Unit 5-China
Qin Dynasty
Warm-Up
• 1. Potty…don’t be late.
• 2. Copy homework into agenda.
• 3. Loose-leaf paper with heading and title –
title is Ancient China Philosophies Review.
Number 1 to 6. Thank You 
Zhou Dynasty Quiz
A. Confucianism B. Daoism C. Legalism
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1. Strict rule with harsh punishments
2. “Go with the flow”
3. All power to the legal ruler
4. Be in harmony with nature
5. Practice what you preach/lead by
example
• 6. Respect for family, hard work and
education
Essential Questions
1. How did the Chinese
dynasties (Qin) impact life in
China?
2. How did the Chinese
Philosophies impact life in
China?
What Do You Think?
Qin Dynasty
• The Warring States period
marked a time in China
when several states
battled each other for
power. One state, the Qin
(chin), built a strong army
that defeated the armies
of the rivaling states.
Eventually, the Qin
Dynasty united the
country under one
government.
Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi
• In 221 BCE, the Qin king
Ying Zheng succeeded in
unifying China. He gave
himself the title Shi
Huangdi, which means
“first emperor.”
• Shi Huangdi followed
Legalist political beliefs.
He created a strong
government with strict
laws and harsh
punishment.
Policies
• Strong government with
strict laws.
• Newly conquered lands
would have city walls
destroyed and weapons
taken away to prevent
revolts.
• Standard laws – rules and
punishments were to be
the same in all parts of
the empire
• Standard writing system,
money, and weights (to
measure food and
prevent cheating)
throughout China would
be the same.
Education – books burned and
scholars buried alive.
• Shi Huangdi believed that
uneducated people were
easier to control and so the
people should remain
stupid so that they would
never think to doubt who
was in charge of the
empire.
• This policy resulted in the
burning of books on a large
scale and scholars being
executed on a large scale.
• Books were banned
throughout the empire, as
was teaching, except for
subjects touching upon the
re-written history of the
Qin Dynasty, Legalism, or
the personal glory of Shi
Huangdi
Achievements
• Stopped fighting & Unified
China.
• Built network of roads and
canals – transport: people,
goods, and ideas. Every
part of the empire was
connected. This allowed
the army to move quickly.
• Built irrigation system to
improve farming. Some are
still used today.
• Built the Great Wall across
northern China to protect
from the Mongols or Huns
from the North….especially
protect the Silk Road from
thieves.
Lasting Legacy - Qin Shi Huangdi wanted an
army to watch over him in death. Altogether
over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and
even weapons have been unearthed. Most of
them have been restored to their former
grandeur (glory or awesomeness).
The Fall of the Qin
• Shi Huangdi’s policies unified China. However, his
policies also stirred resentment. Many peasants,
scholars, and nobles hated his harsh ways.
• After Qin’s death in 210 BCE, the government
began to fall apart.
• Rebel forces formed across the country. Each
claimed to have received the Mandate of Heaven
to replace the emperor. In 206 BCE, the capital
city was captured and burned to the ground. Qin
authority disappeared, the country fell into civil
war.
Essential Questions Review
1. How did the Chinese
dynasties impact life in China?
2. How did the Chinese
Philosophies impact life in
China?
What Do You think?
Qin Shi Huang Di
Independent Work – Choice #1
Do you think Qin Shi Huang di was a Hero or Villain? If
you believe he was a Hero, design a commemorative
plaque. If you believe he was a villain, design a
“wanted” poster. Your plaque or poster must contain
the following:
1. A title that indicates whether it is a
commemorative plaque or a “wanted” poster
2. A picture or illustration of the emperor or his
actions in life
3. At least three actions of the emperor that justify
this plaque or poster, with illustrations for each
action
Independent Work – Choice #2
Rewrite History! Take the information you have
learned on Emperor Qin and tell about his rule
from your point-of-view on how you believe he
should be remembered. Your history rewrite
must contain the following:
1. A title that indicates the point-of-view of the
rewrite.
2. A picture or illustration of the emperor or his
actions in life.
3. At least three actions of the emperor that justify
this point-of-view.
4. Be sure to use the appropriate adjectives to
support your writing.
Independent Work – Choice #3
Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di has returned and taken over
the United States. He will naturally want to rule as he
did as the emperor of the Qin Dynasty. You have been
chosen as an advisor for Qin, and must decide three
areas where changes will be made using Qin’s
policies/achievements. In your advice letter to
Emperor Qin you must include the following:
• 1. At least three areas/ideas/policies that you feel
need to be changed.
• 2. Why they are changed? And what they are changed
to?
• 3. A picture or illustration of the emperor or his actions
in the United States.