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Jin (Traditional Chinese: 晉; Simplified Chinese: 晋; pinyin: Jìn) was one of the most powerful states in the Spring and Autumn Period, based in Shanxi, China. Jin was founded by Tang Shuyu, a descendant of the Zhou royal family. At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, Jin was split into three states: Han, Zhao and Wei. The split of Jin is sometimes referred to as the beginning of the subsequent Warring States Period; all three new states later became prominent states in the new period.
Probably the most famous of all the Jin kings was Duke Wen of Jin, the second of the 5 Great Leaders in the Spring and Autumn Period. Originally named Chóngěr 重耳, he was second in line, and no-one expected him to become Duke. Fearing assassination, he fled the country during his brother Duke Xian of Jin's reign to the Qin, only returning when Duke Xian was killed.
As Duke he led the Jin to glory - he fought many wars with his greatest rival, the Chu (the most famous battle was the Battle of Chengpu in 632 BC), and advocated the strategy coined by the first Great Leader of the Warring States, Duke Huan of Qi - "Uphold the King, repel the barbarians", with the king being the Zhou court in Luoyang. The Duke was also famous for his chivalry - after a massive war with his erstwhile ally and friend, the King of Qin, he ordered relations between the two kingdoms to return to normal, and constructed monuments honouring both the sacrifice of the Jin and Qin troops. The Chinese proverb "The Friendship of Qin and Jin", meaning an unbreakable bond, originates from this period.
Jin, however suffered from multiple succession struggles. Jin founded a new city north of the capital at Quwo (曲沃) in 746 BC. In 679 BC, the Quwo lineage usurped the rulership of Jin. Duke Xian of Jin's rule was notorious for the bloody purging of family members.
Jin had multiple capitals. The initial capital of Jin was Tang (唐); the remains of Tang are at modern Qucun (曲村). The capital was later moved to E (鄂), then Jiang (絳), then Xintian (新田). The remains of Xintian are at modern Houma.
The Jin was officially abolished in 403 BC when the Wei, Zhao and Han lords all went to the Zhou king in Luoyang and were made dukes in their own right. However most historians, when referring to those 3 states as a whole, call them the "3 of Jin".
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