Qin Dynasty Research Paper

Context: When Shi Huangdi ascended as ruler of the Qin tribe in 246 B.C., China had been at war for 200 years. Seven major states were battling each other for dominance in the land, which was then a patchwork of feudal villages with no central bureaucracy [government]. After a series of victories, the Qin absorbed its last rival in 221 B.C., unifying China under one leader. As head of the new empire of China, Shi Huangdi didn't hesitate to establish a new law of the land. The Emperor quickly abolished the old feudal system, standardized the Chinese writing and currency systems, built a vast network of roads and canals to link the country and divided China into states with one centralized

Qin had ruled under an autocratic reign, and treated his opponents, and even subjects poorly. Zhou, 2017 stated the extremity of his actions as "Every time he captured people from another country, he castrated them in order to mark them and made them into slaves.” The severity of his methods, was furthered by Zhou calling Qin a “ruthless tyrant." Qin’s actions were prosecuted as his ideologies followed strictly under legalism, and expected his subjects to follow the same behavior (C., 2017), this is also supported in the line “who punishes traitors, roots out evil men” from the inscription by Sima Qian, stating Qin’s actions to those who betray him. Beside Qin’s method of treatment, his system of standardizing governments, and money had benefited China in their daily lives. Qin had centralized the governments to control the districts around China and created a durable political system, that endured for two millenniums (Müller, 2016), which in turn standardized taxation and currency throughout China (C., 2017). Figure 1, shows a coin derived from the Ancient period, as coins and currency became standardized during the era, to further unify China as a nation. Due to Qin Shi Huangdi’s legalistic standing point, his methods of control had questionable details, however because of his actions in regards to legalism, he standardized and improved China in terms

First and foremost, during the warring states of period, seven states have remained and officially approved royal family began the war to unify and conquer other states to expand their own lands. Qin Shi Huang was the one who unified all seven states into one. Since Qin Shi Huang have unified China right after the warring states period of China, the whole country was both socially and politically instable, being literally a chaos. He, who thought safety of the nation and citizens were significant, could not withstand any longer and finally decided to implement legalism, which is Chinese philosophy that is an absolute monarchy, and it’s principles basically follows one belief, strict legal controls over all kind of activities, a system of rewards and punishments for all classes

The Zhou dynasty’s decline allowed city-states to rise in power. This culminated with the Warring States period and the rise of the Qin dynasty. The King of the Qin, Shi Huangdi, established himself as the first Emperor of unitary China. The Emperor used the mountain inscriptions to describe his achievements and justify his rule. How the Qin Emperor defines his rule allows for effective comparison between China, Rome and Babylon. The mountain inscriptions reveal the effect that the Warring States period had on Chinese society and by affect the ideal of the new sovereign.

Qin wanted absolute dictatorship. He even attempted to regulate even the most minor details of his subject’s lives. Qin simplified and regulated the language by simplifying the characters, standardising the syntax which creating a common written language for his empire. Even though during his reign he had concurred three quarters of where the population lived, the country did not become united until much later (Roberts & Westad

Qin built the Great Wall of china to protect the city from Nomads. Nomads lived in the Gobi. The Gobi is located at China’s northern border. Nomads are people who move from place to place with herds of animals. Nomads were masters at fighting on horseback. They often attacked Chinese farms and villages. Several Chinese rulers in the north built walls to keep out the Nomads. Qin liked this idea, so he forced farmers to connect and strengthen the walls with stone, sand and trash. The final result was the Great Wall of China! Although Qin did not build the Great Wall of China we know today. Qin’s great wall was built over 1,500 years ago.

Qin Dynasty was not the shortest Dynasty in the long river of Chinese history. Comparing to Han Dynasty or Tang Dynasty that lasted almost about five hundred years, Qin Dynasty was only last for 15 years (221 to 206 B.C.E). Although Qin had such a transient period to power the country, it played a fundamental role in Chinese history. In historians’ view, they also consider Qin Dynasty was the first dynasty to unify the country. Qin ended the Warring States period and gave people a breaking period after a long term of wars. But being “the first unified, multi-national and power-centralized state in the Chinese history” was not the only achievement that Qin had. The huge impacts that Qin made on different aspects made Qin became the best influence dynasty in ancient Chinese history.

China has been known to be the world’s third largest nation, and one of the most populous countries amongst the world. “China has become one of the globe’s fastest - growing post - industrial economies since reforms were put into place in 1978 by Deng Xiaoping, and his supporters, and it’s rapid industry growth since then has led to competition with the United States, and Europe. “(“China”). China was a feudal state until the lord of Qin managed to unite the various lords and became the first emperor in 221 B.C.E. (“China”). During Qin ShiHuang’s reign he standardized the script, currencies, weights, and measures, and established the system of prefectures and counties, and began the world- renowned Great Wall. At the end of the Qin Dynasty, Liu Bang, a peasant leader, overthrew the Qin regime in cooperation with Xiang Yu, an aristocratic general. (“Wu”).

China’s unification by Zheng is one of the most integral events that shaped China’s history. Zheng then went on to organize an empire with a strong centralized authority and assumed the title Shi Huangdi meaning “First Emperor.” Included in his program of centralization are the extermination of independent states and the unification of China under a centralized rule. Although the Qin dynasty is the most short-lived among all the dynasties, its implemented landmark reforms would be used by China in the centuries to come. Because of a unified China, the establishment of the Great Wall of China, a shield against the nomadic groups of North Asia, was made possible (Boncan et al,

In achieving a goal, one must need to undergo a step-by-step process. In China, Ying Zheng or Shi Huangdi formulated steps or plan in order to attain unification of its nation. Together with his advisers, he implemented the national policy of prosperous country and establish a strong military might, building the state of Qin as the greatest power among the warring states. After conquering the other six states, he established the Qin Empire, which is the first feudal autocratic empire of China and developed a complete central and local official system to consolidate the regime and maintain a stable the society. He also unified the country’s legal and monetary system, and standardized the Chinese characters and weights and measures. All the improvements

Caitlin-The Qin state’s economy was organized to create an agriculture-based, militarized society and to enhance the power and wealth of its ruler. As a result, the Qin conquered neighboring states and unified China. The Qin Dynasty, which lasted from 221 B.C. to 206 B.C., did not long survive the death of its First Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi, but it bequeathed a standardized economy to future Chinese empires and states.

Shi Huangdi in the Qin Dynasty and Alexander the Great each seized large territories from neighboring populations using strong military campaigns. Yet, Shi Huangdi’s legacy is a China still united through the Han Dynasty in 220 C.E. while Alexander’s Empire no longer exists. Alexander had an empire of people, ruled with the same law, who had no common culture. The Qin Dynasty and the following Han Dynasty created a stable empire by standardizing the written language, abolishing the feudal system, centralizing government, and creating a strong military. Common culture changed the way separate groups of people thought of each other and brought them together as a unified society.

Early emperors chose one of their family members or one their most trusted aristocrats to become emperor (Connected Ed). A person named Hanfeizi brought the ideas of legalism around 200 BC. (Connected Ed). A believer in legalism was usually a very evil person (Great). Citizens paid taxes to support the Government and the army (McKillop). Society in China was divided into aristocrats and ordinary people (McKillop). The Shang’s made system to show what kind of class you are in like the king was on the top, then it was the rich, then it was the poor/common people (Knight). Nearly all Daoist and non-legalist were beaten to death or killed (Great). The third philosophy became known as the school of law (Connected Ed). The Han’s and the Hsin Dynasty mangled to replace noblemen to officials (Knight). The Chin’s were very mean and cruel to the people of China

The first unified Chinese empire was formed in 221 B.C., that was when seven states were brought together by Shi Huangdi, a conqueror from the state of Qin. Shi Huangdi means “first emperor.” Until the twentieth century all rulers of imperial China called themselves the emperor. The emperor was believed, by the people of China, to be the son of heaven, God-like. They believed that each of the emperor’s ruled China through heaven’s approval, which was called “mandate of heaven.” This kind of ruling ensured peaceful dynasties for more than two thousand years. The emperor maintained harmony and kept order and when an emperor died,

Along the Ancient Chinese History, Qin State was the first one that conquered six major states and unified China became Qin Dynasty. Under the rules of Qinshihuang, the first King of the Qin dynasty and he was the first one that centralized monarchy in ancient Chinese history. Nevertheless, the glory of Qin Dynasty only lasted for fifteen years due to the burning of books and burying of scholars, tyrannical rulers, compulsory labors, and the incompetence of the emperor. Especially because of Qinershi the ruler of the social chaos and fatuous incompetence, which was the second son of Qinshihuang, he was the main causes of Qin dynasty became extinct.