The Qin Dynasty
China has had several dynasties throughout its long history. The Qing dynasty is one of the most important of these dynasties to the history and culture of the country and its people. During this dynasty, China was united under one emperor, a feat that rulers before had attempted but failed. Even though the dynasty lasted for only a short period of fifteen years from 221 BC to 201 BC, the impact of the dynasty lasted for thousands of years and played a significant role in defining the subsequent dynasties and China’s culture and history as a whole. The dynasty’s leader, Ying Zheng, became the first emperor of China after conquering and unifying the other six states during the Warring States Period (Song, 2017; Nuchpiam, 2008). Several reasons inform the rise and fall of the Qing dynasty, its relatively short history, and why it is a significant dynasty in Chinese history.
The Qing dynasty came into being during the Warring States Period during which the then seven states of ancient China were at war with each other. Shang Yang, who later called himself Qin Shi Huang, an ambitious reformer who developed a bureaucratic system in the Qin region and advocated for the unification of China, laid the groundwork for the unification of China. However, he was accused of treason and executed, but his ideas had taken root in Qin. To create a bigger, less costly to maintain, and powerful army, Shang Yang allowed recruits of peasants in the military and rewarded them with farmland (Song, 2017). At the age of thirteen, Ying Zhen took over power in the place of his then deceased father and became the first emperor of China after conquering all six Zhou states. He ambitiously expanded territories using his large and powerful army. The rise of the Qing Dynasty was primarily supported by its large and powerful army, its strategic location, and a young, ambitious emperor who made it his goal to unite all of China (Peralta, 2014).
The death of Qin Shi Huang in 210 BC marked the beginning of the end of the Qin Dynasty (Kulmar, 2014). After his death, his younger son took over as emperor, but there was a substantial revolt against his rule that culminated in the defeat of the Qin army, his execution, and the destruction of the capital (Kulmar, 2014). The capital was divided into 18 states, and Liu Bang, the ruler of the Han River Valley State, later conquered the other states and established the Han Dynasty that succeeded the Qin Dynasty (Kulmar, 2014). A series of revolts and uprisings followed the death of Qin Shu Huang, whose rule had been cruel and full of massacres (Peralta, 2014). The people rebelled against his son, the heir of the empire, who was later executed alongside the entire royal family, effectively ending the Qin Dynasty (Kulmar, 2014).
The Qin Dynasty holds significant importance in Chinese history for several reasons. Firstly, the Qin Dynasty effectively unified all of China under one ruler, the emperor. Before then, different regions (states) were ruled differently and had different cultures. The Qin Dynasty, even though short-lasting, made it possible to rule the whole of China under one ruler and established the Chinese empire. Secondly, the Qin Dynasty united the culture of the people by creating one system of the alphabet that made it possible for different communities to communicate (Nuchpiam, 2008). Before then, different regions had different cultures, but the Qin Dynasty united them all under one culture even though this was achieved through the burning of books on different cultures. In addition, during the Qin Dynasty, the unification of measuring units of width, length, road width, and weight was done (Nuchpiam, 2008). The unification was important in the facilitation of trade using a standard measure of weight and a common currency (coins) (Nuchpiam, 2008). Furthermore, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty commissioned the organized construction of the Great Wall of China (Peralta, 2014). The emperor ordered the construction of a system of walls that would protect China from raiders from the North. Besides, the Qin Dynasty established a centralized form of government that was overly bureaucratic and had direct control over the population (Song, 2017).
Some of the cultures established during the Qin Dynasty are still evident in China today. For instance, the introduction of legalism – absolute adherence to the rule of law, was established during the Qin Dynasty and is still evident in modern-day China (Kulmar, 2014). The Great Wall of China is also another element of the Qin Dynasty that has lasted until today. Furthermore, today, China is a unified country ruled by a president with so much centralized power that is somewhat comparable to that of an empire (Kulmar, 2014). Also, the Chinese government is characterized by excessive bureaucracy, just as was the case during the Qin Dynasty. In addition, modern-day China uses a common currency, common language, and standard measures of weight and length, as was the case during the Qin dynasty. Its strong military and expansionist policies assured the Qin Dynasty’s survival. Modern-day China has, in recent years, pursued a strong military through the development of more powerful weapons and has the world’s largest military force. In addition, China has also recently pursued aggressive expansionist policies in the South China Sea, where it claims disputed territories. Therefore, there are aspects of the Qin Dynasty that are still evident in modern-day China.
References
Kulmar, T. (2014). On the Nature of the Governing System of the Qin Empire in Ancient China. Folklore: Electronic Journal of Folklore, (59), 165-178.
Nuchpiam, T. (2008). Qin’s Terracotta Army Goes Abroad. SPAFA Journal (Old series 1991-2013), 18(2).
Peralta, G. (2014). Qin Dynasty. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/Qin_Dynasty/
Song, H. (2017, May). The Evolution of the Management Thoughts of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism in Zhongnan Area. In 2017 4th International Conference on Education, Management, and Computing Technology (ICEMCT 2017). Atlantis Press.