THE QIN DYNASTY

1. What were states battling over during the Warring States period ?•The Warring States period marked a time in China when several states battled each other for power

2. How did the Qin unite the country under one government?•One state, the Qin, built a strong army that defeated the armies of the rivaling states – eventually uniting the country under one government

3. Who succeeded in unifying China? What name did he give himself?•In 221 BC, the Qin king Ying Zheng succeeded in unifying China. He gave himself the title Shi Huangdi, which means “first emperor”

4. Which political belief did Shi Huangdi follow? What did he create?•Shi Huangdi followed Legalist p0litical beliefs. He created a strong government with strict laws and harsh punishments.

5. What did Shi Huangdi do with books that didn’t agree with Legalism?•Shi Huangdi ordered the burning of all writings that did not agree with Legalism. The only books that were saved dealt with farming, medicine, and predicting the future.

6. What happened to scholars who opposed to book burning?•Many scholars opposed the book burnings. Shi Huangdi responded to the opposition by burying 460 scholars alive.

7. How did Shi Huangdi expand his empire? How far north did he expand?•Shi Huangdi used his armies to expand the empire. First, they occupied the lands around both of China’s major rivers. Then his soldiers turned north and advanced almost to the Gobi Desert.

8. How did Shi Huangdi prevent future revolts in his territory? •Shi Huangdi ensured that there would not be any future revolts in his new territory. When his soldiers conquered a city, he had them destroy its walls and take all the residents’ weapons.

9. How did Shi Huangdi change China’s old political system?•Shi Huangdi claimed all the power and did not share it with the lords. He even took land away from nobles and forced them to move with their families to the capital so he could keep an eye on them.

10. How did Shi Huangdi control China? What did he enforce across his China?•To control China, Shi Huangdi divided it into districts, each with its own governor (which he appointed). Districts were subdivided into counties that were also governed by appointed officials. This organization helped the emperor enforce his tax system. It also helped the Qin enforce a strict chain of command.

11. What steps did Shi Huangdi take to unify China?•Shi Huangdi standardized laws, writing, and weights and measures, created a money system, and made trade easier.

12. How were people across China required to write? Was this good or bad? Why?•People everywhere were requited to write using the same set of symbols. People from different regions could now communicate with each other in writing. This gave them a sense of shared culture and common identity.

13. What parts of Chinese life did Shi Huangdi standardize?•Shi Huangdi set up a new money system. He standardized gold and copper coins, which became the currency used in all of China. Weights and measures were standardized (system of weighing and measuring things were the same across China). - as a result, trade across China became much easier.

14. What happened to Chinese citizens who didn’t obey these laws?•Any Chinese citizen who disobeyed these laws (or new standards) would face severe punishment.

15. Why did Shi Huangdi have a network of roads built across China? What was unique about these roads?

•Under Shi Huangdi’s rule the Chinese built a network of roads that connected the capital to every part of the empire. These roads made travel easier for everyone. Each of these new roads was the same width, 50 paces wide. This design helped the army move quickly and easily to put down revolts in distant areas.

16. How did ShiHuangdi improve China’s water system?•Shi Huangdi had workers build canals to connect China’s rivers.

17. How did Shi Huangdi have the Great Wall built?•Shi Huangdi wanted to protect China from invasion. Hoping to stop invaders, the emperor built the Great Wall, a barrier that linked earlier walls across China’s northern frontier. The first section had been built in the 600s BC to keep invading groups out of China. The Qin connected the earlier pieces of the wall to form a long, unbroken structure. Building of the wall required years of labor from hundreds of thousands of workers, many of whom died building the wall

Great Wall

18. What did Shi Huangdi have buried close to him? Why? How was each one different?

•Shi Huangdi had an army of more than 6,000 life-size terra-cotta (clay) soldiers buried close to him. They were designed to be with Shi Huangdi in the afterlife. Each soldier had its own facial features, hairstyle, and unique expression. No two were exactly alike.

Shi Huangdi’s Terra Cotta Army

19. While Shi Huangdi’s policies united China, what else did they do among China’s peasants, scholars, and nobles?

•Shi Huangdi’s policies united China, but his policies also stirred resentment. Many peasants, scholars, and nobles hated his harsh ways.

20. What happened within a few years of Shi Huangdi’s death?•When Shi Huangdi died, in 210 BC, china was unified. But that didn’t last. Within a few years of his death, the government began to fall apart.

21. When did Shi Huangdi live?•C. 259-210 BC

22. Where did Shi Huangdi live?•Shi Huangdi built a new capital city at Xianyang, now called Xi’an, in northern China

23. What did Shi Huangdi do?•Shi Huangdi didn’t trust people. Several attempts were made on his life, and the emperor lived in fear of more attacks. By the time he died, he didn’t even trust his advisors. Even in death, he surrounded himself with protectors: the famous terra cotta army

24. Why is Shi Huangdi important?•Shi Huangdi was one of the most powerful rulers in Chinese history. The first ruler to unify all of China. •Great Wall