Zhao () was one of the seven major
states during the
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 ...
of ancient China. It was created from the three-way
Partition of Jin, together with
Han and
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 ...
, in the 5th century BC. Zhao gained significant strength from the military reforms initiated during
King Wuling's reign, but suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of
Qin at the
Battle of Changping
The Battle of Changping () was a military campaign during the Warring States period of ancient China, which took place from 262 BC to 260 BC at Changping (northwest of present-day Gaoping, Shanxi province), between the two strongest militar ...
. Its territory included areas now in modern
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...
,
Hebei
Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, and ...
,
Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-leve ...
and
Shaanxi
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), N ...
provinces. It bordered the states of Qin, Wei and
Yan and various nomadic peoples, including the
Hu and
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, the supreme leader after 20 ...
. Its capital was
Handan
Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwest of Hebei province, China. The southernmost prefecture-level city of the province, it borders Xingtai on the north, and the provinces of Shanxi on the west, Henan on the south and Shan ...
, in modern Hebei Province.
Zhao was home to
administrative philosopher Shen Dao
Shen Dao (; c. 350c. 275BC) was a Chinese philosopher and writer. He was a "Chinese Legalist" theoretician most remembered for his influence on Han Fei with regards to the concept of shi 勢 (circumstantial advantage, power, or authority), thou ...
,
sophist Gongsun Long and the
Confucian
Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...
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 phil ...
.
Origins and ascendancy
The
Zhao clan within
Jin had accumulated power for centuries, including annexing the
Baidi state of
Dai for themselves during the mid-5th centuryBC.
At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, Jin was
divided up between three powerful ministers;
Xiangzi, the Zhao family patriarch being one of them. In 403 BC, the king of Zhou formally recognized the existence of the State of Zhao along with two other States, Han and Wei, marking the start of the Warring States Period.
At the onset of the Warring States period, Zhao was one of the weaker states. Despite its extensive territory, its northern border was frequently subject to harassment by the
Eastern Hu, Forest Hu,
Loufan Loufan may refer to:
* Loufan (tribe) (樓煩), a Xiongnu-associated nomadic tribe; see Loufan County, Shanxi Province, China
* Loufan Commandery (樓煩郡, part of modern Xinzhou), former commandery in what is now Xinzhou Prefecture, Shanxi, Chi ...
,
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, the supreme leader after 20 ...
and other northern nomadic peoples. At the same time, Zhao was surrounded by strong states and lacked the military strength of Wei or the prosperity of Qi. Zhao became a pawn in the struggle between the states of Wei and Qi, and this struggle came to a climax in 354 BC when Wei invaded Zhao, and Zhao had to seek aid from Qi. The resulting
Battle of Guiling was a major victory for Qi, and it consequently lessened the threat to Zhao's southern border.
Zhao remained relatively weak until the military reforms of
King Wuling of Zhao (325-299 BC). The soldiers of Zhao were ordered to dress like their
Hu neighbours and to replace war
chariots
A chariot is a type of cart driven by a charioteer, usually using horses to provide rapid motive power. The oldest known chariots have been found in burials of the Sintashta culture in modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, dated to c. 2000&nbs ...
with cavalry archers (). This reform proved to be a brilliant strategy. With the advanced technology of the Chinese states and nomadic tactics, the cavalry of Zhao became a powerful force. The result was that the newly strengthened Zhao was evenly matched against its greatest enemy, the state of Qi.
Zhao demonstrated its enhanced military prowess by conquering the State of
Zhongshan
Zhongshan (; ) is a prefecture-level city in the south of the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong province, China. As of the 2020 census, the whole city with 4,418,060 inhabitants is now part of the Guangzhou–Shenzhen conurbation with 65,565,622 ...
in 295 BC after a prolonged war, and annexing territory from its neighbouring states of Wei, Yan, and Qin. During this time, the cavalry of Zhao also occasionally intruded into the
state of Qi in campaigns against the
state of Chu
Chu, or Ch'u in Wade–Giles romanization, (, Hanyu Pinyin: Chǔ, Old Chinese: ''*s-r̥aʔ'') was a Zhou dynasty vassal state. Their first ruler was King Wu of Chu in the early 8th century BCE. Chu was located in the south of the Zhou ...
.
Several brilliant military commanders of the period appeared concurrently, including
Lian Po,
Zhao She and
Li Mu
Li Mu (; died 229 BC), personal name Zuo (繓), courtesy name Mu (牧), was a Chinese military general of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period. He was named by Chinese historians as one of the four greatest generals of the late W ...
. Lian Po proved instrumental in defending Zhao against the Qin. Zhao She was most active in the east; leading the invasion of the
Yan state. Li Mu defended Zhao from the
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, the supreme leader after 20 ...
in the
Zhao–Xiongnu War
The Zhao–Xiongnu War () was a war that took place between the state of Zhao and the Xiongnu confederation in 265 BC during the Warring States period of China.
Background
The Zhao state in North China bordered areas inhabited by nomadic tribes ...
and later from Qin.
Fall of Zhao
By the end of the Warring States Period, Zhao was the only state strong enough to oppose the powerful
Qin state. An alliance with Wei against Qin commenced in 287 BC but ended in defeat at Huayang in 273 BC. The struggle then culminated in the bloodiest battle of the whole period, the
Battle of Changping
The Battle of Changping () was a military campaign during the Warring States period of ancient China, which took place from 262 BC to 260 BC at Changping (northwest of present-day Gaoping, Shanxi province), between the two strongest militar ...
in 260 BC. The troops of Zhao were completely defeated by Qin. Although the forces of Wei and Chu saved Handan from a follow-up siege by the victorious Qin, Zhao would never recover from the enormous loss of men in the battle.
In 229 BC, invasions led by the Qin general
Wang Jian were opposed by
Li Mu
Li Mu (; died 229 BC), personal name Zuo (繓), courtesy name Mu (牧), was a Chinese military general of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period. He was named by Chinese historians as one of the four greatest generals of the late W ...
and his subordinate officer Sima Shang () until 228 BC. Li Mu was one of the best generals of the Warring States era, and although he was unable to defeat Wang Jian (also one of the best generals of the period), Wang Jian was unable to make headway either. The invasion developed into a stalemate. Realizing that he had to get rid of Li Mu to conquer Zhao, the emperor of Qin,
Qin Shihuang, attempted to sow discord among the Zhao leadership. Zhao
King Youmiu fell for the scheme: acting on faulty advice from disloyal court officials and Qin infiltrators, he ordered the
execution
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that ...
of Li Mu and relieved Sima Shang from his duties. Li Mu's replacement, Zhao Cong, was promptly defeated by Wang Jian. Qin captured King Youmiu and conquered Zhao in 228 BC. Prince Jia, the half-brother of King Qian, was proclaimed
King Jia at
Dai and led the last Zhao forces against the Qin. The regime lasted until 222 BC, when the Qin army captured him and defeated his forces at Dai.
A rebel named
Wu Chen, following
Chen Sheng
Chen Sheng (died January 208 BC), also known as Chen She ("She" being his courtesy name), posthumously known as Prince Yin, was the leader of the Dazexiang Uprising, the first rebellion against the Qin Dynasty. It occurred during the reign ...
and
Wu Guang
Wu Guang (, died December 209 BC or January 208 BC) was a leader of the first rebellion against the Qin Dynasty during the reign of the Second Qin Emperor.
Life
Wu Guang was born in Yangxia (陽夏; present-day Taikang County, Zhoukou, Hen ...
's suits at
Chu, proclaimed himself King of Zhao. Wu was later killed by his subordinate
Li Liang ().
Zhang Er
Zhang Er (, born 1960) is the pen name of Chinese and American poet, translator, and opera librettist Mingxia Li (). Born in Beijing, China, where she trained as a physician, she has lived in the United States since 1986. She earned a Ph.D. in Mol ...
() and
Chen Yu (), former officials of Zhao, created a Zhao royal,
Zhao Xie (), as king of Zhao. In 206 BC, the rebel lord of Chu,
Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu (, –202 BC), born Xiang Ji (), was the Hegemon-King (Chinese: 霸王, ''Bà Wáng'') of Western Chu during the Chu–Han Contention period (206–202 BC) of China. A noble of the Chu state, Xiang Yu rebelled against the Qin dyna ...
, defeated the
Qin dynasty
The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin state (modern Gansu and Shaanxi), ...
and created himself and other seventeen lords as
kings
Kings or King's may refer to:
*Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings
*One of several works known as the "Book of Kings":
**The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts
**The ''Shahnameh'' ...
, making Zhao Xie the king of Dai. Chen Yu helped Zhao Xie taking back the land of Zhao from Zhang Er, so Zhao Xie created Chen Yu prince of Dai. In 205 BC, Chen Yu's subordinate at Dai,
Xia Yue (), was defeated by
Liu Bang's generals
Han Xin
Han Xin (; 231/230–196 BC) was a Chinese military general and politician who served Liu Bang during the Chu–Han Contention and contributed greatly to the founding of the Han dynasty. Han Xin was named as one of the "Three Heroes of the e ...
and Zhang Er. Chen Yu was defeated by Han Xin in 204 BC and later, Zhao Xie was killed by Han forces. Liu Bang gifted the state of Zhao to Zhang Er.
In 154 BC, an unrelated
Zhao Zhao may refer to:
* Zhao (surname) (赵), a Chinese surname
** commonly spelled Chao in Taiwan or up until the early 20th century in other regions
** Chiu, from the Cantonese pronunciation
** Cho (Korean surname), represent the Hanja 趙 (Chine ...
(), headed by Liu Sui (), the Prince of Zhao kingdom, participated in the unsuccessful
Rebellion of the Seven States
The Rebellion of the Seven States or Revolt of the Seven Kingdoms () took place in 154 BC against the Han dynasty of China by its regional semi-autonomous kings, to resist the emperor's attempt to centralize the government further.
Background ...
() against the newly installed second emperor of the
Han dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by th ...
.
Culture and society
Before the state of Qin unified China in 221 BC, each region had their own unique customs and culture, although they were all dominated by an upper class that shared a largely common culture. In the ''
Yu Gong'' (Tribute of Yu), a section of the
Book of Documents
The ''Book of Documents'' (''Shūjīng'', earlier ''Shu King'') or ''Classic of History'', also known as the ''Shangshu'' (“Venerated Documents”), is one of the Five Classics of ancient Chinese literature. It is a collection of rhetoric ...
which was most likely composed in the 4th century BC, the author describes a China that is divided into nine regions, each with its own distinctive peoples and products. The core theme of this section is that these nine regions are unified into one state by the travels of the eponymous sage,
Yu the Great
Yu the Great (大禹) was a legendary king in ancient China who was famed for his introduction of flood control, his establishment of the Xia dynasty which inaugurated dynastic rule in China, and his upright moral character. He figures promine ...
and by sending each region's unique goods to the capital as tribute. Other texts also discussed these regional variations in culture and physical environments.
One of these texts was ''
Wuzi
The ''Wuzi'' () is a classic Chinese work on military strategy attributed to Wu Qi. It is considered one of China's Seven Military Classics.
It is said there were two books on the art of war by Wu Qi, but one was lost, hence leaving the ''Wuzi ...
(The Book of Master Wu'') which was a Warring States military treatise written in response to a query by Marquis Wu 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 ...
on how to cope with the other states.
Wu Qi, the author of the work, declared that the government and nature of the people were linked to the physical environment and territory they live in.
Of Zhao, he said:
List of Zhao rulers
Before the partition of Jin
*
Chengzi of Zhao
*
Xuanzi of Zhao
*
Zhuangzi of Zhao
*
Wenzi of Zhao
*
Jingzi of Zhao ()
*
Jianzi of Zhao
Jianzi (), tī jianzi (踢毽子), tī jian (踢毽) or jianqiú (毽球), is a traditional Chinese national sport in which players aim to keep a heavily weighted shuttlecock in the air by using their bodies, apart from the hands, unlike in sim ...
()
*
Xiangzi of Zhao ()
*
Huanzi of Zhao ()
After the partition of Jin
*
Marquess Xian (), personal name Huan (), ruled 424 BC–409 BC
*
Marquess Lie (), personal name Ji (), son of previous, ruled 409 BC–387 BC, noted for several reforms
*
Marquess Jing (), personal name Zhang (), son of previous, ruled 387 BC–375 BC
*
Marquess Cheng (), personal name Zhong (), son of previous, ruled 375 BC–350 BC
*
Marquess Su (), personal name Yu (), son of previous, ruled 350 BC–326 BC
*
King Wuling (), personal name Yong (), son of previous, ruled 326 BC–Spring 299 BC
*
King Huiwen (), personal name He (), son of previous, ruled Spring 299 BC–266 BC
*
King Xiaocheng
King Xiaocheng of Zhao (; reigned 265 BCE – 245 BCEVolume 6 of ''Zizhi Tongjian'' indicated that King Xiaocheng died in the 2nd year of the reign of Qin Shi Huang, who was still King of Qin at the time; this corresponds to 245 BCE in the prolep ...
(), personal name Dan (), son of previous, ruled 266 BC–245 BC
*
King Daoxiang (), personal name Yan (), son of previous, ruled 245 BC–236 BC
*
King Youmiu (), personal name Qian (), son of previous, ruled 236 BC–228 BC
*
King Jia of Dai (), personal name Jia (), half-brother of previous, ruled 228 BC–222 BC
*
Xie, King of Zhao (), ruled 209 BC–205 BC. Also known as Zhao Xie. A reinstalled king of Zhao by rioting peasants during the reign of
Qin Er Shi. Defeated and Killed by
Liu Bang.
Zhao in astronomy
There are two opinions about the representing star of Zhao in
Chinese astronomy
Astronomy in China has a long history stretching from the Shang dynasty, being refined over a period of more than 3,000 years. The ancient Chinese people have identified stars from 1300 BCE, as Chinese star names later categorized in the tw ...
. The opinions are :
* Zhao is represented with the star
Lambda Herculis
Lambda Herculis (λ Herculis. abbreviated Lambda Her, λ Her), formally named Maasym , is a star in the constellation of Hercules. From parallax measurements taken during the Gaia mission, it is approximately 393 light-years from the Sun ...
in asterism ''Left Wall'',
Heavenly Market enclosure ., and also represented with two stars
26 Capricorni
6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number.
In mathematics
Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second ...
( , en, the First Star of Zhao) and
27 Capricorni ( , en, the Second Star of Zhao) in asterism ''Twelve States'',
Girl mansion. (see
Chinese constellation
Traditional Chinese astronomy has a system of dividing the celestial sphere into asterisms or constellations, known as "officials" (Chinese ''xīng guān'').
The Chinese asterisms are generally smaller than the constellations of Hellenistic t ...
).
* Zhao is represented with the star
Lambda Herculis
Lambda Herculis (λ Herculis. abbreviated Lambda Her, λ Her), formally named Maasym , is a star in the constellation of Hercules. From parallax measurements taken during the Gaia mission, it is approximately 393 light-years from the Sun ...
, and also represented with star "m Capricorni".
Richard Hinckley Allen: Star Names – Their Lore and Meaning: Capricornus
/ref>
See also
* Zhao (Han dynasty kingdom)
* Han Zhao
*Later Zhao
The Later Zhao (; 319–351) was a dynasty of the Sixteen Kingdoms in northern China. It was founded by the Shi family of the Jie ethnicity. The Jie were most likely a Yeniseian people and spoke next to Chinese one of the Yeniseian languages.Vo ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zhao (State)
Ancient Chinese states
403 BC
Jin (Chinese state)
History of Hebei
History of Shanxi
222 BC
States and territories disestablished in the 3rd century BC
3rd-century BC disestablishments in China
5th-century BC establishments in China
Former kingdoms