Dates (many
are still in dispute, but we will adopt these)
771 Fall of the Western capital--beginning of the Eastern Zhou
707 Zhou king's armies crushed by Zheng--end of Zhou pretense of power
680 The assembly of Juan--Duke Huan of Qi becomes first Hegemon
680-643 Hegemony of Duke Huan--era of Guan Zhong
632-628 Hegemony of Duke Wen of Jin--stablization of Jin politics
584 The alliance between Jin and Wu is formed
551-479 Lifetime of Confucius of Lu
546 The peace of Xiang Xu
506 The invasion of Chu by Wu
482 The hegemony of King Fu-chai of Wu & the invasion of Wu by Yue
453 The division of Jin into three states: Zhao, Han, and Wei
Names
Duke Huan of Qi (r. 685-643)
Guan Zhong (Guan Yi-wu; Guan-zi): prime minister to Duke Huan
Duke Wen of Jin (Chong-er; r. 637-628)
Qu Wu-chen: Jin minister who negotiated alliance with Wu (584)
Xiang Xu: Song minister who brokered "Peace" of 546
Confucius (551-479)
Yan Hui (Confucius's disciple, d. c. 480)
King Ling of Chu (r. 540-529)
Wu Zi-xu: refugee minister to Wu, 522-485
King He-lü of Wu (r. 514-496)
King Fu-chai of Wu (r. 495-476)
King Gou-jian of Yue (r. 496-c.465)