The Four Lords of the Warring States were four powerful aristocrats of the late

Warring States period The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...

Chinese history The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the ''Book of Documents'' (early chapter ...

who exerted a strong influence on the politics of their respective states in the third century BCE. During this time, the Zhou king was a mere figurehead, and seven states led by aristocratic families competed for real power. Although they were not themselves monarchs, four aristocrats stood out because of their tremendous military power and wealth:

Lord Mengchang Lord Mengchang (; died 279 BC), born Tian Wen, was an aristocrat and statesman of the Qi Kingdom of ancient China, one of the famed Four Lords of the Warring States period. He was a son of Tian Ying and grandson of King Wei of Qi. He succeeded to ...

(d. 279BCE) of Qi, Lord Pingyuan (d. 251BCE) of Zhao,

Lord Xinling Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or a ...

(d. 243BCE) of Wei and

Lord Chunshen Lord Chunshen (; died 238 BC), born Huang Xie (),was a Chinese military general and politician. He served as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Chu during the late Warring States period of ancient China. He was one of the Four Lords of the Wa ...

(d. 238BCE) of Chu. All four were renowned for their activity in the politics of their era as well as being the persona of their state respectively at the time; they also wielded influence via the cultivation and housing of many talented house-guests, who often included learned men and tacticians. As such, they came to be the most prominent patrons of the ''shi'' () or scholar-knights, stimulating the intellectual life of the time. Their prestige became the inspiration for

Lü Buwei Lü Buwei (291–235 BCE) was a Chinese merchant and politician of the Qin state during the Warring States period. Originally an influential merchant from the Wei () state, Lü Buwei met and befriended King Zhuangxiang of Qin, who was then a m ...

when he created his academic analogue in

Qin Qin may refer to: Dynasties and states * Qin (state) (秦), a major state during the Zhou Dynasty of ancient China * Qin dynasty (秦), founded by the Qin state in 221 BC and ended in 206 BC * Daqin (大秦), ancient Chinese name for the Roman Emp ...

References in the Records of the Grand Historian

These four lords are paralleled in some books of ''the

Records of the Grand Historian ''Records of the Grand Historian'', also known by its Chinese name ''Shiji'', is a monumental history of China that is the first of China's 24 dynastic histories. The ''Records'' was written in the early 1st century by the ancient Chinese hist ...

'', the first of the

Twenty-Four Histories The ''Twenty-Four Histories'' (), also known as the ''Orthodox Histories'' (), are the Chinese official dynastic histories covering from the earliest dynasty in 3000 BC to the Ming dynasty in the 17th century. The Han dynasty official Sima Qian ...

of China. In ''the Biographies of Lord Pingyuan and Yu Qing,''

At this time, n addition to Lord Pingyuan in Zhao,in Qi lived Mengchang, in Wei Xinling, and in Chu Chunshen. They competed to invite ''shi'' (talents).

In ''the Biography of Lord Chunshen,''Biography of Lord Chunshen
春申君既相楚，是時齊有孟嘗君，趙有平原君，魏有信陵君，方爭下士，招致賓客，以相傾奪，輔國持權。

Lord Chunshen now stood as the prime minister of the Kingdom of Chu. At this time, in Qi lived Lord Mengchang, in Zhao Lord Pingyuan, and in Wei Lord Xinling. They competed to humble themselves before ''shi'' (talents) o hire them invited brilliant guests, and tried to defeat each other. They sustained their states and held the real power.

Lord Mengchang

was an aristocrat of the

State of Qi Qi, or Ch'i in Wade–Giles romanization, was a state of the Zhou dynasty-era in ancient China, variously reckoned as a march, duchy, and independent kingdom. Its capital was Linzi, located in present-day Shandong. Qi was founded shortly ...

. He was born Tian Wen, son of Tian Ying and the grandson of King Wei of Qi. He succeeded his father's fief in Xue.

Lord Pingyuan

Born Zhao Sheng, he was a son of

King Wuling of Zhao King Wuling of Zhao () (died 295 BCE, reigned 325 BCE – 299 BCE) reigned in the State of Zhao during the Warring States period of Chinese history. His reign was famous for one important event: the reforms consisting of "Wearing the Hu (styled) A ...

, brother of

King Huiwen King Huiwen may refer to: *King Huiwen of Qin (reigned 338–311 BC) *King Huiwen of Zhao King Huiwen of Zhao () (born 310 BCE - died 266 BCE, reigned 298 BCE – 266 BCE) reigned in the State of Zhao during the Warring States period of Chinese hi ...

and uncle to King Xiaocheng. During his life, he was thrice appointed the Prime Minister of the

State of Zhao Zhao () was one of the seven major State (Ancient China), states during the Warring States period of ancient China. It was created from the three-way Partition of Jin, together with Han (state), Han and Wei (state), Wei, in the 5th century BC. ...

. Zhao Sheng's fief was the City of Dongwu. Lord Pingyuan was his title, and some of his famous retainers included the philosophers

Xun Kuang Xun Kuang (; BCE), better known as Xunzi (; ), was a Chinese philosopher of Confucianism who lived during the late Warring States period. After his predecessors Confucius and Mencius, Xunzi is often ranked as the third great Confucian philosop ...

and

Gongsun Long Gongsun Long (, BCLiu 2004, p. 336), courtesy name Zibing (子秉), was a Chinese philosopher and writer who was a member of the School of Names (Logicians) of ancient Chinese philosophy. He also ran a school and enjoyed the support of rulers, ...

, the

Yin and Yang Yin and yang ( and ) is a Chinese philosophy, Chinese philosophical concept that describes opposite but interconnected forces. In Chinese cosmology, the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy, organized into the c ...

master

Zou Yan Zou Yan (; ; 305 BC240 BC) was a Chinese philosopher and spiritual writer best known as the representative thinker of the Yin and Yang School (or School of Naturalists) during the Hundred Schools of Thought era in Chinese philosophy. Biography Z ...

, and the diplomat

Mao Sui Mao Sui (fl. 3rd century BC), was born in the Zhao state (current Hebei province) during the Warring States period. He was a retainer of Lord Pingyuan, namely Zhao Sheng. Mao lived in Zhao for three years but success eluded him. In 257 BC, after t ...

Lord Xinling

Born as Wei Wuji, he was the son of King Zhao of the

State of Wei Wei (; ; Old Chinese: *') was one of the seven major states during the Warring States period of ancient China. It was created from the three-way Partition of Jin, together with Han and Zhao. Its territory lay between the states of Qin and Qi ...

and younger half-brother to

King Anxi of Wei King Anxi of Wei () (died 243 BC), personal name Wei Yu () was King of Wei from 276 BC to 243 BC. He was the son of King Zhao of Wei. He was the older brother of Lord Xinling (Wei Wuji). In 275 BC, after a Han general fled to the Wei capital Dal ...

. In 277BCE, King Anxi assigned Wei Wuji the fief of Xinling. At the height of his career, he was the supreme commander of the armed forces of the

Kingdom of Wei Wei or WEI may refer to: States * Wey (state) (衛, 1040–209 BC), Wei in pinyin, but spelled Wey to distinguish from the bigger Wei of the Warring States * Wei (state) (魏, 403–225 BC), one of the seven major states of the Warring States per ...

. After stepping down, Lord Xinling became dispirited and died in 243BCE.

Lord Chunshen

Born Huang Xie, he was originally a government official working for

King Qingxiang of Chu King Qingxiang of Chu (, died 263 BC) was from 298 to 263 BC the king of the state of Chu during the Warring States period of ancient China. He was born Xiong Heng () and King Qingxiang was his posthumous title. Xiong Heng's father, King Hua ...

, and later followed Crown Prince Wan when he spent ten years as a hostage in the Kingdom of Qin. After the death of King Qingxiang, Prince Wan and Huang Xie returned to the Kingdom of Chu. Prince Wan was enthroned as

King Kaolie of Chu King Kaolie of Chu (, died 238 BC) was the king of the state of Chu from 262 BC to 238 BC during the late Warring States period of ancient China. He was born Xiong Yuan () or Xiong Wan (), and King Kaolie was his posthumous title. King Kaolie ...

, while Huang Xie was appointed Prime Minister and received the title of Lord Chunshen. For the next 25 years, Lord Chunshen remained Prime Minister of Chu, until his assassination by Li Yuan in 238BCE.

References

Notes

Works cited

* {{Four Lords of the Warring States Lists of Chinese people Zhou dynasty nobility Articles about multiple people in pre-Tang China Quartets