Legalism In Qin Dynasty

Imagine being put to death for reading. During the Qin Dynasty anyone who read something the government didn't approve of was either quartered, cut into four pieces, or beheaded. Qin Shi Huangdi was a major turning point in history because he succeeded in unifying the empire, standardizing the writing system, the monetary system, length measurements, which in doing ensured that he built a lot of infrastructure. He also implemented Legalism, the use of Legalism pushed the subjects to have large projects, those construction projects helped the big region prosper later.

The Qin Army was the pinnacle of China’s technology during the years before 200 BCE, a way the Qin demonstrated their power was by conquering the seven warring and diverging states

Legalism in Qin Dynasty China was known as a focus on greater efficiency and less adherence to tradition in which there was a more strict adherence to the letter of the law. This suggests that Qin Shi Huangdi justified strict centralized control by using the people to strengthen Qin. The citizens of Qin China were used as slave labor on huge construction projects and conquests, such as unifying China. One of the many huge undertakings that the citizens took on were the creation of many roads, and canals, for transporting troops and supplies to other parts of China. Another project was the building of a huge necropolis, large shrine for the dead, for Qin Shi Huangdi. During his time in power Qin Shi Huangdi was infatuated with the idea of an

The Terracotta Army was one of the many huge undertakings of his citizens took on, it took nearly 40 years to create the huge pottery army. The legalistic policies do not end there though, Qin shi Huangdi wanted to control creative thought. He did not allow any about philosophy, Legalism, his family, how the Qin empire was doing, or any books about himself to be written because, he believed that those who would read them would undermine him and his society. So any books that mentioned all of the topics that were just mentioned were banned and many of those books were burned. According to legend 400 or more scholars who were found in the possession of the banned books were buried alive. The government that was created during The Qin Dynasty created the model of a bureaucracy. Many of the legalistic policies that were set into motion during the Qin dynasty are still seen affecting modern China. Legalism also affects the information that we know about ancient China, this is because during the Qin Dynasty so much history was lost because of Qin Shi Huangdi’s view on what was being written about. Confucianism is a complex system of social and political ethics based on filial piety, kinship, loyalty and righteousness. While Legalistic beliefs are the focus on greater efficiency and less adherence to tradition in which strict adherence to the letter of the law.