The clans were collectively called the Six Titled Retainers of Jin (Chinese: 晋国六卿; pinyin: Jìn-guó Liùqīng).
[1] Shi Hui (士会), posthumously called Fàn Wuzi (范武子), great-grandson of Du Bo Duke of Tangdu is considered the founder.
He gains the title Fàn Hui(范会), and is rewarded with lands south-east of Fàn (now Fan County Fànxian 范縣 in Henan)[2][3][4][5] In 497 BC a dispute broke out between the Zhao clan, and the Fan and Zhonghang clans.
Seven years later, in 490 BC the combined Jin forces decisively defeated Fan Jishe and Zhonghang Yin, leaders of their respective clans, forcing them to flee to the State of Qi.
[6] Later the Han, Zhao, and Wei clans would grow stronger leading to the partition Jin from 481 BCE into the new states of Han, Zhao, and Wei and finally destruction of the Jin State in 386 BCE.