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The Spring and Autumn period () was a period in Chinese history from approximately 771 to 476 BC (or according to some authorities until 403 BC). which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou dynasty. The period's name derives from the ''Spring and Autumn Annals'', a chronicle of the state of Lu between 722 and 479 BC, which tradition associates with Confucius. ==Background== During the Spring and Autumn period, China's feudal system of ''fēngjiàn'' became largely irrelevant. The Zhou-dynasty kings held nominal power, but had real control over only a small royal demesne centered on their capital Luoyi near modern-day Luoyang. During the early part of the Zhou dynasty period, royal relatives and generals had been given control over fiefdoms in an effort to maintain Zhou authority over vast territory. As the power of the Zhou kings waned, these fiefdoms became increasingly independent states. The most important feudal princes (known later as the twelve vassals) came together in regular conferences where they decided important matters, such as military expeditions against foreign groups or against offending nobles. During these conferences one vassal leader was sometimes declared hegemon (; later, ) and given leadership over the armies of all the Zhou states. As the era continued, larger and more powerful states annexed or claimed suzerainty over smaller ones. By the 6th century BC most small states had disappeared and just a few large and powerful principalities dominated China. Some southern states, such as Chu and Wu, claimed independence from the Zhou, who undertook wars against some of them (Wu and Yue). Amid the interstate power struggles, internal conflict was also rife: six élite landholding families waged war on each other inside Jin, political enemies set about eliminating the Chen family in Qi, and the legitimacy of the rulers was often challenged in civil wars by various royal family members in Qin and Chu. Once all these powerful rulers had firmly established themselves within their respective dominions, the bloodshed focused more fully on interstate conflict in the Warring States period, which began in 403 BC when the three remaining élite families in Jin – Zhao, Wei and Han – partitioned the state. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Spring and Autumn period」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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