Qin Dynasty

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The Qin dynasty was very short lived, lasting from 221 BCE to 206 BCE. The emperor's goal was to conquer the warring states that appeared during the Chou dynasty; upon his success, the emperor proclaimed himself the first emperor of China or, Shih Huang Ti.

After reuniting China, the emperor standardized writing, weights, and measures throughout the land. Previously, the states each had their own measurement systems; the Qin emperor wanted to strengthen his kingdom by creating one system. This promoted internal trade in the kingdom and built up its power.

The standardization also extended to philosophical ideas. The only way to keep the nation together was to make the people all think the same way. Legalism was the the only school of thought that was officially allowed. In 213 BCE, all the books of other schools of thought were burned (except for the copies in the imperial library). Scholars of opposing schools of thought were buried alive.

The best known legacy of the Qin dynasty was the Great Wall. Walls that had been built by the various warring states were connected to make a long great wall that stretched for 5,000 kilometers. Contrary to its name, the Great Wall that is known today is four large walls rebuilt and extended during the Western Han, Sui, Jin, and Ming periods. Many other public works projects were also built to strengthen imperial rule. These required lots of repressive measures, manpower, and resources.

At this time, the emperor was old and wanted to become immortal; he set all his doctors and scientists to work to find an elixir that would make him a god. However, the solution that they gave him was deadly; it contained traces of mercury, which eventually led to the emperor's death. Outside of Xian, the emperor had created a huge tomb guarded by an army of life-sized terra-cotta warriors.

After the Qin emperor's death in 210 BCE, revolts broke out. The dynasty ended less than twenty years after it began, but the imperial system that started was developed over the next two thousand years.

For a nice explanation of the Qin dynasty (and pictures too!) see [1]

For more information on the terra-cotta warriors, see: [2]

CF Manual p. 189-190 -Irene Vazquez