How Did Shi Huangdi Influence The Qin Dynasty

Colette Gagne

Feb 17th 2017

Shi Huangdi is known as a cruel, but successful ruler of the Qin Dynasty. But does anyone know why? It all started in 246 BCE, at age 13 when Qin Shi Huangdi became king of the Qin Clan. Later in age, he exceedingly shaped China throughout the time of ruling the Qin Dynasty, because of uniting the Warring States, his building achievements, and Shi Huangdi’s legalist ideas and ruling. Shi Huangdi was born in 259 BCE during the Period Of Warring States. His birth name was Zhao Zeng but changed his name to Shi Huangdi, which translates to the “first emperor”. His father, King Zhuangxiang of Qin, was a ruler of the Qin state during the third century BC in the Warring States period of ancient China. When Shi Huangdi

Then in 221 BCE, was the first emperor to rule the entire country of China. In power, he immediately set up centralized government ideas and neutralizing the power of the Warring Nobles. Shi Huangdi abolished feudalism, a class in which people worked and fought for nobles who gave them protection and the use of land in return, so the whole country would be under unified rule. The nobles were then moved to the capital where they had no local power. The Period of Warring States was a time when China was divided into 7 state between 475 to 221 BCE. These seven states were constantly at war with each other, and the single sovereign had no real control over the states. Each state had their own war lord who tried to expand out their territory by annexing the land around them. It was appalling conditions to live under, and as Shi Huangdi grew up in this period, uniting the Warring States was significant. As the king of the Qin Clan, Shi Huangdi wanted to unify the warring states and take control of China. He conquered all neighboring countries and by age 20,

He shaped China with his achievements. Establishing the Qin dynasty was an incredible achievement at such a young age, however Shi Huangdi’s honored accomplishments are his building and government changes. The “first emperor” reinforced legalism within the Chinese administrative system; Legalism has harsh laws however it restructured political divisions to form a more coherent state. Shi Huangdi set up measurement units, weights, coinage, and Chinese scripts were all standardised for statewide economic development. Shaping Chinese history included the building that the Qin dynasty created. Expansion of the Lingqu and other major canals improved irrigation and transportation. These canals connect the major waterways and prevent flooding. The Qin Dynasty never would have remained the commanders of China if it had not been for Shi Huangdi’s impressive Terracotta Army. The Terracotta Army was discovered in 1974 by farmers in Shaanti Province, China.The army was found in the burial complex that takes up twenty square miles. It took 700,000 men and thirty six years to build for their leader, Qin Shi Huangdi. Inside this tomb, 8,000 sculptures of soldiers, 700 horses and 130 chariots are found. This incredible tomb was built for the reason that Shi Huangdi was terrified of death and search for eternal life until the day he died. 2,200 years after his death, historians still cannot resolve if he is buried in this