy of Eastern Zhou

367 BCE – 249 BCE · capital Gong

A breakaway duchy east of Luoyang, created in a family quarrel in 367 BCE, which outlasted the Zhou kings by seven years before falling to Qin.

Origins

After the death of Duke Wei of the Duchy of Western Zhou, his younger son Gen, backed by the State of Zhao and the State of Han, set himself up at Gong (modern Gongyi, Henan) in 367 BCE as Duke Hui of Eastern Zhou, splitting the remaining royal domain in two.

Rule and society

The duchy was a cluster of towns along the Luo River whose rulers competed with Western Zhou for influence over the king and survived by diplomacy with the great powers. Little is known of its internal life.

Decline and legacy

After the fall of Western Zhou in 256 BCE, the Eastern Zhou ruler continued to plot with other states against the State of Qin. In 249 BCE Qin's chancellor Lü Buwei led an army that annexed the duchy, extinguishing the last political remnant of the Zhou royal house.

Connections (2)

  • Duchy of Eastern Zhou was part of Eastern Zhou367 BCE – 256 BCE
  • Duchy of Eastern Zhou was conquered by State of Qin249 BCE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Duchy of Eastern Zhou. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-eastern-zhou
MLA
“Duchy of Eastern Zhou.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-eastern-zhou. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Duchy of Eastern Zhou.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-eastern-zhou.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Duchy of Eastern Zhou’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-eastern-zhou (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻