What event during Chinese history is a possible counterpart to the Persian Invasion?

Question

It should have happened relatively during the same time, not necessarily exact. A good example would be Siddharta Gautama to Confucius. Buddha is revered as the great teacher or enlightened one (he began Buddhism), while Confucius is China's grand tutor (he began Confucianism).

Answer 1

The Warring States Period covers the period from sometime in the 5th century BC to the unification of China by the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC. [It] was a period when regional warlords annexed smaller states around them and consolidated their rule... Walls built by the states to keep out northern nomadic tribes and each other were the precursors of the Great Wall of China ... Trade also became important, and some merchants had considerable power in politics.

The Greco-Persian Wars ... were a series of conflicts between several Greek city-states and the Persian Empire that started about 500 BC and lasted until 448 BC. The expression "Persian Wars" usually refers to either or both of the two Persian invasions of the Greek mainland in 490 BC and in 480-479 BC; in both cases, the allied Greeks successfully defeated the invasions. Notably not all Greeks fought against the Persians, some were neutral and others were allied with Persia. Athens eventually emerged as leader of a Greek Empire.

So, China was united after a series of wars, some of which were "civil" (in the sense that all combatants were Chinese). At approximately the same time, the Greek City States and their wars against the Persians (who tried unsuccessfully to invade & conquer twice) led to the rise of the Athenian Empire (united Geece).

Is that what you had in mind?