Chapter 11 Lesson 3: Uniting China
We will: Describe Shi Huangdi’s
policies and rule.
Explain the lasting influences of the Qin
dynasty and Shi Huangdi
Vocabulary:
Legalism
Bureaucracy
Province
Standardization
Communism
What did Shi Huangdi do to unite
northern China?
Read: “You Are There”
Why might someone decide to have
these statues built? What can we know
about Qin rulers based on finding these
statues in the 20th century? Can you
guess what some of the problems were
that they faced?
The First Chinese Empire
Shi Huangdi formed the Qin kingdom in
northern China. He was China’s first
emperor. He had absolute control and
governed with strict laws.
Pronounced (CHIN)
Kingdom formed in the Wei River
Valley. Horses and iron weapons gave
Qin army advantage over the other
people in the area.
Li Si- powerful government official who
helped Shi Huangdi assume throne and
later become the first emperor.
Legalism- way of ruling that gave
absolute power to one ruler.
Shi Huangdi relied on fear to rule. His
laws created an efficient government that
killed those who opposed or disobeyed
the rules.
Map on page 433- Find the capital of the
Qin dynasty. Why was it built there?
Building a Bureaucracy
Shi Huangdi established a strong,
centralized government with a large
bureaucracy. He broke up the old feudal
system, dividing the empire into
provinces and eventually districts.
Bureaucracy- a large group of appointed
officials.
Huangdi got rid of the nobles, and sent
his own representatives to collect the
taxes.
Not in the Army, you don’t have any
weapons. Why would he institute this
policy?
Provinces- land divided into
administrative regions. Think of
provinces as states. Later, Huangdi
divided the provinces into districts. The
districts can be thought of as towns or
counties.
Standardization
Shi Huangdi unified the empire’s people
and economy. He standardized writing,
coins, and units for weights and
measures. He had canals and roads built.
He also standardized education.
Modern day communism in a nutshell.
A powerful central government
controlling everything a country does.
Communism- a system of government
where the means of production are
owned by the state
Though Huangdi’s policies may have
been harsh, they certainly made the
different people of this empire feel
united. This united feeling made the
empire easier to control.
Building a Great Wall
Shi Huangdi connected walls in northern
China to create his Great Wall of China.
The wall helped protect his empire from
northern invaders.
Purpose of the wall? To protect from
northern invaders.
Building the wall was very hard on the
people that helped build it. Freezing
weather, not enough to eat, and poor
working conditions contributed to many
deaths. Despite the size of the wall
(3000 miles-here to California and 40
feet high) the invaders kept coming.
The emperor’s Clay Army
Shi Huangdi planned a spectacular burial
place for himself. He ordered an army of
thousands of clay soldiers and horses
built to protect the tomb for all time.
How’d that work out for you pal?
Please read page 439 to discover the
absolute madness of this man.
Upon his death in 210 B. C. his son
became the new emperor. His son lost
control of the empire as many in
government rebelled against a weaker
ruler.
Questions 1-6 page 438
Workbook page 115