ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Family tree of Chinese monarchs (Warring States period)

Okay kiddo, so imagine you have a big family with lots of aunties, uncles, grandparents, and cousins. Imagine that your family is so big that it goes back for over 2000 years! That's how long the family tree of Chinese monarchs goes back during the Warring States Period.

During this time, different regions of China were ruled by different monarchs. Think of them like kings, but they weren't all related to each other. They all wanted to be in charge of the whole country, so they were often fighting with one another.

One of the most important families during this time was the Zhou family. They had been in power for a long time, but they were starting to lose control. This is where the Warring States Period gets its name because everyone was fighting with each other.

The different monarchs all had their own families, but some of them were related to the Zhou family. For example, the state of Qi was ruled by the Tian family, who were related to the Zhou family.

Over time, some of the monarchs, like the Qin family, became more powerful and were able to conquer the other states. This led to the first unified dynasty in China, the Qin dynasty.

So, the family tree of Chinese monarchs during the Warring States Period is like a big puzzle with lots of different pieces. Each monarch had their own family, and some of them were related to each other, like a big extended family. But they were also fighting with each other to see who would come out on top and rule all of China.