<Li> The Methods of the Sima It is attributed to Sima Rangju, a commander serving the state of Qi . </Li> <P> The Warring States period was an era of warfare in ancient China, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation; the major states, ruling over large territories, quickly sought to consolidate their powers, leading to the final erosion of the Zhou court's prestige . As a sign of this shift, the rulers of all the major states (except for Chu, which had claimed kingly title much earlier) abandoned their former feudal titles for the title of 王, or King, claiming equality with the rulers of the Zhou . </P> <P> At the same time, the constant conflict and need for innovative social and political models led to the development of many philosophical doctrines, later known as the Hundred Schools of Thought . The most notable schools of thought include Mohism, expounded by Mozi; Confucianism, represented by Mencius and Xunzi, and Legalism, represented by Shang Yang, Shen Buhai, Shen Dao and Han Fei, and Taoism, represented by Zhuangzhi and Lao Tzu . </P> <P> The many states that were competing between each other attempted to display their power not only militarily but in their courts and state philosophy . Many differing rulers adopted the differing philosophies in their own advantage or that of their kingdom . </P>

The major schools of thought that emerged in china between 500 b.c. and 200 b.c. were