Jin , originally known as
Tang (唐), was a major
state during the middle part of the
Zhou dynasty, based near the center of what was then China, on the lands attributed to the legendary
Xia dynasty: the southern part of modern
Shanxi. Although it grew in power during the
Spring and Autumn period, its aristocratic structure saw it break apart when the duke lost power to his nobles. In 453 BCE, Jin was split into three successor states:
Han,
Zhao and
Wei. The
Partition of Jin marks the end of the Spring and Autumn Period and the beginning of the
Warring States period.