Timeline of the Warring States and the Qin dynasty

See also: Timeline of the Chu–Han Contention
Expansion of the Qin dynasty

This is a timeline of the Warring States period (481 BC – 403 BC) and the Qin state (9th century BC – 221 BC) and dynasty (221 BC – 206 BC).

9th century BC

Year Date Event
897 BC Horse breeder Feizi is given the fief of Qin in modern Zhangjiachuan Hui Autonomous County[1]
858 BC Feizi dies and is succeeded by the Marquis of Qin
848 BC The Marquis of Qin dies and is succeeded by Gongbo
845 BC Gongbo dies and is succeeded by Qin Zhong
822 BC Qin Zhong is killed in battle by the Xirong[1] and is succeeded by Duke Zhuang of Qin

8th century BC

Year Date Event
778 BC Duke Zhuang of Qin dies and is succeeded by Duke Xiang of Qin
770 BC Duke Xiang of Qin sends an army to protect King Ping of Zhou[2]
766 BC Duke Xiang of Qin dies and is succeeded by Duke Wen of Qin
753 BC Annalists are established in Qin[3]
750 BC Qin defeats the Xirong in battle and annexes the land they occupied[2]
716 BC Duke Wen of Qin dies and is succeeded by Duke Xian of Qin
704 BC Duke Xian of Qin dies and is succeeded by Chuzi I

7th century BC

Year Date Event
698 BC Chuzi I is assassinated and succeeded by Duke Wu of Qin
688 BC The county (縣 xiàn) is mentioned for the first time in Qin[4]
678 BC Duke Wu of Qin dies and is succeeded by Duke De of Qin
Qin starts practicing human sacrifice at burials[3]
677 BC Qin moves its capital to Yong in modern Fengxiang[1]
676 BC Duke De of Qin dies and is succeeded by Duke Xuan of Qin
664 BC Duke Xuan of Qin dies and is succeeded by Duke Cheng of Qin
660 BC Duke Cheng of Qin dies and is succeeded by Duke Mu of Qin
650 BC Earliest archaeological evidence of crossbows[5]
645 BC Qin annexes Jin territory west of the Yellow River[2]
623 BC Qin deals a major defeat to the Xirong and expands further west[1]
621 BC Duke Mu of Qin dies and is succeeded by Duke Kang of Qin
609 BC Duke Kang of Qin dies and is succeeded by Duke Gong of Qin
604 BC Duke Gong of Qin dies and is succeeded by Duke Huan of Qin

6th century BC

Year Date Event
577 BC Duke Huan of Qin dies and is succeeded by Duke Jing of Qin
544 BC Sunzi is born
537 BC Duke Jing of Qin dies and is succeeded by Duke Ai of Qin
513 BC Penal laws are inscribed on iron tripod vessels in Qin[6]
501 BC Duke Ai of Qin dies and is succeeded by Duke Hui I of Qin

5th century BC

Year Date Event
500 BC Cast iron tools[7]
496 BC Sun Tzu dies
492 BC Duke Hui I of Qin dies and is succeeded by Duke Dao of Qin
479 BC Kongfuzi dies[8]
477 BC Duke Dao of Qin dies and is succeeded by Duke Ligong of Qin
473 BC Battle of Li River: Goujian of Yue attacks Fuchai of Wu while their forces are out on an expedition against Lu and Qi, resulting in the annexation of Wu[9]
470 BC Mozi is born
462 BC Qin seizes Wangcheng[10]
447 BC Chu (state) conquers Cai
443 BC Duke Ligong of Qin dies and is succeeded by Duke Zao of Qin
440 BC Wu Qi is born
430 BC The Xirong attack Qin[1]
429 BC Duke Zao of Qin dies and is succeeded by Duke Huai of Qin
425 BC Duke Huai of Qin kills himself and is succeeded by Duke Ling of Qin
418 BC Qi annexes Xue
415 BC Duke Ling of Qin dies and is succeeded by Duke Jian of Qin
412 BC Qin goes to war with Wei[11]
408 BC First recorded grain tax in Qin[2]

4th century BC

Year Date Event
400 BC Duke Jian of Qin dies and is succeeded by Duke Hui II of Qin
The commandery (郡 jùn) is mentioned for the first time in Wei[12]
Iron plough[6]
391 BC Mozi dies
390 BC Shang Yang is born
387 BC Duke Hui II of Qin dies and is succeeded by Chuzi II
385 BC Chuzi II is killed and succeeded by Duke Xian of Qin (424–362 BC)
Wei conquers Qin territory west of the Yellow River[2]
384 BC Qin officially bans the practice of human sacrifice at burials[3]
381 BC Wu Qi dies
375 BC Han conquers Zheng
372 BC Mencius is born
369 BC Chu conquers Zou
Zhuang Zhou is born
362 BC Duke Xian of Qin (424–362 BC) dies and is succeeded by Duke Xiao of Qin[11]
350 BC Qin moves its capital to Xianyang[1]
Qin creates 31 counties to be administered by centrally appointed magistrates[13]
Qin abolishes the fixed land tenure system[13]
344 BC Qin standardizes weights and measures[14]
340 BC Qin retakes territory lost to Wei[11]
338 BC Duke Xiao of Qin dies and is succeeded by King Huiwen of Qin
Shang Yang is killed[11]
336 BC Qin issues its first currency[8]
334 BC Chu conquers Yue
326 BC Qin starts celebrating the New Year[3]
317 BC Qin defeats the coalition army of Han, Zhao, and Wei[15]
316 BC Qin annexes Shu and Ba[16]
315 BC Qin captures 25 settlements from the Xirong[1]
313 BC Xun Kuang is born
312 BC Qin defeats a Chu army[15]
311 BC King Huiwen of Qin dies and is succeeded by King Wu of Qin
309 BC Qin creates the offices of chancellors of the right and left[14]
307 BC King Wu of Qin dies and is succeeded by King Zhaoxiang of Qin

3rd century BC

Year Date Event
297 BC Song conquers Teng
296 BC Zhao conquers Zhongshan
289 BC Mencius dies
286 BC Qi conquers Song
Zhuang Zhou dies
280 BC Han Fei is born
278 BC Qin sacks Ying, the capital of Chu[15]
272 BC Qin annexes Yiqu
266 BC According to a noble in Wei, "Qin has the same customs as the Rong and Di [barbarians]. It has the heart of a tiger or a wolf... It knows nothing about traditional mores, proper relationships, and virtuous conduct."[1]
262 BC Battle of Changping: Qin deals a major defeat to Zhao[17]
256 BC Qin annexes Eastern Zhou[14]
Li Bing constructs the Dujiangyan[18]
250 BC King Zhaoxiang of Qin dies and is succeeded by King Xiaowen of Qin and then King Zhuangxiang of Qin
249 BC Chu conquers Lu
247 BC 7 May King Zhuangxiang of Qin dies and is succeeded by King Zheng of Qin
246 BC The Zhengguo Canal is constructed[19]
238 BC Xun Kuang dies
233 BC Han Fei is killed[19]
230 BC Qin annexes Han[20]
228 BC Qin annexes Zhao[20]
227 BC Jing Ke fails to assassinate King Zheng of Qin[20]
225 BC Qin annexes Wei[20]
223 BC Qin annexes Chu[20]
222 BC Qin annexes Yan[20]
221 BC Qin annexes Qi[20]
King Zheng of Qin becomes the First Emperor of Qin[21]
Meng Tian starts construction of the Great Wall of China[22]
220 BC Construction of imperial highways begins[23]
219 BC The emperor gets mad at a mountain god, so he orders the mountain to be denuded and painted red[24]
The Lingqu "magic transport" canal is constructed, linking the Changjiang to Dongting Lake[25]
214 BC Qin's campaign against the Xiongnu: Meng Tian defeats the Xiongnu and conquers the Ordos region[26]
Qin's campaign against the Yue tribes: Qin expands into modern Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian, adding four new commanderies to the empire[26]
Colonists are sent to Guilin, Xiang, and Nanhai[27]
213 BC Burning of books and burying of scholars
Colonists are sent to modern Guangdong and northern Vietnam[27]
212 BC Construction of the Epang Palace begins[26]
Construction of the Qin Mausoleum begins[26]
211 BC An inauspicious comet is sighted, causing the emperor to kill everyone around the area where it fell[28]
Colonists are sent to Ordos[27]
210 BC Xu Fu returns from his voyage to find the elixir of life and blames his failure on sea monsters so the emperor goes fishing[28]
10 September The First Emperor of Qin dies[29]
October Zhao Gao and Li Si enthrone the Second Emperor of Qin; the brother Fusu kills himself and Meng Tian is imprisoned[29]
209 BC Qin annexes Wey
Dazexiang uprising: Chen Sheng and Wu Guang rebel[30]
208 BC January Dazexiang uprising: Chen Sheng and Wu Guang are assassinated but the rebellion continues under other leaders such as Liu Bang and Xiang Yu[31]
August Li Si is killed[31]
207 BC August Battle of Julu: Qin general Zhang Han surrenders to Xiang Yu[31]
October The Second Emperor of Qin kills himself and Zhao Gao replaces him with Ziying, who stabs Zhao to death[31]
November Ziying surrenders to Liu Bang; so ends the Qin dynasty[31]
  • Early Warring States period
    Early Warring States period
  • Qin campaigns against the Warring States
    Qin campaigns against the Warring States
  • Qin dynasty
    Qin dynasty
  • Zhengguo Canal
    Zhengguo Canal
  • Uprisings
    Uprisings

See also

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Twitchett 2008, p. 31.
  2. ^ a b c d e Twitchett 2008, p. 33.
  3. ^ a b c d Twitchett 2008, p. 32.
  4. ^ Twitchett 2008, p. 25.
  5. ^ Loades 2018.
  6. ^ a b Twitchett 2008, p. 23.
  7. ^ Ebrey 2005, p. 30.
  8. ^ a b Twitchett 2008, p. 29.
  9. ^ Whiting 2002, p. 62.
  10. ^ Whiting 2002, p. 63.
  11. ^ a b c d Twitchett 2008, p. 34.
  12. ^ Twitchett 2008, p. 26.
  13. ^ a b Twitchett 2008, p. 35.
  14. ^ a b c Twitchett 2008, p. 38.
  15. ^ a b c Peers 2013, p. 59.
  16. ^ Twitchett 2008, p. 40.
  17. ^ Twitchett 2008, p. 99.
  18. ^ Twitchett 2008, p. 45.
  19. ^ a b Twitchett 2008, p. 44.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g Twitchett 2008, p. 46.
  21. ^ Twitchett 2008, p. 53.
  22. ^ Twitchett 2008, p. 62.
  23. ^ Twitchett 2008, p. 61.
  24. ^ Twitchett 2008, p. 80.
  25. ^ Twitchett 2008, p. 65.
  26. ^ a b c d Twitchett 2008, p. 64.
  27. ^ a b c Twitchett 2008, p. 66.
  28. ^ a b Twitchett 2008, p. 79.
  29. ^ a b Twitchett 2008, p. 82.
  30. ^ Twitchett 2008, p. 83.
  31. ^ a b c d e Twitchett 2008, p. 84.

Bibliography

  • Ebrey, Patricia (2005), China: A Cultural, Social, and Political History, Wadsworth Publishing
  • Li, Xiaobing, ed. China at War: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2012. online
  • Loades, Mike (2018), The Crossbow, Osprey
  • Peers, C.J. (2006), Soldiers of the Dragon: Chinese Armies 1500 BC - AD 1840, Osprey Publishing Ltd
  • Peers, Chris (2013), Battles of Ancient China, Pen & Sword Military
  • Twitchett, Denis (2008), The Cambridge History of China 1, Cambridge University Press
  • Whiting, Marvin C. (2002), Imperial Chinese Military History, Writers Club Press