The
Warring States period was an era in
ancient Chinese history following the
Spring and Autumn period and concluding with the
Qin wars of conquest that saw the annexation of all other contender states, which ultimately led to the
Qin state's victory in 221 BC as the first unified
Chinese empire known as the
Qin dynasty. Although different scholars point toward different dates ranging from 481 BC to 403 BC as the true beginning of the Warring States,
Sima Qian's choice of 475 BC is generally the most often cited and popularly accepted one. The Warring States era also overlaps with the second half of the
Eastern Zhou dynasty, though the
Chinese sovereign, known as the king of Zhou, ruled merely a
figurehead and served as a backdrop against the machinations of the warring states.