Social
There was a change in social structure when the new land-holding peasant class became a major force of agricultural production. There was also a new land-owner and labor hiring class, and the status of handicraft workers and businessmen improved because wealthy merchants could obtain political power by using their wealth. To obtain military necessities, the relationship between peasants and their lords changed. The farmers became more valued to their lord because they were his main sources of income and military. Taxation was also changed, so payment to the lord from the peasants were cash or crops instead of field work. The need for skilled men was increasing in order for the needs of military and politics to be fulfilled. States needed to plan clever and original war strategies, so the intelligent had more power.
Political
The Warring States Period began when the kings of the Zhou Dynasty were almost powerless of the noble families after moving the capital to Luoyang. The lords of the noble families picked fights with neighboring lords for control of land, and the warlords soon claimed to be kings of their territory. In 550 BC, there were four major powers: Jin, Qin, Chu, and Qi. Jin broke up into four states in 453 BC after the war in 497 BC. The seven major states during the Warring States Period were Qin, Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Wei, and Zhao. They are known as the Seven Powers of the Warring States Period. From 475-338 BC, there were reforms in politics and society. Every state chose to carry out reforms (ex. legalism in Qin).
Interaction
The state of Qi built a dike eight miles to the east of southeast bank of the Yellow River. This reduced flood damage but troubled Zhao and Wei with floods, so those two states had to construct dikes as well. Floods at a fifteen mile wide strip of land left rich silt and left the land very fertile. Farmers used this land for their benefit and were not too disappointed that about every decade or two, floods ruined their crops and drowned a lot of them.
culture
Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism developed during this period. Shang Yang introduced Legalism to the Qin state, Daoism was founded by Laozi, and Confucianism was founded by Confucius.
economic
There was a need for communication of politics, military affairs, and the economy. Because of this, routes were extended to other areas. The Silk Road traveled through Eurasia, traffic increased, and carriages were frequently used. The reformed taxation system not only meant that peasants paid their lords in cash or crops; it could also be used to sustain the lords’ household or be used as funds to supply and raise armies. Nearly every state had mines and ironworks. That is where all of the iron told (spades, adzes, hoes) were manufactured. After the Qin unified China, more roads were built for faster communication. Currency, laws, measures, weights, and Chinese script were standardized. By standardizing the script, everyone would use the same one even though they spoke different dialects, and this made translation easier.