The First Emperor of China
SS.6.W.4.9a
An Emperor is Born
• Prince Zheng of the royal
family of the Chinese state of
Qin (pronounced Chin) was
born in 259 B.C.E.
• 3 years later, the Qin had
taken over the region ending
the previous Zhou dynasty.
• Prince Zheng became king of
the Qin dynasty at 13 years
old.
• By 221 B.C.E., he gained
control of all of China and took
the new title Qin Shihuangdi,
or First Emperor of Qin.
Maintaining Power
• So that he would not be
threatened by local lords, Qin
Shihuangdi replaced the old
feudal system with a
government he controlled
personally.
• He divided the territory into
36 districts with a governor of
his choosing in charge of each.
• In order to unify China, Qin
Shihuangdi also standardized
many of the practices that
differed from place to place.
• Standardize: to make the same
Laws
• Qin Shihuangdi was greatly
influenced by Legalism.
• Recall that Legalists believed in
strict laws, harsh punishments,
and a strong central authority.
• Many of the new laws were
aimed at government officials.
• For example, officials were
punished if the grain in
storehouses spoiled or if a wall
built under their supervision
collapsed.
• Other laws governed everyday
life.
• For example, widows were not
allowed to remarry.
Laws Continued
• Since Qin Shihuangdi’s laws were
based on Legalist beliefs, they
spelled out exact punishments for
bad behavior.
• Rich and poor were punished
equally.
• Typical punishments included fines,
forced labor, whippings, and even
beheadings.
• Qin Shihuangdi’s methods were
especially unpopular with the
Confucians who believed that
proper behavior came from setting a
good example, not harsh laws.
• In response, Qin Shihuangdi had
460 Confucian scholars executed
and all Confucian books burned.
• Any man found studying
Confucianism would be marked
with a tattoo on his face!
Money, Money, Money!
• To make it easier to trade, Qin
Shihuangdi standardized the
system of money.
• Throughout China, people had
used many types of items as
money including shells, pearls,
silver, tin, and various coins.
• Under the Qin dynasty, the
only acceptable form of money
became metal coins made of
gold or bronze.
• The coins had holes in the
center so that people could
carry several of them together
on a cord.
Other Achievements
• Qin Shihuangdi also simplified the
writing system by getting rid of
many of the written characters that
were in use across China.
• A later dictionary listed 9,000
approved characters.
• To protect his empire from
invaders, the emperor ordered a
long wall to be built along China’s
northern border.
• Earlier kingdoms had already built
smaller walls of their own, so Qin
Shihuangdi ordered that the
sections be connected.
• It later became known as the Great
Wall.
• Few traces of the original wall
survive.
• The Great Wall as we know it today
was built by later rulers.
The Death of Qin Shihuangdi
• In 210 B.C.E., after just over
10 years as ruler, Qin
Shihuangdi died.
• No one knows the cause of his
death, although some have
suggested that he may have
been poisoned.
• At the time, he was 600 miles
away from the capital city
searching for a potion which
would make him immortal.
• His body was taken back and
buried in a gigantic tomb in a
man-made mound.
Qin Shihuangdi’s Tomb
• The tomb of Qin Shihuangdi is
one of the most impressive
tombs ever discovered.
• It included a complex of
structures which stretched over
several square miles.
• Over 700,000 workers helped to
build it, and some of them were
buried with the emperor to
prevent grave robbers from
learning about its contents.
• The treasures of Qin
Shihuangdi’s tomb were
discovered in 1972, and among
them were tools, precious
jewels, and other rare objects.
Qin Shihuangdi’s Tomb Continued
• Most amazing of all,
archeologists discovered an
entire army there made of terracotta, a kind of clay.
• The army included more than
6,000 life-size figures such as
archers, foot soldiers, chariot
drivers, and horses.
• So far, archeologists have not
found any two figures that are
exactly alike.
• The entire tomb has still not
been completely excavated, and
many speculate that they may
have created a model of an
entire underground city!
The End of the Qin Dynasty
• The Qin dynasty fell apart
shortly after the death of Qin
Shihuangdi.
• The harshness of his rule had
caused a great deal of
unhappiness, and soon after
he died, rebellions broke out in
the countryside.
• Civil war followed as various
leaders struggled for control.
• Finally, in 206 B.C.E., Liu
Bang, a peasant leader,
defeated his rivals and
established the Han dynasty.