The Qin dynasty was established by Qin Shi Huang after he united all of the governing states of China in 221 BCE. While China was in the late Warring States Period, Qin Shi Huang (personal name: Ying Zheng) conquered the six other states of China; Zhao, Wei, Han, Yan, Chu, and Qi, forming a merged country, all ruled by Qin Shi Huang. During the Qin dynasty, many developments were made that are very significant to Chinese history today. Chinese language was standardized, especially in writing. The Great Wall of China was also built under the rule of Qin Shi Huang and his son, Hu Hai. Also, a copper coin with a square hole in the middle began to be used as a standard unit of currency, and measurements became customary. Roads and canals, as well …show more content…
When Ying Zheng, or Qin Shi Huang, was born, China was separated into eight major states, called the Warring States Period. The states were constantly breaking out in war, and had united from several smaller congregations centuries before. Qin Shi Huang’s ancestors were from Qin, a state in western China, and were known to be horse breeders. They were given a parcel of land from the Zhou, and began forming a political ladder, first having a “Duke of Qin,” the elevating it to “King of Qin.” The Qin began to conquer the nearby lands, and in 246 BCE, a fourteen year old boy took the throne. The boy was Ying Zheng, who soon came to be known as Qin Shi Huang, or “First August and Divine Emperor of Qin.” “First,” meaning he would be the first of a long line of Qin rulers, “August” and “Divine” because he now believed he was as powerful as God, and “Emperor, as to spate himself from hi “King” and “Duke” ancestors. Qin Shi Huang managed to take over the final independent state in 221 BCE, uniting China, or Qin as a …show more content…
Over 720,000 workers/slaves were enlisted to complete the project. The warriors were used in the grand mausoleum that housed Qin Shi Huang postmortem. Over 2,000 years passed before the Terra-Cotta Warriors were discovered by a group of workers discovered the tomb in 1974. The tomb(s) also contained several Terra-Cotta horses, as well as bowmen, chariots, and archers. One thing that was fascinating was that each warrior is different, with different facial features. The statues were originally very colorful, but being underground for over two-thousand years made all the paint come