The First Chinese Empire

秦朝
Pre-Qin Political History   

I. Shang (1766/1600 ? -1027 B.C.E.) theocracy   

II. Zhou (1027- 256 B.C.E.)      

    A. Western Zhou (1027 ? -771 B.C.E.)

    B. Eastern Zhou (771-256) Eastern capital Luoyang

         1. Spring and Autumn Period (722-481 B.C.E.)      

              a. Age of Confucius, Mozi                

              b. decline of Zhou system accelerated                                

          2. Warring States Period (403-221 B.C.E.)                

              a. rise of powerful regional states                

              b. chronic warfare            

                   i. invention of crossbow, iron weapons   

                   ii. massive infantry armies      

              c. Age of Mencius, Sunzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi

III. The Qin Empire (221-206 B.C.E.)
      A. Zhou “quasi-feudal, multistate” system declined

      B. Warring States Period ensued

      C. Qin emerged as victorious

      D. Western word for China derived from Qin

      E. Chinese generally detest Qin oppression, but  favor the Han

          (206 B.C.E.-220 C.E.)

      F. PRC, especially Mao Zedong, extolled Qin

      G. Qin Shihuangdi “The First Emperor of China”              秦始皇帝

            1. Previous rulers had been called “kings” (wang)

             2. After the Qin, rulers were called huangdi

       H. Legalistic Foundations of Qin Power

             1. Emphasis on fighters and farmers

             2. Military Unification

                   a. Linking state walls into the great wall

                   b. Protection from “barbarian” threat

               3. Socio-Economic Unification

               4. Antipathy for intellectuals, especially Confucians 

                    a. Burning of the books

                    b. Execution of Confucian scholars

       I. Accomplishments of the Qin

            1. Craig calls Qin accomplishments “stupendous”

             2. Emphasis on universal, inflexible law

             3. Laws backed by strict punishments, lavish rewards

             4. Bureaucratic government extended to empire

             5. Qin realm divided into prefectures and counties

             6. Zhou feudalism replaced by bureaucratic administration

             7. Roads, weights, measures, Chinese writing unified

             8. Tomb of Qin Shihuangdi

                  a. Discovered near Xian in 1974

                  b. Eight thousand terra-cotta statues

              9. Foundations of Han Empire established

       J. Decline and Fall of Qin

            1. Excessive severity of laws and punishments

            2. Chinese supposedly terrified of legalism

            3. Qin became synonymous with tyranny

             4. Excessive imposition of capital punishment

             5. Change engineered too quickly

             6. Opposition emerged from virtually every corner

             7. Qin empire lasted only 15 yrs