The founding monarch of the State of Zhao, its progenitor Zaofu, was a descendant of Ji Sheng, the second son of Fei Lian, a renowned minister of the Shang Dynasty. Having rendered meritorious service in the campaign against Xu, he was enfeoffed at Zhao City, thus establishing the Zhao clan.
The Zhao clan, spanning over twenty generations, reached Zhao Jianzi, Zhao Yang, and Zhao Xiangzi, Zhao Wuxu. Zhao Wuxu, through his valiant resistance against the siege by Zhi, Han, and Wei, solidified the territorial boundaries of Zhao.
The capital of Zhao underwent several relocations. In 497 BCE, Zhao Jianzi established the capital at Jinyang. In 451 BCE, Zhao Xiangzi moved the capital to Xing. In 423 BCE, Zhao Xianhou relocated the capital to Zhongmu. In 386 BCE, Zhao Jinghou moved the capital to Handan, which then became the capital of Zhao. In 355 BCE, Zhao established Tantai in Xing and constructed Xingu Palace, making Xing a secondary capital of Zhao, known as Xindu.
By the time of King Wuling of Zhao, Zhao had proclaimed itself a kingdom. He implemented the policy of "Hu Fu Qi She" (wearing nomadic clothing and practicing mounted archery), built the Zhao Great Wall along the Yin Mountains, and conquered the state of Zhongshan. Its territory reached its zenith. Zhao was situated in a strategically challenging location, facing the Xiongnu to the west, the states of Wei and Yan to the south and northeast respectively, and the territories of nomadic peoples such as the Linhu, Loufan, and Donghu to the north.
Such were the fundamental aspects of the State of Zhao.
Therefore, it can be said that the people of Zhao had consistently inherited the traditions of the Shang Dynasty, differing significantly from many feudal states that inherited from the earlier Zhou Dynasty.
This was the difference in terms of political and ancestral origins.
Another aspect of disparity stemmed from geographical differences.
Zhao was the state most severely influenced by nomadic peoples.
Zhao, situated in the extreme north from its inception, faced the greatest number of nomadic tribes. It can almost be said that from the very beginning of China's establishment, it was constantly under the immense threat of nomadic peoples.
Consequently, Zhao's military organization and its internal political structure were deeply affected by this reality.
Unlike most Central Plains states that placed great emphasis on infantry, Zhao, from the outset, placed extreme importance on the utilization of cavalry.
Compared to other states that focused more on mutual warfare amongst themselves, Zhao's army was initially geared towards resisting the incursions of nomadic peoples from the grasslands.
The use of cavalry by Central Plains armies began with the State of Zhao.
In the early period following the collapse of the Western Zhou, Zhao was not a strong power in the north, often suppressed by states like Lu, Qi, and Yan, which were also located in the northern regions.
It was only after King Wuling of Zhao implemented "Hu Fu Qi She" that Zhao's military strength underwent a significant transformation.
After "Hu Fu Qi She," the combat effectiveness of Zhao's cavalry increased dramatically, allowing them to contend with the cavalry of nomadic peoples on the grasslands and achieve overwhelming superiority over the cavalry forces of other northern states.
As a result, Zhao rapidly ascended to become one of the powerful states in the Central Plains, thereby achieving ultimate victory in the northern contests and becoming one of the two dominant powers in the north.
It was also from this point, after King Wuling of Zhao's "Hu Fu Qi She," that the Central Plains states began to recognize the importance of cavalry and consequently strengthened their investment in cavalry development.
However, this immense military success also led to a political imbalance within Zhao.
Due to this, Zhao held a strong reverence for military might, conversely resisting various literary schools and civil official governance.
The development of various literary schools in Zhao was extremely slow, failing to compare with other states.
This, in turn, caused Zhao to fall far behind other states in terms of domestic politics.
Zhao has continued to the present generation. Its national strength is not weak, but no one knows what the ultimate fate of Zhao will be.