The Warring States Period (ch. 戰國時代, pinyin zhan４ guo２ shi2 dai4) was part of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. It lasted from 403 BC to 221 BC.
The Warring States Period followed the Spring and Autumn Period, and was a time of great division within China. The land was divided in to many small kingdoms, though eventually one state, the Qin, conquered all others and ushered in the Qin Dynasty.