Warring States period
Pre-imperial Chinese chaos
The Warring States period is an era of Chinese history (roughly 475–221 BCE) when rival states fought for supremacy before eventual unification under the Qin dynasty.
The period produced foundational texts of Chinese philosophy and military strategy, including Sun Tzu's *Art of War*.
The phrase appears in discussions of ancient China and occasionally as a metaphor for intense factional competition: The tech industry entered its own Warring States period.
- ancient ChinaEast Asian historical civilization
- DaoismPhilosophy of natural harmony
- ConfucianismChinese ethical philosophy
- war chariotsArmed horse-drawn vehicles
- siege warfareSurrounding fortifications to force capitulation
chariot warfare · Sun Tzu · military alliances · stratagems · defensive walls · feudalism · silk production · crossbows · bronze swords · Iron Age · territorial expansion · jade · terra cotta · Han · Zhou · bamboo · cavalry · bronze
- Ancient ChinaShang dynasty, Han dynasty, Confucius, oracle bones, Chinese characters
- Chinese bronzesding, bronze bells, tripods, cauldrons, bronze casting