The West’s Awake

Abstract During Most of the Spring and Autumn Era (771 B.C.E.-481 B.C.E.) the state of Qin, located in the Wei River Valley, had been considered a mediocre power. That began to change during the reign of Duke Xian of Qin (r. 384 B.C.E.-362 B.C.E.). He instituted a number of reforms in Qin that he had observed while living as a hostage in the neighboring state of Wei. These reforms were extended and intensified under Duke Xian’s son, Duke Xiao of Qin (r. 362 B.C.E.-338 B.C.E.). Duke Xiao put out a general call for talented literati from abroad to come and serve Qin. This attracted the knight Shang Yang, who had served with distinction in Wei. As the head of Qin’s civil administration, Shang Yang oversaw a complete overhaul of Qin state and society, reshaping laws and institutions to create maximum incentives for productivity in agriculture and success in warfare. His reforms had significantly increased Qin’s power when the death of Duke Xiao led to Shang Yang’s untimely demise in 338 B.C.E.