Ancient Chinese states

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Ancient Chinese states (traditional Chinese: 諸侯國; simplified Chinese: 诸侯国; pinyin: Zhūhóu guó) were dynastic or autonomous polities of Ancient China within and without the vassalage to a higher sovereign. The term typically refers to various states that existed prior to Qin's wars of unification, particularly those during the Zhou dynasty who acknowledged the Son of Heaven as the universal suzerain. Historically, the most significant are those during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods of the Eastern Zhou dynasty, who are collectively called the Eastern Zhou states (東周列國; 东周列国; Dōngzhōu Lièguó) by historians. Ancient Chinese states ranged in sizes from large clan estates, to city-states, to much larger sovereign states with multiple population centers. Many of these submitted to royal authority, but many did not — even those that shared the same culture and family name as the ruling royal family. Prior to the Battle of Muye, these ancient states were already extant as subjects...

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