Han (state) - Decline and Fall

Decline and Fall

Because of the nature of the partition of Jin, the Han state was landlocked on all sides by other powerful states like Chu to the south, Qi to the east, Qin to the west, and Wei to the north. Han was the smallest of the seven states, and was bullied militarily by more powerful neighbors.

During its steady decline, the Han state lost the power to defend its territory and often had to request military assistance from other states in order to defend its own territory. In the early Warring States era, the contest between the State of Wei and the State of Qi over the domination of Han would eventually lead to the Battle of Maling, which cemented the position of Qi as the preeminent state in the east. Later, in 260 BC, Qin's invasion of Han led to Zhao intervention, leading to the Battle of Changping.

During the late years of the era, in an attempt to drain Qin's resources with an expensive construction project, the state of Han sent the civil engineer Zheng Guo to Qin to persuade them into building a canal. The scheme, while indeed expensive, backfired spectacularly when it was eventually completed; the irrigation abilities of the new Zhengguo Canal far outweighed its cost, and gave Qin the agricultural and economic means to dominate the other six states. Han would be the first of these states to fall, in 230 BC.