The Qin dynasty, ruled by Emperor Yingzheng and Hu Hai, centralized and unified China for the first time. Emperor Qin made changes to government, economy, and culture. He practiced tyranny but made contributions such as building the Great Wall and terracotta warriors. The dynasty ended with a peasant revolt and the rise of the Western Han Dynasty.
The Qin dynasty took place between 221 BC and 206 BC and was ruled by the emperors Yingzheng and Hu Hai. After years of political strife, Emperor Yingzheng, also known as Emperor Qin Shi Huang, overthrew the warring states of Han, Zhao, Wei, Yan, Chu and Qi, establishing Xianyang City in Shaanxi Province as the capital of the Qin Dynasty . This was the first time in Chinese history that the country was centralized and unified, and this dynasty influenced the development of the many dynasties that would follow.
During his reign, Emperor Qin made many changes to Chinese government, culture, and economy. In governmental affairs he reorganized major departments and restructured local regions, proclaiming himself emperor of the state. This effectively centralized all political power under his personal authority.
Before the Qin dynasty, there was no standard system of weights and measures. Emperor Qin called for an established system and also decreed that the Ban Liang coin should be used as the monetary standard of the country. He also proclaimed Qinzhuan as the standard style for written characters.
Much of Emperor Qin’s work during the Qin dynasty helped develop the country’s economy. For example, he has focused his energies on improving waterways and building roads. The construction of the Great Wall of China was begun during his reign, and he also managed to build the famous terracotta warriors who guarded his tomb.
Though he made many contributions, Emperor Qin practiced tyranny by burning books, killing Confucian scholars, imposing extreme taxes, and forcing labor and military service. The common people who lived in the Qin Dynasty were troubled, and many were imprisoned and forced to do hard labor for not following the strict Qin laws. Many opulent mansions were built by this workforce.
When Emperor Qin died in 210 BC, he was succeeded by his second son, Hu Hai. The end of the Qin dynasty was actually ruled by an advisor named Zhao Gao, whose devious plots and tricks reduced Hu Hai to nothing more than a puppet. The peasants staged a coup, initiated by Wu Guang and Chen Sheng. Xiang Yu and Liu Bang continued to lead the rebels and in 206 BC Liu Bang captured the capital and the Qin dynasty was officially over.
In 206 BC, the Chu-Han War broke out between the rebel factions that had overthrown the Qin dynasty. Liu Bang emerged as the victor and went on to build the Western Han Dynasty.
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