King Zhaoxiang of Qin
Who was King Zhaoxiang of Qin?
King of Chinese state of Qin from 307 to 251 BC
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on King Zhaoxiang of Qin (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
King Zhaoxiang of Qin, born Ying Ji, ruled the state of Qin from 306 BC to 251 BC, making his 57-year reign one of the longest in Chinese history. He was the son of King Huiwen and the younger brother of King Wu, becoming king after his brother died. His time as king was marked by ongoing military campaigns, clever diplomacy, and efforts to weaken Qin's rival states during the Warring States period of the Eastern Zhou dynasty. His wife, Queen Dowager Tang, had a strong influence during the early part of his reign.
In the early years, King Zhaoxiang managed tricky interstate diplomacy by giving the city of Wusui back to Han in 306 BC and meeting with King Huai of Chu at Huangji in 304 BC. There, Qin signed an alliance with Chu and gave Shangyong to the southern state. However, Qin's aggressive expansion soon became the focus of his reign. By 303 BC, Qin forces captured Puban, Yangjin, and Fengling from Wei and took Wusui from Han, showing the military ambition that defined his rule.
One of the major events during his reign was the capture of Ying, the capital of the state of Chu, in 278 BC, a blow that Chu never fully recovered from. In 272 BC, Qin conquered the Xirong state of Yiqu, removing a threat to Qin's northwestern border and taking its territory. His forces also subdued the state of Yiyang and kept up campaigns against Wei, expanding Qin's territory significantly over several decades.
The Battle of Changping in 260 BC was one of the key military clashes of the time. Under the command of general Bai Qi, Qin forces defeated a Zhao army estimated at 450,000 soldiers, a battle that effectively destroyed Zhao's military strength and left Qin without a serious northern rival. This large-scale battle and its outcome hastened the end of the balance of power among multiple states that characterized the Warring States period.
In 256 BC, King Zhaoxiang overthrew the Eastern Zhou dynasty, ending the Zhou royal house's nominal authority and marking the end of the Zhou political order. By the time he died in 251 BC, Qin had gained a strategic advantage over the remaining six major states that his successors would build on. His great-grandson Ying Zheng, later known as Qin Shi Huang, completed the unification of China about three decades after Zhaoxiang's death, a process largely made possible by the territorial gains and strategic positions secured during Zhaoxiang's reign.
Before Fame
Ying Ji was born around 325 BC as a son of King Huiwen of Qin. He grew up as a younger prince in the Qin court, while his older brother, King Wu, was the heir. King Wu's unexpected death in 307 BC, due to an injury from a weight-lifting contest, left Ying Ji with a chance to succeed the throne. Though his path to becoming king was contentious, with rival claims from other family members, he ultimately became king with the backing of key figures at court, including his mother.
Ying Ji's era was marked by relentless interstate warfare, shifting alliances, and ambitious politics. During the Warring States period, seven major states in China fiercely competed for land and dominance. Qin had already undergone major reforms under Lord Shang, becoming a centralized and militarized state. This established groundwork provided the young king with powerful means to pursue expansion from the moment he became king in 306 BC.
Key Achievements
- Captured the Chu capital Ying in 278 BC, crippling the state of Chu as a military and political rival
- Conquered the Xirong state of Yiqu in 272 BC, securing Qin's northwestern frontier
- Defeated a Zhao army at the Battle of Changping in 260 BC, decisively ending Zhao's capacity to challenge Qin
- Overthrew the Eastern Zhou dynasty in 256 BC, eliminating the last symbolic authority of the Zhou royal house
- Oversaw 57 years of territorial expansion that established Qin's strategic dominance over the six rival states
Did You Know?
- 01.King Zhaoxiang's reign of 57 years, from 306 BC to 251 BC, made him one of the longest-reigning kings in the history of the Warring States period.
- 02.The Battle of Changping in 260 BC, fought during his reign, involved the reported surrender or death of approximately 450,000 Zhao soldiers, making it one of the deadliest battles in ancient Chinese history.
- 03.In 304 BC, Zhaoxiang personally met with King Huai of Chu at Huangji to negotiate an alliance, ceding the territory of Shangyong to Chu as part of the agreement, only for Qin to resume attacks on its neighbors shortly after.
- 04.Zhaoxiang overthrew the Eastern Zhou dynasty in 256 BC, ending a royal lineage that had nominally presided over China for centuries, though the Zhou kings had long since lost real political power.
- 05.The general Bai Qi, one of the most feared commanders of the Warring States period, served under King Zhaoxiang and was responsible for many of Qin's most decisive military victories during this reign.