Empire ancient city-states of the Levant. Circa 1500 BC in China rose the Shang Empire which was succeeded by the Zhou Empire circa 1100 BC. Both surpassed in territory their contemporary Near Eastern empires. The Zhou Empire dissolved in 770 BC into feudal multi-state system which lasted for five and a half centuries until the universal conquest of Qin in 221 BC. The first empire comparable to Rome in organization was the Neo-Assyrian Empire (916–612 BC). The Median Empire was the first empire within the territory of Persia. By the 6th century BC, after having allied with the Babylonians to defeat
Conquest of the Nanda Empire The prior experience of his mercenaries from the Punjab were likely important in his military success. It is also suggested that Chandragupta's campaign was laid out by using popular guerrilla tactics, as the Nanda Empire was large and had been able to wield large armies that would have been overwhelming to oppose by an upstart. The war brought an end to the Nanda Dynasty and established the Maurya Empire with Chandragupta Maurya as its leader. Maurya consisted of at least four provinces at the end of Candragupta's conquests: Avantirastra (capital: Ujjayini), Daksinapatha (capital: uncertain, perhaps Suvarnagiri), Uttarapatha (capital: Taksasila), and