The End of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty

In the preceding section, there is a clear indication that from the Western Zhou to the Qin and Han Dynasties, China went through a tortuous process of unification, division, and then reunification. During the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, which lasted more than five centuries, China remained divided for the most extended period of its history, yet China did not disintegrate as there were no insurmountable boundaries or fences between the various vassal states.