chinesegeography

The First Emperor-Ending



At the same time, Qin Shi Huang announced that the Qin State's round bronze coins with square holes, with a standard weight of 25 grams, should be used across the country, rendering invalid the currencies of the other six states. The emperor also ordered standardization of the units of weights and measurements. In order to facilitate the spread of government policies and laws, as well as to promote cultural exchange, he unified the Chinese script, designating "Xiaozhuan," or the seal script, as the standard script. Later, "Lishu," literally "official script," which was easier to write than "Xiaozhuan," was developed based on popular writing habits. Lishu was quite similar to "Kaishu," or the regular script, widely used today.



The series of measures that Qin Shi Huang took, such as abolishing of the fief system, and unifying the currency, units of weights and measurements and the script, were conducive to cementing unification and promoting social, economic and cultural development. These should all be deemed remarkable contributions made by the emperor. The wall had an intricate structure. The wall itself was made of rammed loess, which was very solid. Along its top was a parapet wall with holes through which soldiers could keep watch for the enemy in hiding. The Great Wall was dotted with strongholds, which served as watchtowers. In addition, signal towers were built at strategic points. When they saw any sign of approaching enemies, the soldiers would light fires to signal each other so that all the frontier troops could be informed of the situation and prepare to fight the invaders.



Over a long period of time, the Great Wall served as a defense work against the hostile nomads to the north, helping to safeguard the agricultural economy in China's Central Plains. A number of later dynasties also constructed walls for the same purpose, the most famous of which was the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty. Today, the Great Wall is more often regarded as a magnificent cultural heritage that the ancient Chinese left to the world.

The First Emperor-Sequel І



With the success of Shang Yang's reforms, Qin grew ever more powerful. Several generations later, Ying Zheng, the King of Qin, finally unified China by conquering all the other six states in 221 BC. Ying Zheng believed that there would be no difference between him and the kings of the six states he had overthrown if he were to continue using the title of "King." So he decided to adopt a new title, and dubbed himself "Emperor," after the legendary sovereigns of prehistoric China, proclaiming himself as "Shi Huang Di," ("First Emperor"). He was therefore called "Qin Shi Huang" in history. From then on, "Emperor" replaced "King" to become the title of the supreme ruler in China.



Qin Shi Huang divided his empire into 36 commanderies, under which counties were set up. Each commandery was governed by three officials directly appointed by the Central Government: a governor, military governor, and supervisor. The governor was the chief executive of a commandery, responsible for all its major affairs. The military governor was responsible for local public security while serving as the commander of the armed forces in the commandery. The supervisor was in charge of informing the Central Government about the local implementation of central policies, reporting on the governors' exercise of power.



In the Central Government, the First Emperor created a series of important posts such as prime minister, censor general, imperial minister of defense, chamberlain for law enforcement and clerk of the capital for supplies - high-ranking officials who were expected to assist the emperor in governing the country. This political system featuring central dictatorship established by Qin Shi Huang had far-reaching implications in Chinese history.