Zhao (
pinyin: Zhào,
traditional Chinese:
趙,
simplified Chinese:
赵) was a significant
Chinese state during the
Warring States Period, along with six others. At the beginning of the Warring States Period, Zhao was one of the weakest states but gained strength during the reign of
King Wuling of Zhao: by the end of the Period, Zhao was the only state strong enough to oppose the mighty
Qin.
Its territory included areas in modern
Inner Mongolia,
Hebei,
Shanxi and
Shaanxi provinces. The state of Zhao bordered the
Xiongnu (
Huns), the states of
Qin,
Wei and
Yan. Its capital was
Handan (邯郸), suburb of modern-day Handan City in
Hebei.
The Rise of Zhao
At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, the state of
Jin was divided up between three powerful ministers- The Zhao family being one of them. In BC 403, the king of Zhou formally recognized the existence of the State of Zhao along with two other States, Han and Wei, marking the start of the Warring States Period. In the beginning, Zhao was one of the weakest States. It lacked the geographical advantage of Qin, the military strength of Wei, the vast terrain of Chu, and the richness and prosperity of Qi. Surrounded by strong adversaries from all directions, Zhao fought hard for its survival. Its remained the weakest State in China until the reforms initiated by
King Wuling, who reigned from 350BC to 326BC.
During the reign of King Wuling, the kingdom adopted a military reform. The soldiers of Zhao were ordered to dress like their
Xiongnu neighbours and replace war chariots with cavalry archers. This proved to be a brilliant reform, along with advanced technology of the Chinese states and nomadic tactics, the Cavalry of Zhao became a significant force to reckon with in the warring states.
Zhao demonstrated its enhanced military prowess by conquering the ethnic
State of Zhongshan in
295 BC after a prolonged war, and annexing territory from its neighbors Wei, Yan and Qin. The cavalry of Zhao occasionally intruded into the
state of Qi in campaigns against the
state of Chu.
Several brilliant military commanders of the whole period appeared concurrently, including
Lian Po,
Zhao She (趙奢) and
Li Mu. Lian Po was instrumental in defending against the Qin. Zhao She (趙奢) was most active in the east; he led the invasion of
Yan state. Li Mu was responsible for defending against the
Huns.
The Fall of Zhao
By the end of the Warring States Period, Zhao was the only state strong enough to oppose the powerful
Qin.
An alliance with Wei begun in
287 BC against Qin ended in defeat at Huayang in
273 BC. The struggle then culminated in the bloodiest battle of the whole period, the
Battle of Changping in
260 BC. The troops of Zhao were completely defeated by Qin. Although the forces of Wei saved Handan from a follow-up siege by the victorious Qin, Zhao would never recover from the huge loss of men in the battle.
In
229 BC, invasions led by the Qin general
Wang Jian were opposed by Li Mu (李牧) and his subordinate officer
Sima Shang (司馬尚) until
228 BC. According to some accounts,
King Youmiu of Zhao (幽繆王), ordered the
execution of Li Mu and relieved Sima Shang from his duties, due to disloyal advice from court officials and Qin infiltrators.
In 228 BC, Qin captured King Youmiu and conquered Zhao. Prince Jia, the stepbrother of King Youmiu, was proclaimed king at
Dai Commandry and led the last Zhao forces against the Qin. The regime lasted until
222 BC when the Qin army captured him and defeated his forces at Dai.
List of Zhao rulers
See also
Category:Ancient Chinese statesca:Zhaode:Zhao (Staat)fr:Zhaoko:조 (전국)it:Zhao (stato)nl:Zhao (staat)ja:趙 (戦国)no:Zhao (stat)pl:Państwo Zhaopt:Zhao (Estado)sh:Zhao (država)vi:Triệu (nước)zh-classical:趙zh:赵国
