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The Qin Dynasty was the China's first empire and unified state. We finally see the nation of China as we know it. Its conquest of the Zhou Dynasty states, beginning in 230 B.C., ended the Warring States Period. Going back a bit, the Qin state, with its capital at Xianyang, was located near modern-day Xi'an, & while they served as a buffer state between the Zhou and other states, they were never really loved by the Zhou. But how did ONE state, Qin, conquer ALL of those other states? A little over a century earlier that the groundwork for conquest was laid by Duke Xiao through the work of Shang Yang, his Chancellor. He is a great representative of Legalism because of two policies: fixing the standards, & treating the people as one. Shang Yang was a reformer and systematically worked the entire social order of Qin, eventually creating a bureaucratic state. He & Duke Xiao advocated for a unified China.
Among Shang Yang’s innovations was a system to expand the army beyond the nobility, splitting the army into 20 ranks, giving land as a reward to all accomplished soldiers. This created a massive infantry.
Unpopular policies:
* Strip the nobility from those who were unwilling to fight.
* Loyalty to the state over loyalty to the family / clan.
* Free convicts who cleared land for agriculture
* Enslaved underachieving farmers
* Partly abolished primogeniture (depending on the son) + doubly taxed households with more than one son
Upon the death of Duke Xiao, Shang Yang was charged with treason by the old aristocrats in the state. He fled and eventually attempted to raise his own army…sources say he was either killed in battle…but was executed in 338 B.C. with five chariots pulling him apart.
The conquest began. The states of Shu and Ba (Sichuan) went to war, both begging for Qin’s help. And so it began.
China was now a unified nation for the first time, and based on what we know about what Shang Yang did for the Qin state, we know exactly what’s coming for this new nation of China. Ying Zheng took the name Qin Shi Huang Di (“first emperor of Qin”).
He had won. Now the real work began...China was home to several clashing cultures & languages. So, the Qin standardized the Chinese language! It provided for the first time, a common tongue - & led to the eventual founding of an imperial academy. Also, older philosophical texts were confiscated & restricted. The Qin not only standardized written language, but weights + measures, & currency! It’s debated that the name China comes from the word Qin.
The Qin didn’t stop at standardizing, but also built over 4,000 miles of roads & “the straight road”, a 500 mile highway that transported materials to the Great Wall!
Nothing made Qin Shi Huang happier than celebrating his new dynasty. When he conquered someone, a replica of that state’s palace was constructed across from Qin Shi Huang’s Palace along the Wei River. Those palaces were connected & populated by singing girls from the conquered states. Weapons from Qin conquests were collected & melted down to be used for casting giant statues in Xianyang.
Advised by the sorcerer Lu Sheng, he traveled in secret via tunnels and lived in secret locales. Citizens couldn't use the emperor’s personal name in documents, & anyone who revealed his location would be executed. Remember the movie Hero? Yeah, that emperor.
His famous achievement was the 700,000 workers sent to the Lishan Mountains to build his tomb. What’s now known as the Terracotta Warriors site was designed as an underground city that Qin Shi Huang would rule in the afterlife. This complex contained temples, chambers and halls, buildings, sculptures, animals, and replicas of the imperial armory, acrobats, officials, & more!
Outside the east gate, Qin Shi Huang created his army - almost 8,000 terracotta warriors, 600 terracotta horses, plus chariots, stables & other artifacts. We’d love to excavate to learn more, but it’s been delayed due to the site's mercury levels and cave-in concerns.
Qin Shi Huang died while on a tour. His officials wanted to keep it secret, so they filled up 10 carts with fish to travel with his body. They also forged a letter from Qin Shi Huang to crown prince Fu Su, ordering his suicide, which he did, allowing the officials to establish Qin Shi Huang’s younger son as emperor.
Shortly after his death, most of the Qin’s empire revolted against the new emperor. Before long, a Warlord named Xiang Yu defeated the Qin army in battle, executed Fu Su, destroyed the capital & split up the empire into 18 states.
A new guy - Liu Bang, ruler of the Han River Valley, rose up against other local kings & then spent three years revolting against Xiang Yu. Now it's 202 B.C., & Xiang Yu’s getting pretty bummed out. He commits suicide, & Liu Bang assumes the title of emperor of the Han Dynasty.
History of the Qin Dynasty - Explained! Crash Course in Chinese History
Негізгі бет History of the Qin Dynasty - Explained! Crash Course in Chinese History
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