Named after a written day-by-day chronicle of the state of Lu, called the 'Spring and Autumn Annals', this period was one of competing centres of power, alliances and battles between over 100 different states.
Rival states now maintained standing armies, with infantry, chariot troops and cavalry: they had adopted horse-riding from the northern nomads who had brought about the fall of the Western Zhou regions in 771 BC. These states also developed sophisticated new weapons, including the crossbow.
The Zhou court at Luoyang commanded little allegiance, and the original Zhou territories were taken over by the Qin, who were to unify China in 221 BC.
The production of 'the ugly metal', iron, began at this time, and different states issued their own coinage. Some towns were beginning to develop into densely packed cities.
