Citizens were discouraged from using the emperor’s personal name in documents, and anyone who revealed his location would face execution. In 229 B.C., the Qin seized Zhao territory and continued until they seized all five Zhou states to create a unified Chinese empire in 221 B.C.Īdvised by the sorcerer Lu Sheng, Qin Shi Huang traveled in secrecy through a system of tunnels and lived in secret locations to facilitate communing with immortals. Qin Shi Huang began a militarily-driven expansionist policy. Qin Shi HuangĪs the ruler of Qin, Ying Zheng took the name Qin Shi Huang Di (“first emperor of Qin”), which brings together the words for “Mythical Ruler” and “God.” The son of King Zhuangxiang of Qin and a concubine, Ying Zheng took the throne at the age of 13, following his father’s death in 247 B.C. Ying Zheng is considered the first emperor of China. Qin responded by conquering each of them and, over the next 40 years, relocating thousands of families there, and continuing their expansionist efforts into other regions. When the states of Shu and Ba went to war in 316 B.C., both begged for Qin’s help. The state of Qin began to expand into the regions surrounding it. But Shang Yang’s ideas had already laid the foundation for the Qin Empire. with five chariots pulling him apart for spectators in a market. He attempted to fight and create his own territory but was defeated and executed in 338 B.C. This helped create a massive infantry that was less expensive to maintain than the traditional chariot forces.įollowing Duke Xiao’s death, Shang Yang was charged with treason by the old aristocrats in the state. Shang Yang was a vigorous reformer, systematically reworking the social order of Qin society, eventually creating a massive, complex bureaucratic state and advocating for the unification of Chinese states.Īmong Shang Yang’s innovations was a successful system to expand the army beyond the nobility, giving land as a reward to peasants who enlisted. that the groundwork was laid for conquest, primarily through the work of Shang Yang, an administrator from the state of Wey who was appointed Chancellor. It was during the rule of Duke Xiao from 361 to 338 B.C. The ruling class of Qin nonetheless believed themselves to be legitimate heirs to the Zhou states, and through the centuries they strengthened their diplomatic and political standing through a variety of means, including strategic marriages. This distinction had to do with its slow pace in embracing Chinese culture, for instance, lagging behind the Zhou in doing away with human sacrifice. Qin itself had been considered a backwards, barbarian state by the ruling Zhou Dynasty. The capital of the Qin Dynasty was Xianyang, which was extensively enlarged after Qin dominance was established. The Qin (pronounced “chin”) region was located in modern-day Shaanxi province, north of the Zhou Dynasty territory-Qin served as a barrier between it and the less civilized states north of it.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |