The Western Zhou Dynasty established two capitals, Zongzhou 宗周 or Hao 鎬, and Chengzhou 成周 or Luo 雒. But the rulers stayed in the western regions where their people had lived for some centuries after coming from Bin 豳 (or 邠), a territory (in green) that was either located in the Fen River valley or in the west. The older capitals of the Zhou tribe were Qi 岐 and Feng 豐. The main feudal states (zhuhou 諸侯) of the Western Zhou period are held in smaller bold letters. We find the many smaller states in the Yellow River plain, states like Zheng 鄭, Cao 曹, Song 宋 (the descendants of the House of Shang), Chen 陳, Cai 蔡, and Wei ("Wey") 衛, we have the traditionally highly esteemed state of Lu 魯(descendants of the Duke of Zhou) in the east; and finally we find the peripheral states of Yan 燕, Qi 齊 and Jin 晉 that were able to develop a larger territory than the others. The states of Qin 秦, Chu 楚, Wu 吳, and Yue 越 (in brackets) were still not enfeoffed as vassals of Zhou, they are rather seen as semi-barbarious tribes. The territories of the Shu 蜀 and Ba 巴 in modern Sichuan have their own ways of culture that are different of the "genuine" Chinese culture in the Yellow River basin. Except these main states, we find dozens or hundreds of small vassal states (written in small black letters). They play no political role at that time, and most of them vanished during the wars of Eastern Zhou period. Some more of them can be found as states named in the Book of Songs, namely Shao 召, Bei 邶, Yong 鄘, Wei 魏, Tang 唐, Gui 檜 (here only the states not yet mentioned above). Important vassals of the founding time of Western Zhou were 管叔鮮 Shu Xian, Ruler of Guan; 成叔武 Shu Wu, Ruler of Cheng; 霍叔處 Shu Chu, Ruler of Huo; 杞東樓公 Donglou, Duke of Qi ("Qy"), a descendant of the House of Xia; 畢公高 Gao, Duke of Bi. Some of the smaller states should play an important role at the begin of the Warring States period, like Han 韓 ("Hann") and Wei 魏. Around this center of culturally advanced states we find lots of Non-Chinese "barbarian" tribes and peoples, namely the Quanrong 犬戎 or Xianyun 玁狁 in the west, the Huaiyi 淮夷 or Xu 徐 and Yue 越 in the east, Di in the north 狄, and Pu 濮, Qiang 羌 and Man 蠻 in the southwest and south. The Western Zhou Dynasty had to flee to their eastern capital Chengzhou 成周 or Luoyi 雒邑 after a savage attack by the western "barbarian" tribes of Quanrong 犬戎 or Xianyun 玁狁 (嚴允) in 770 BC. This is the begin of Eastern Zhou period. Unlike before, the Zhou rulers found themselves now in the middle of many smaller vassal states (zhuhou 諸侯). They had to live on the small territory near Luoyi and were further not able to expand their domains, a tendency that became more and more important for the political survival of the feudal states: We find the many smaller states in the Yellow River plain, states like Zheng 鄭, Cao 曹, Song 宋 (the descendants of the House of Shang), Chen 陳, Cai 蔡, and Wei ("Wey") 衛, we have the traditionally highly esteemed state of Lu 魯(descendants of the Duke of Zhou) in the east; and finally we find the peripheral states of Yan 燕, Qi 齊 and Jin 晉 that were able to develop a larger territory than the others. The states of Qin 秦, Chu 楚, Wu 吳 and Yue 越 acheived the status of enfeoffed vassals of Zhou. Although once semi-barbarian tribes, they gain political and military importance for the fate of old China. The territories of the Shu 蜀 and Ba 巴 in modern Sichuan have their own ways of culture that are different of the "genuine" Chinese culture in the Yellow River basin. They have never really been incorporated into the antique Chinese realm. The state of Wu was the first of the large territorial states that was vanquished by the others. In 473, Yue conquered Wu. There are two states that undergo fundamental changes during the Spring and Autumn period: The state of Jin collapses by the contest of the collateral line of Quwo 曲沃 around 700 BC, and the uprise of the Six Feudal Lords (Liu Qing 六卿) of Zhongxing 中行, Zhi 智, Fan 范, Han ("Hann") 韓, Wei 魏, and Zhao 趙 at the begin of the 5th century BC. The last three (called San Jin 三晉) are able to crush the ruling house of Jin and establish their own feudal states in 376 BC. The state of Qi suffers a similar fate: The three Huan Clans (San Huan 三桓: 仲 孫 Zhongsun, 叔孫 Shusun, and 季孫 Jisun) endanger the rule of the house of Jiang 姜 in the 7th century state of Lu, and the Tian Clan 田氏 usurps the power of the state of Qi in 481 BC. During this period, five feudal lords (Wu Ba 五霸) are able to gain hegemonial control over the other states and therewith, to take over the role of the former kings of Zhou as mediators: Duke Huan of Qi 齊桓公, Duke Wen of Jin 晉文公, Duke Mu of Qi 秦穆公, Duke Xiang of Song 宋襄公, and Duke Zhuang of Chu 楚莊王 (there might by other names told in other listings). Except these great territorial states, we find lots of smaller city-states, among others: 虢 Guo, 鄧 Deng, 耿 Geng, 虞 Yu, 六 Liu, 英 Ying, 梁 Liang, 江 Jiang, 蓼 Liao, 庸 Yong, 翟 Di, 胡 Hu, 莒 Ju, 紀 Ji, etc. Around this center of culturally advanced states we find lots of Non-Chinese "barbarian" tribes and peoples, namely the Quanrong 犬戎 in the west, the Huaiyi 淮夷 and Dongyi 東夷 in the east, and Pu 濮, Baiyue 百越 and Yangyue 揚粵 in the south. The Western Zhou Dynasty in their eastern capital Chengzhou 成周 or Luoyi 雒邑 had totally lost their political significance in the game for power. To make it even worse, the house of Zhou split into the Western Branch in Henan 河南 and the Eastern Branch in Gong 鞏. Of the other feudal states (zhuhou 諸侯) only those states were able to survive, that possessed enough territory to have the economical source necessary for a modern state and military. The largest and most active states are called the Six States (Liu Guo 六國; except Qin by Chinese historians: Qin 　, Qi 齊, Chu 楚, Yan 燕, Han ("Hann") 韓, Wei 魏, and Zhao 趙. These states started to protect their frontiers against the other states by building fortification walls (black lines). The many smaller states in the Yellow River plain, states like Zheng 鄭, Cao 曹, Song 宋, Chen 陳, Cai 蔡, Wei ("Wey") 衛 and Lu 魯 had lost their political initiative; Cao, Chen, and Cai did not survive the 5th century, Zheng not the 4th century BC. Even Yue 越 in the southeast was beyond the political activities of the Warring States period, just like the territories of the Shu 蜀 and Ba 巴 in modern Sichuan have their own ways of culture that are different of the "genuine" Chinese culture in the Yellow River basin. But we also find a new state emerging in the north: Zhongshan 中山, active from 414 to 295. Of all states, Qin proved to be the strongest. In 221, all the Six States were defeated, additionally Shu and Ba, and the king of Qin proclaimed himself Emperor. The territory of the south that was inhabited by "babarians" until then, should be conquered. Around this center of culturally advanced states we find lots of Non-Chinese "barbarian" tribes and peoples, namely the Xiongnu 匈奴 in the west and north - the shall play an important role during the Western Han Dynasty-, and the Dongyue 東越, and Pu 濮, Baiyue 百越 and Yangyue 揚粵 in the south. Compared to the Western Zhou and Spring and Autumn periods, the area north of the Yangtse has gradually become sinicized. For the first time, fortification walls against the nomad tribes in the north are erected by the states of Qin and Yan.

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