Under Qin Shi Huangdi’s rule, China prospered as a civilization. Qin Shi Huangdi was China’s first emperor, who ruled from 221-206 BCE. In the third century BCE, the Zhou Dynasty was replaced by the Qin Dynasty with a ruler that subdued the warring states and unified his country through Legalist ideas, This was the belief that in order to end civil disorder and restore order, the government should use the law to instill harsh punishments for those who disobeyed. The Qin ruler, after twenty years since he came to power, took on the name Shi Huangdi which roughly translates to “First Emperor.” During the Qin Dynasty, Qin Shi Huangdi unified China, established protection of the country, and socially advanced his empire from the Zhou Dynasty. One of the many benefits Qin Shi Huangdi’s reign offered was that he made China whole. In the beginning of his reign, the new emperor halted the internal battles that sapped China’s strength (The Unification of China). This demonstrated his goal for all of China to be connected from the very beginning, in order to rule a successful empire. When he united the divided parts of China, the constant wars from the Warring States era vanquished after China was …show more content…
The background in building the Great Wall of China originated with the earlier Zhou rulers that erected smaller walls to discourage attacks by northern nomads. Shi Huangdi was determined to close the gaps with an extended wall almost the length of the empire’s border that made it difficult for enemies to get around it (The Unification of China). Although many unwillingly assembled it and died during the process, the end result completed its intentions. He simply used the practice of rulers’ forced labor on the people to its full extent. Despite his extreme beliefs, he proved that his methods worked and established a strong foundation that ensured the safety of his land and