Jin: Map & History
Jin, originally known as Tang (唐), was a major state during the middle part of the Zhou dynasty, based near the centre of what was then China, on the lands attributed to the legendary Xia dynasty: the southern part of modern Shanxi.
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Jin, originally known as Tang (唐), was a major state during the middle part of the Zhou dynasty, based near the centre of what was then China, on the lands attributed to the legendary Xia dynasty: the southern part of modern Shanxi. Although it grew in power during the Spring and Autumn period, its aristocratic structure saw it break apart when the duke lost power to his nobles. In 403 BC, the Zhou court recognized Jin's three successor states: Han, Zhao, and Wei. The Partition of Jin marks the end of the Spring and Autumn period and the beginning of the Warring States period.
Modern Countries Once Part of Jin
At its mapped extent, Jin covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Jin's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Jin in Depth
Military forces
Jin united civil and military authority. Traditionally, Jin had three armies: the upper army, the central army and the lower army. Three more armies were added in 588 BC. Each army contained 12500 soldiers.
According to the convention of Zhou dynasty, a large fiefdom like Jin was allowed to have as many as three armies. However, Jin originally had only one army: the limitation was imposed by the Zhou dynasty king in order to observe the rite of Zhou. In 679 BCE, Duke Wu of Quwo assassinated Marquis Xiaozi of Jin and became the ruler of Jin. Quwo was a cadet branch of Jin's ruling house; Ji clan descended from Shu Yu of Tang. The Zhou court, which regarded the lineal legitimacy as an extremely important matter, could not agree with such an usurpation.
Geography
Jin was located in the lower Fen River drainage basin on the Shanxi plateau. To the north were the Xirong and Beidi peoples. To the west were the Lüliang Mountains and then the Loess Plateau of northern Shaanxi. To the southwest the Fen River turns west to join the south-flowing part of the Yellow River which soon leads to the Guanzhong, an area of the Wei River Valley that was the heartland of the Western Zhou and later of the Qin. To the south are the Zhongtiao Mountains and then the east–west valley of the Yellow River which was the main route to the Wei Valley to the west. To the east were the Taihang Mountains and then the North China Plain.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Jin (Chinese state) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Jin: Key Facts
| Founded | 896 CE |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 923 CE |
Facts from Wikidata Q6201794 (CC0).
Jin Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Jin appears, with the other states of the time.
Jin Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 152,647 km² in 500 BCE.
Jin: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Jin exist?
Jin is dated to 750 BCE – 405 BCE, in the Bronze & Iron Age Civilizations era.
What was the capital of Jin?
The capital of Jin was Tang (唐), Quwo (曲沃), Jiang (絳), Xintian (新田).
How large was Jin at its peak?
At its peak in 500 BC Jin covered about 152,647 km².
How did the map of Jin change over time?
Jin appears on 2 dated world maps in the atlas, from 750 BCE to 500 BCE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
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