In 481 B.C.E., ancient China was on the cusp of one of the most profound revolutions any society has ever undergone, one that would set the course of world history for the following two millennia and a half. The ruling order that had been set up by the Zhou kings almost six centuries before was disintegrating. While the Zhou realm was populous, wealthy, and blessed with a sophisticated and already ancient culture, the basic institutions that structured social and spiritual life were in decay.
The following 260 years saw the largest civilization on earth reinvent and recreate itself. Through war, diplomacy, debate, commerce, philosophy, literature, science, and artistic expression, the people of the Warring States gave birth to a radically new social order. The era saw the emergence of Confucianism and Daoism, the composition of seminal texts such as The Art of War by Sun Tzu and the Book of Changes, and the codification of Chinese script into its current form. It also marked the initial building of the Great Wall and the canal system, the invention of the crossbow, and the origin of acupuncture and feng shui.
This dynamic period coincided with the lives of global figures such as the Buddha, Socrates, and the prophet Ezra, beginning during Confucius's lifetime and culminating with the reign of the First Emperor, whose tomb is famously guarded by the terra cotta soldiers. Andrew Seth Meyer, an expert in early Chinese history, provides an overview of one of the most fertile and significant—and lesser-known—periods in world history
Meyer is a professor of history at Brooklyn College. His book, To Rule All Under Heaven: A History of Classical China, from Confucius to the First Emperor (Oxford University Press) is available for purchase.
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