00:00 The construction of roads in China connected regions and allowed for the expansion of the state of Chin, leading to increased warfare during the age of the warring states.

04:41 The age of the warring states in China, which lasted from the 5th century BC to the 3rd century BC, was defined by state making and war making, with the two processes being intertwined and reinforcing each other, leading to the transformation of the state, warfare, and societies across China.

08:51 The warring states period in China saw a reorganization of society to serve the needs of the state, with reforms aimed at tightening control over the masses and eliminating obstacles to the ruler's power, resulting in total mobilization and destruction in warfare, but also leading to population growth, urbanization, and increased prosperity.

12:57 The warring states period in China saw the expansion of the Chinese world geographically, the incorporation of formerly marginal territories into the mainstream, an intellectual efflorescence with the proliferation of different schools of thought, and the rise of the state of Qin as the quintessential warring state with tight state control and a focus on agriculture and war.

16:59 The warring states period in China saw the emergence of regional differences and the opposition between centralization and regionalism, which would define the imperial age in China.

21:15 The warring states period in China saw the emergence of regional differences and the opposition between centralization and regionalism, which would define the imperial age in China, with the state of Qin in the west, Jin in the middle portion of the Yellow River basin, and Qi in the south being three of the major powers during this time.

25:10 The warring states period in China saw the emergence of regional differences and the opposition between centralization and regionalism, which would define the imperial age in China, with the state of Qin in the west, Jin in the middle portion of the Yellow River basin, and Qi in the south being three of the major powers during this time, and even though the common folk spoke different languages and had their own customs and ways of life, the educated elites were able to move between regions and spread innovations, creating a cultural commonality that would eventually unite China under the rule of a single person in a single empire.

29:03 The transition from the Spring and Autumn period to the Warring States period in China was not a sudden break, but rather a long process of change punctuated by major turning points, such as the end of the state of Wu and the consolidation of smaller states into larger ones, with the most popular turning point being 453 BC when the state of Jin began to reverse its fragmentation.

33:41 The annihilation of two leading ministerial families in 453 BC marked the end of the state of Jin and the rise of the independent states of Zhao, Han, and Wei, which were the essential players in the new world of the warring states and pioneers of aggressive military campaigns and administrative reforms.

37:36 The warring states period was characterized by a shift from hereditary nobility to a system of meritocracy, where individuals had to earn their positions through talent and skill, resulting in a market for administrative and military talent that shaped the era and led to the transformation of China.