The Qin Dynasty was a very short dynasty, lasting from 221 BCE to 206 BCE. During this time, they unified the entirety of China for the first time. The name China is derived from the word Qin.
Before the Unification of China, the area was ruled by provinces that were constantly clashing. During the fall of the Zhou Dynasty, Zhou power moved east, leaving the Qin in the west. The Qin moved from their home province to other provinces, gradually taking over Zhou territory. Soon they gained control of all China.
SOCIAL
The emperor ruled at the top of the social ladder. After him came his advisors, generals, nobles, officials, scholars, soldiers, workers, and finally peasants. The Qin system gave the higher class lots of power over lower classes. The emperor wanted everyone to understand his commands, so he standardized the language of Qin. This gave the emperor more power over the lower classes. Qin families valued togetherness, so children were expected to obey their parents and wives obey their husbands. Women had little power, but they had some power over younger people because elders were respected.
Political
Qin was situated in the west, where there were many nomadic tribes. This gave them lots of military practice, so they had an advantage. But the military advantage wasn't the only thing that led to victory over the warring states. The Qin people were legalistic, meaning they were ruled by law. These reforms allowed the Qin to keep order in their kingdom, because good actions were rewarded and bad actions were punished harshly. After the Qin took over, China was split into provinces that were ruled by magistrates who answered to the emperor. Also, Shang Yang, inventor of legalism, revised the tax system so that all people could buy and sell land. In addition, he introduced regulated road with and axle lengths so that travel was easier and regulated weights, measures, and currency to make trade easier throughout China. Peasantry and the Army became focal points for the empire, because the more peasants worked the land, the richer the country became and the stronger the army was. The emperor of Qin ordered that all books except ones about agriculture, forestry, divination and medicine be burned. Only Qin history books survived. Scholars and confucianists were killed too. After the death of the emperor, the Qin fell apart due to uprisings.
Interaction
The Qin instituted a written language that was uniform and made a standard coin and currency. Roads connected all of China, giving them a speedy way to travel across the empire. The original Great Wall of China sat along the northern border, doing its job to keep the nomadic invaders out. During this time, cavalry became popular and crossbows were put into use.
Cultural
The Qin dynasty was legalistic, meaning they were ruled by law. While legalism was invented during the Warring States period, it was a large part of the Qin dynasty. Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered construction of the Great Wall of China along the northern border in 220 BC. to protect them. It took 10 years to build 3100 miles of wall. When Qin Shi Huang became emperor at the age of 13, he immediately began working on his tomb. Altogether over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and even weapons have been unearthed from these pits. They are said to guard the dead emperor.
Economic
Money and weights were standardized throughout the empire, leading to smoother transactions. The roads that connected one end of the Qin empire to the other led to expanded trade and travel. Unfortunately, the projects like building the emperor’s tomb cost a lot of money, meaning taxes were raised for lower classes. But, the economic policy of the Qin was the same in peacetime and wartime, meaning they had no fluctuations during wars. The exploitation of peasantry led to uprisings eventually.
Before the Unification of China, the area was ruled by provinces that were constantly clashing. During the fall of the Zhou Dynasty, Zhou power moved east, leaving the Qin in the west. The Qin moved from their home province to other provinces, gradually taking over Zhou territory. Soon they gained control of all China.
SOCIAL
The emperor ruled at the top of the social ladder. After him came his advisors, generals, nobles, officials, scholars, soldiers, workers, and finally peasants. The Qin system gave the higher class lots of power over lower classes. The emperor wanted everyone to understand his commands, so he standardized the language of Qin. This gave the emperor more power over the lower classes. Qin families valued togetherness, so children were expected to obey their parents and wives obey their husbands. Women had little power, but they had some power over younger people because elders were respected.
Political
Qin was situated in the west, where there were many nomadic tribes. This gave them lots of military practice, so they had an advantage. But the military advantage wasn't the only thing that led to victory over the warring states. The Qin people were legalistic, meaning they were ruled by law. These reforms allowed the Qin to keep order in their kingdom, because good actions were rewarded and bad actions were punished harshly. After the Qin took over, China was split into provinces that were ruled by magistrates who answered to the emperor. Also, Shang Yang, inventor of legalism, revised the tax system so that all people could buy and sell land. In addition, he introduced regulated road with and axle lengths so that travel was easier and regulated weights, measures, and currency to make trade easier throughout China. Peasantry and the Army became focal points for the empire, because the more peasants worked the land, the richer the country became and the stronger the army was. The emperor of Qin ordered that all books except ones about agriculture, forestry, divination and medicine be burned. Only Qin history books survived. Scholars and confucianists were killed too. After the death of the emperor, the Qin fell apart due to uprisings.
Interaction
The Qin instituted a written language that was uniform and made a standard coin and currency. Roads connected all of China, giving them a speedy way to travel across the empire. The original Great Wall of China sat along the northern border, doing its job to keep the nomadic invaders out. During this time, cavalry became popular and crossbows were put into use.
Cultural
The Qin dynasty was legalistic, meaning they were ruled by law. While legalism was invented during the Warring States period, it was a large part of the Qin dynasty. Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered construction of the Great Wall of China along the northern border in 220 BC. to protect them. It took 10 years to build 3100 miles of wall. When Qin Shi Huang became emperor at the age of 13, he immediately began working on his tomb. Altogether over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and even weapons have been unearthed from these pits. They are said to guard the dead emperor.
Economic
Money and weights were standardized throughout the empire, leading to smoother transactions. The roads that connected one end of the Qin empire to the other led to expanded trade and travel. Unfortunately, the projects like building the emperor’s tomb cost a lot of money, meaning taxes were raised for lower classes. But, the economic policy of the Qin was the same in peacetime and wartime, meaning they had no fluctuations during wars. The exploitation of peasantry led to uprisings eventually.