A major development is the adoption of various measurement methods, such as recording population and taxes, and counting crop yields.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the old system and the old ruling order were destroyed, the new system and the new ruling order were established, and the new class strength continued to grow. Hidden in this process and the root of this social change is the productivity revolution characterized by iron. The development of productive forces eventually led to the reform movement and the establishment of feudal system in various countries, and also led to the prosperity of ideology and culture. The disintegration of the well-field system In the early centuries of the Zhou Dynasty, farmers, who accounted for the vast majority of the population, obviously attached themselves to the land they cultivated for feudal lords as family members (family units). This land use system is an idealized form described as well-field system, which almost certainly exists, although modern scholars have questioned almost all aspects of its implementation. In fact, it is impossible to conform to the geometric figures summarized by Mencius (about 372 BC-about 289 BC) and other Chinese scholars over the weekend. According to the idealized narration of these people, every square piece of land called a well is divided into nine small pieces like a chessboard, of which eight small pieces are cultivated by the families who occupy them for their own needs. The ninth plot of land in the center was cultivated by eight families in order to provide goods with usufructuary rights to feudal owners.
Well-field system has always been a topic that many later writers treat with strong feelings. They recalled the imaginary virtue of living together in an earlier and simpler era. However, as a truly implemented system, it is almost impossible to provide farmers with incentives to increase production beyond the minimum demand unless feudal agents exert pressure. On the other hand, feudal landlords had certain obligations to provide food and clothes for their families or to protect them and their families.
However, according to historical records, the new tax system, which began in 594 BC in Shandong, has been issued in many countries. Although the recorded items are short and puzzling, on the whole, the new tax seems to basically include farmers paying in kind to replace the original individual labor. In some cases, these payments may be paid directly to the central government of the country, rather than to the feudal owners attached to the growers, thus leading to the gradual disintegration of the traditional relationship between feudal owners and dependents. This disintegration is accelerated by the increasing reclamation of primitive wasteland (these lands are not within the traditional feudal territory).
Some people think that this new freedom of farmers as semi-independent farmers may encourage them to work harder, thus helping to increase agricultural output in the assumed later period. However, the new freedom forced farmers to take full charge of their own needs without the protection provided by feudal landlords. By the last century of the Zhou Dynasty, land sales had become very common. As a result, the rich get a lot of land, and farmers are once again reduced to tenant farmers or employed as agricultural labor. If there is a gap between the rich and the poor, then from the late Zhou Dynasty to the Qin and Han Dynasties, this gap has widened rather than narrowed. However, the lack and ambiguity of historical materials can only make the above generalization a guess. Changes in Production Tools At present, archaeologists believe that China began to use iron no later than the 6th century BC, or even no later than the 7th century BC. In the literature, the earliest material can be found in Zuo Zhuan, which records that the State of Jin cast criminal law on a set of iron tripod in 5 13 BC. Weapons, farm tools and utensils unearthed in tombs during the Warring States period were all made of iron. Many scholars believe that the development of iron smelting technology is likely to be a factor in the increase of agricultural output in these centuries. Other factors may be the increasing use of irrigation and drainage technology and chemical fertilizers, especially the planting of large areas of new land.
However, the effects of these and other technological improvements should not be overestimated. Throughout the Warring States period, iron was still relatively scarce. At that time, iron was often cast iron, not forged, so it was soft and brittle. Many tools are still made of bronze, stone, wood or shells. In addition, some important aspects of improving agricultural technology are particularly difficult to estimate and determine their time. Therefore, when the animal-drawn plow began to replace the far primitive but obviously long-term use of hoeing caused great controversy. According to extremely insufficient evidence, China scholars began to use tractor plows in 400 BC, until the first century or two, even before the Zhou Dynasty. The earliest clear material in the literature can only be traced back to the Han Dynasty (about 90 or 85 BC)-but this material indicates a fairly long period of early development. At the turn of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the land of China set off a storm of great social change.
In this devastating and overwhelming great change, the old slave-owner class declined and the new landlord class rose; The old system and moral ethics were replaced by the new system and ideology; Some farmers have gained more freedom and profound changes have taken place in social relations of production. The class contradiction is sharp and fierce, and the merger war continues year after year. The whole society presents a complicated situation of great turmoil and reorganization.
During this period, a new social stratum came into being, that is, scholars. They come from all aspects of society, although their status is low, but many of them are learned and talented people, some are scholars who are familiar with astronomy, calendar and geography, and some are outstanding political and military talents. Its representatives, such as Mencius, Mozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Shang Yang, Shen Buhai, Xu Xing, Sean, Su Qin and Zhang Yi, are all famous thinkers, politicians, militarists or scientists. As for the general suggestions, I'll talk about people like carving dragons, fencing, crowing, stealing dogs, and many others.
Due to different backgrounds and positions, scholars put forward different political opinions and demands when solving or answering practical problems. They wrote books and argued endlessly, and a hundred schools of thought contended, forming many schools such as Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, France, Yin and Yang, famous scholars, military strategists, miscellaneous scholars, farmers, novelists and so on. Among them, Confucianism, Mohism, Taoism and Legalism are the most important. The Analects of Confucius, Mencius, Mozi, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi and Han Feizi are the representative works of these four schools. Among them, The Analects of Confucius, Mencius and Zhuangzi are of high literary value.
Among many new ideological trends (often more than one "school"), only a few can be listed here: (1) tends to give up the supernatural and mythical old explanations about the operation of heaven and earth and replace them with those made by impersonal forces and trends (such as Tao, Yin and Yang, and Five Elements). (2) At least in theory, it emphasizes the prerequisite that a ruler must have, that is, noble birth supplemented by qualified intelligence and morality, so that he can well-deserved undertake very important ruling tasks. (3) However, since sovereignty is hereditary under normal circumstances, it is emphasized to cultivate an educated class of non-hereditary officials to act as advisers to the rulers. This emphasis marks a complete departure from the traditional view that holding a post depends only on a good background, and it is also developing in the direction of the civil service system of the Chinese Empire, that is, recruiting officials according to competitive examinations. (4) Emphasize the ideal of social harmony, although this harmony is based on inequality. In other words, this emphasis is based on the fact that everyone is prepared to accept their specific position in the hierarchy and try their best to fulfill their social responsibilities related to that position. (5) Emphasize great unity, including not only political unity, but also ideological and cultural unity. At the same time, it also provides an indispensable foundation for peace, good governance and social welfare. Bian Que, formerly known as Qin, was born in Bohai County of Qi State (now Renqiu, Hebei Province) during the Warring States Period. Because of his superb medical skills, he was regarded as an imperial doctor, so people at that time used the name of Bian Que, an ancient mythical imperial doctor, to call him. Bian Que founded the method of pulse diagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine, which pioneered China medicine.
When Bian Que was young, he managed the guest house for the nobles, so he met the famous doctor Sang Jun and learned from him. He was regarded as a miraculous doctor who came back from the dead, and then began to practice medicine in various countries.
He practiced medicine in Guo first, and happened to meet the sudden death of Guo Wang. He thought that the prince was only suffering from fever and knew that he was still alive. He saved Prince Guo, and since then, his medical skill of saving the prince has spread like wildfire.
Later, he went to Cai and met him. Cai Huangong thought that Bian Que's fame was just a pure deification and exaggeration, so he was very arrogant and rude to him. As soon as Bian Que saw Cai Huangong, he told him that he had a slight illness that could be cured by taking medicine immediately. Cai Huangong thought he was just bluffing, so he ignored it. When Bian Que suggested treating him for the second time, Cai Huangong ignored him. When Bian Que met Cai Huangong for the third time, Cai Huangong found that his body was really like what Bian Que said, and his symptoms were very serious. He only asked Bian Que for advice, but Bian Que said that Cai Huangong ignored his suggestion, and now the matter is hopeless. Soon, Cai Huangong really died. There is an idiom called fear of illness and fear of medical treatment.
Later, when Bian Que arrived in the State of Qin, Li Yi was jealous of Bian Que's medical skill, so he designed and killed Bian Que.
According to legend, Bian Que wrote "Difficult Classics". Yan Ying (? -500 years ago), the word clock, Shiping people, used to be called. Shandong Gaomi people. An important politician, thinker and diplomat in the late Spring and Autumn Period.
Yan Ying is the son of Wei Yan, a doctor of Qi State. Known for his frugal life and corporal humility. It is said that Yan Ying is short and ugly. In the 26th year of Qi (556 BC), he died of illness, and Yan Ying succeeded to the throne as a doctor. He has served as Qi, Zhuang Gong, etc., and has been an assistant minister for more than 40 years. On Tuesday, in the tenth year (500 BC), Yan Ying died of illness. Kong Qiu once praised: "Save the people without boasting, and make up for the three kings without lifting them. Yanzi is a gentleman! " The existing Yanyings Tomb is about 350 meters southeast of Yongshun Village, Qidu Town, Zibo.
Yan Ying is witty and eloquent. Assisting in domestic affairs, repeatedly remonstrating with Qi Hou. He is flexible and principled, and he is not humiliated when he goes abroad, thus safeguarding the national dignity and prestige of Qi. Sima Qian admired Yan Ying and compared him to Guan Zhong. Lv Buwei (? -Before 235), he was a famous businessman, politician and thinker at the end of the Warring States period, and later he was the prime minister of Qin State and a native of Puyang (now Puyang, Henan). Lv Buwei was a big businessman in Yangzhai (now Yuzhou City, Henan Province). His hometown is on Dalu Street in the south of the city. He ran around, buying at low prices and selling at high prices, so he accumulated thousands of dollars of wealth.
When Lv Buwei was doing business in Zhao State, he happened to meet the royal hostage made by Qin State to Zhao State (Qin Shihuang's father, later renamed Zi Chu, namely King Xiang of Qin Zhuang). Thinking that there were strange goods, he decided to help contact the royal family of Qin State and bring them back to Qin State.
In 25 1 year BC, King Qiu Qin and Prince An formally acceded to the throne as King Qin Xiaowen; Three days later, he died suddenly. He was the king of Qin Zhuang and Lv Buwei was the prime minister. Three years later, Wang Xiang of Qin Zhuang died of illness, and thirteen-year-old Prince Zheng succeeded to the throne. Later, Qin Shihuang and Lv Buwei were honored as Guanzhong. Qin Shihuang found out that his mother was having an affair with Lv Buwei, so he fired Lv Buwei and sent him away. After that, Lv Buwei committed suicide by drinking zhenniao. During Lv Buwei's tenure as Prime Minister of Qin State, he organized people to compile the famous "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals", and the number reached 3,000. That is Lu Lan. It is also a representative figure of sage thought. Qu Yuan (340-278 BC, the date of birth and death is still controversial, born about 353-335 BC, and died about 283-269 BC), whose surname is Qu Ping, the original word, the regular name is Congyun, and the word spirit is both Han, and he was born in Danyang (now Hubei Province), the State of Chu at the end of the Warring States Period in China. Although Qu Yuan was loyal to Chu Huaiwang, he was repeatedly rejected. After the death of King Huai, Xiang Wang was exiled because he listened to slanderers, and finally died in the Miluo River. Qu Yuan is one of the greatest romantic poets in China and the earliest famous poet in China. Created the style of "Chu Ci" and the tradition of "vanilla beauty", with representative works such as Li Sao and Nine Songs. Qu Yuan's works have become one of the sources of China literature with gorgeous rhetoric, peculiar imagination, novel metaphors and profound connotations. 1953, the World Peace Council passed a resolution, and because that year was the 2230th anniversary of Qu Yuan's death, Qu Yuan was identified as one of the four cultural celebrities in the world.