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Qin Shi Huang

Qin Shi Huang

Overview

Qin Shi Huang (259210 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.

Key Facts

  • Born: 259 BCE, State of Zhao
  • Died: 210 BCE (age 49)
  • Reign as emperor: 221210 BCE
  • Original name: Ying Zheng
  • Dynasty: Qin

Achievements

  • Unified the Warring States into a single empire (221 BCE) 1
  • Standardized weights, measures, currency, and writing across China
  • Began construction of the Great Wall by linking existing fortifications
  • Built an extensive road and canal network
  • Terracotta Army: ~8,000 life-sized warrior figures guarding his mausoleum, discovered 1974 2

Controversies

  • Burning of books and burying of scholars (~213212 BCE)
  • Harsh Legalist governance
  • Massive forced labor for construction projects

Legacy

The Qin dynasty collapsed shortly after his death (206 BCE), but his unification model was adopted by the succeeding Han dynasty.



Review Queue

  • @q[temporal] Line 10: "Born: 259 BCE, State of Zhao" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 11: "Died: 210 BCE (age 49)" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 12: "Reign as emperor: 221210 BCE" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 13: "Original name: Ying Zheng" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 14: "Dynasty: Qin" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 17: "Unified the Warring States into a single empire (221 BCE) 1 " - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 18: "Standardized weights, measures, currency, and writing across China" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 19: "Began construction of the Great Wall by linking existing fortifications" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 20: "Built an extensive road and canal network" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 21: "Terracotta Army: ~8,000 life-sized warrior figures guarding his mausoleum, di..." - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 24: "Burning of books and burying of scholars (~213212 BCE)" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 25: "Harsh Legalist governance" - when was this true?

  • @q[temporal] Line 26: "Massive forced labor for construction projects" - when was this true?

  • @q[missing] Line 10: "Born: 259 BCE, State of Zhao" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 11: "Died: 210 BCE (age 49)" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 12: "Reign as emperor: 221210 BCE" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 13: "Original name: Ying Zheng" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 14: "Dynasty: Qin" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 18: "Standardized weights, measures, currency, and writing across China" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 19: "Began construction of the Great Wall by linking existing fortifications" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 20: "Built an extensive road and canal network" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 24: "Burning of books and burying of scholars (~213212 BCE)" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 25: "Harsh Legalist governance" - what is the source?

  • @q[missing] Line 26: "Massive forced labor for construction projects" - what is the source?

  • @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?


  1. Sima Qian, Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) ↩︎

  2. Portal, J. The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army (British Museum, 2007) ↩︎