Qin Dynasty [221 - 209 BCE]

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Technology/Economy

Even though the Qin dynasty only lasted for a short time span, they were the ones who decided to rebuilt/improve the wall defenses to the north by making the Great Wall of China which is actually four great walls rebuilt or extended during the Western Han, Sui, Jin, and Ming periods, rather than a single, continuous wall.

Qin knew that having common systems for money and measurement would help business and trade between the provinces. The emperor knew that having different systems was confusing when people had to change from one type of money to another as they traveled across China. Emperor Qin also wanted to begin several big building projects. He knew that by having a common measurement system, it would be easier during construction.One result of this is an “army” that Qin had built from a brownish-red clay call the terra cotta. All the statues would not look the same and each of them would have a different face, but they were built to the same size even though they were built by hundreds of different workers. By standardizing the measurements, the workers were able to produce the entire “army” on the same scale or matching sizes. Even in the modern day, we have a common measurement that most of the world uses.

Terracotta Army

The economy of the Qin dynasty was based on centralization which was the idea of standardizing money, measurements, weights. Due to the standardization of money, it was much easier to trade between provinces because they did not have to change their money.

Social Changes

Emperor Qin unified China even more when he improved communication. Provinces each had their own languages, or ways of speaking, and it was hard to communicate, which limited trade, sharing of ideas, technology, and travel. Qin made the written form of the dialects the same. The ability to communicate and keep records helped increase economic and social interaction between the provinces. Many people in modern China still speak very different languages, but the system of writing that Emperor Qin developed help unite the culture.


Qin's Writing

Government

Emperor Qin Shihaungdi reorganized the government. First, he changed the way people got land. Kings before him gave land to nobility. Once the land was given to a lord, control of it was passed on through his family. The land would be passed down to the family heir. He divided the land into 36 sections called provinces and provinces were broken down into districts. Each of these provinces, each had a civil governor, a military commander, and an imperial inspector. The leaders of the provinces had to report to the emperor in writing.


One of the Jobs, the building of the Great Wall

Qin set up a system where qualified people were appointed to the jobs and were trained to do them as he wanted them done. The appointed rulers got a salary from Qin and only he was their income. The civil governor and military commander where given workers to supervise and those workeres had more people under them. By making a layer for people to look over their workers under them, and if they disobeyed then they would be punished, and in the end, the emperor became the center of power.

Religion/Philosophy

Emperor Qin used the legalist idea to run the government. The idea of legalism is that people are born bad and only by strict rule can we control them. The emperor wants to make the people know that there are expectations and that there is always some one watching over them. Its like a spy system, the higher class would look over the lower class and people were encouraged to report misbehaviors and have them punished.

Qin also wanted to make sure all the people agree on correct thoughts and ideas, he burned all the confucianism books and left only legalist, medical, and agricultural books. All who opposed him, would be sentenced to death. Qin knew there would be uprisings against actions so he orders all metal weapons to be stored in the empire where the government would have control of them.

Leaders/Contemporaries



Qin Shi Huang was the king or emperor of the land of Qin. He was the first emperor to unite China as one, along with his prime minister Li Si, they aimed to make some major reforms in uniting the states. The two started the idea of building the Great Wall. For all the tyranny of his autocratic rule, Shi Huang is still know was the father of chinese history for unifying China.

Qin Er Shi was the son of the First emperor of Qin, Qin Shi Huang. He was accompanied to Eastern China with his father when he suddenly died. THe prime minister and chief of eunuch convinced him to make a fake degree. The degree wrote that his older brother, the rightful heir to the throne, was to commit suicide and that he would be the heir. He became a terrible emperor, he heavily depended on the chief of eunuch, Zhao Gao. The Qin was at the brink of destruction and Zhao Gao was afraid that he would be blamed so he along with other people, forced the emperor to commit suicide.

Antiochus IV Epiphanes (215–163 BC)

He was a son of Antiocus III the Great and brother of Selecus IV Philopator. He ruled the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire from 175 until his death. He was famous for many events like the near-conquest of Egypt which was stopped by the risk of roman intervention.

Liu Bang (259-195 BC)

He was one of the leader that came from a peasant family in the Qin dynasty. He defeated Xiang Yu, and the falling Qin dynasty. He united China in 202 BCE and established the Han dynasty. The Han Dynasty lasted for 400 years and he ruled for only 12.

Other

-Li Si was the prime minister of Qin

-Qin died from eating mercury pill which were suppose to make him immortal

-Ziying is the third emperor of the Qin dynasty,he was also the son of Lu Su, the eldest son of Qin Shi Huang who had to commit suicide.

Summary

Economy-Qin transformed the economy of China by standardizing the currency, measurements, and weights. He also started building the Great Wall of China and he is famous for his terracotta army.

Social Changes-Qin also standardized the writing of the Chinese people. This made construction and communication alot easier.

Government-Qin's government was hugely affected by legalism. Qin had the idea that everyone should be aware that someone else is watching over them and they can get punished.

Philosophies-Qin believed in legalism. He burned all the books that were about confucianism, he wanted the people to have the correct idea and thought.

Leader/ Contemporaries- Qin is the founder of the Qin dynasty and his third son became the heir.

Timeline

221 BCE- Qin Shi Huang establishes the Qin dynasty

221 BCE- starts the construction of the Great Wall of China

During 221- 210 BCE- Qin unites China

210 BCE- burial of the terracotta army

209 BCE- Qin Er Shi becomes emperor

207 BCE- Ziying becomes emperor