Knowra Su Qin Su Qin Su Qin was a Chinese diplomat and political strategist of the Warring States period, traditionally credited with organizing six states into an alliance against Qin.
Warring States period : A period of interstate warfare in China, conventionally dated 475–221 BCE, ending with Qin’s unification. Su Qin’s diplomacy unfolded as competing states sought survival and advantage.
Vertical alliance : A coalition of states aligned north to south to resist the westward expansion of Qin. This is the alliance traditionally attributed to Su Qin.
Zhang Yi : A Warring States diplomat traditionally associated with persuading states to ally with Qin. Later accounts cast Zhang Yi as Su Qin’s rival and advocate of the opposing strategy.
Six-state alliance : A coalition traditionally comprising Han, Zhao, Wei, Qi, Yan, and Chu against Qin. This is the specific coalition that later histories associate with Su Qin.
Zhou dynasty : A Chinese dynasty traditionally dated 1046–256 BCE, during which royal authority gave way to powerful regional states. The Zhou political order fragmented into the rival states Su Qin sought to align.
Horizontal alliance : A strategy of aligning states east to west, often by cooperating with the powerful state of Qin. It offered a rival diplomatic answer to Su Qin’s anti-Qin coalition.
King Huiwen of Qin : A Qin ruler who reigned from 337 to 311 BCE and expanded the state’s power. His reign provides the political setting for the rivalry between Qin and anti-Qin diplomacy.
Battle of Yique : A 293 BCE battle in which Qin defeated the forces of Han and Wei at Yique. Qin’s victory illustrates the military pressure the anti-Qin coalition struggled to withstand.
Jixia Academy : An intellectual center at the Qi court where scholars debated political, philosophical, and practical questions. Later accounts associate Su Qin’s study with the intellectual world of Qi.
Persuasion : Communication intended to change another person’s beliefs, judgments, or actions through reasons or appeals. Su Qin’s reported influence rested on speeches tailored to each ruler’s interests.
Show all 20