2.8 KiB
2.8 KiB
Qin Shi Huang
Overview
Qin Shi Huang (259–210 BCE) was the first emperor of a unified China, founding the Qin dynasty and establishing centralized imperial governance that would endure for over two millennia. @t[259 BCE..210 BCE]
Key Facts
- Born: February 259 BCE, Handan (capital of Zhao) @t[=259 BCE]
- Died: 12 July 210 BCE (age 49) @t[=210 BCE]
- King of Qin: 247–221 BCE @t[247 BCE..221 BCE] 1
- Reign as emperor: 221–210 BCE @t[221 BCE..210 BCE]
- Original name: Ying Zheng (also known as Zhao Zheng)
- Dynasty: Qin
- Chief minister: Li Si 1
Achievements
- Unified the Warring States into a single empire (221 BCE) @t[=221 BCE] 1
- Standardized weights, measures, currency, and writing across China @t[221 BCE..210 BCE] 1
- Began construction of the Great Wall by linking existing fortifications @t[~221 BCE..210 BCE] 1
- Built an extensive road and canal network @t[221 BCE..210 BCE] 1
- Expanded the empire south into Yue lands (modern Hunan and Guangdong) and conquered the Ordos Plateau from the Xiongnu @t[221 BCE..210 BCE] 1
- Terracotta Army: ~8,000 life-sized warrior figures, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses guarding his mausoleum; discovered 1974; main tomb mound remains unexcavated 2
Controversies
- Burning of books and burying of scholars (~213–212 BCE) @t[213 BCE..212 BCE] 1
- Harsh Legalist governance @t[221 BCE..210 BCE] 1
- Massive forced labor for construction projects @t[221 BCE..210 BCE] 1
Legacy
The Qin dynasty collapsed shortly after his death (206 BCE), but his unification model was adopted by the succeeding Han dynasty. @t[=206 BCE]
@q[stale]Line 21: "Terracotta Army: ~8,000 life-sized warrior figures guarding his mausoleum, di..." - Portal source from 2007 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
Established scholarship remains current.
Review Queue
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@q[temporal]Line 14: "Chief minister: Li Si 1 " - when was this true? -
@q[temporal]Line 38: "[x]@q[stale]Line 21: "Terracotta Army: ~8,000 life-sized warrior figures ..." - when was this true? -
@q[missing]Line 38: "[x]@q[stale]Line 21: "Terracotta Army: ~8,000 life-sized warrior figures ..." - what is the source?