| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 秦昭襄王, 秦昭襄王, Qín Zhāoxiāng Wáng |
| Other name | Tần Chiêu Tương Vương |
| INFORMATION | |
| Born | 325 BC |
| Birth Place | Xianyang, State of Qin (秦国咸阳; Hàm Dương, nước Tần) |
| Died | 251 BC |
| Death Reason | Old age / Natural causes |
| FAMILY | |
| Relatives | |
| CAREER | |
| Allegiance | State of Qin |
King Zhaoxiang of Qin (秦昭襄王, Tần Chiêu Tương vương; 325–251 BC; personal name Ying Ze 嬴稷; reigned 306–251 BC), was the pivotal monarch of the State of Qin during the climax of the Warring States period, reigning for fifty-six years as the architect of Qin’s total dominance over China.
Guided in youth by his brilliant mother Queen Dowager Xuan (宣太后 / 芈月) and uncle Wei Ran, King Zhaoxiang later adopted strategist Fan Ju’s revolutionary doctrine: ‘Befriend distant states while attacking nearby ones’ (远交近攻). Appointing supreme commander Bai Qi (Bai Qi, Lord Wu’an), King Zhaoxiang broke the back of the six states: Bai Qi routed Han and Wei at Yique (293 BC), sacked the Chu capital of Ying (278 BC), and annihilated 450,000 Zhao troops at the catastrophic Battle of Changping (260 BC). In 256 BC, King Zhaoxiang officially conquered and extinguished the Zhou Dynasty, seizing the sacred Nine Bronze Tripods (九鼎) and setting the stage for his great-grandson Qin Shi Huang to unify the world.
Role in History (Shiji)
Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji, vol. 5, Annals of Qin): “King Zhaoxiang sat upon the throne for fifty-six years. He broke Chu, severed Han and Wei, buried the army of Zhao at Changping, and took the Nine Tripods of Zhou. The kings of the six states bowed their heads to Xianyang.”
King Zhaoxiang of Qin — Historical & Literary Timeline
306 BC
Accession in Xianyang
Returns from hostage in Yan; succeeds King Wu of Qin.
293 BC
Battle of Yique
Bai Qi annihilates 240,000 allied Han-Wei troops.
278 BC
Conquest of Chu’s Capital
Bai Qi burns Ying, driving Chu into the eastern marches.
260 BC
The Cataclysm of Changping
Bai Qi traps and buries 450,000 Zhao troops; Zhao permanently crippled.
256 BC
Extinction of Zhou Dynasty
Conquers Luoyang; annexes Zhou and seizes the Nine Tripods.
251 BC
Passing in Xianyang
Dies at age seventy-five; succeeded by King Xiaowen.
Key Relationships
Family
- Mother Queen Dowager Xuan (宣太后 / 芈月): Legendary Chu princess who guided Qin’s regency.
- Son King Xiaowen of Qin (秦孝文王 – Lord Anguo): Successor king.
- Grandson King Zhuangxiang of Qin: Father of Qin Shi Huang.
- Great-Grandson Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇): Unifying First Emperor.
Friends
- Supreme General Bai Qi (白起, Bạch Khởi – Lord Wu’an): Unstoppable commander who won every campaign for Qin.
- Chief Strategist Fan Ju (范雎, Phạm Thư): Chancellor who devised the ‘Befriend distant, attack nearby’ strategy.
Enemies
- Rival Kings The Six Kings of the Warring States: Crushed beneath Qin’s iron military machine.
- Righteous Hero Lin Xiangru (蔺相如): Zhao diplomat who defied King Zhaoxiang at Mianchi and over the He Shi Bi jade.
Other
- Extinguished Sovereign King Nan of Zhou (周赧王): Last Zhou monarch, surrendered to King Zhaoxiang.
In Shiji
The Imperial Destiny
"The Nine Tripods of Yu traveled westward to the banks of the Wei; King Zhaoxiang laid the iron tracks upon which the First Emperor rode to unify China."
Historical Significance
King Zhaoxiang transformed Qin from a formidable regional kingdom into an unstoppable imperial juggernaut, directly dismantling the ancient feudal world of Zhou.
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