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 |  At the begin of Western Zhou (Xizhou) 西周, King Zhou Wuwang 周武王 enfeoffed one of his most important generals, Jiang Ziya (also called General High-father, Shi Shangfu 師尚父 or Lü Wang 呂望) with the quite remote dukedom of Qi in modern Shandong province. Duke Huan 齊桓公 in the 7th century should become one of the most important rulers of his time, as a hegemon (ba 霸) defending the states of the Yellow River plain against intruding "barbarian" tribes like Rong 戎, Di 狄, Xu 徐, and Chu 楚, creating alliances (meng 盟) and organizing meetings (hui 會) of different states of the Spring and Autumn (Chunqiu) 春秋 period. The state of Qi had intensive relationships with the neighboring state of Lu 魯 and used to arrange intermarriages. Internal quarrels and fights for power among the sideline nobility lead to the weakening of the house of Jiang. 384 BC the house of Tian 田 replaced the Jiang family. Duke Huangong (2) 齊桓公 established one of the first state academies (xuegong 學宮) of China to attract scholars. King Weiwang's 齊威王 advisor Zou Ji 鄒忌 reformed tax system and military to strengthen the central state. During the Warring States (Zhanguo) 戰國 period Qi was a powerful state that often defeated Chu 楚 and Qin 秦. In 288 the kings of Qi and Qin called themselves Emperors of the East (Dongdi 東帝) resp. the West, but soon refrained this title. In 284 Qi was heavily defeated by a coalition of other states but regained its authority with the help of general Tian Ji 田忌 until it was swallowed by the armies of Qin in 221. The name of Qi was later used for two dynasties (Southern Qi, Northern Qi) and for princedoms in the area of modern Shandong. 
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