7.7.1 Qin rule Ying Zheng, the ruler of Qin, ended the Warring States period by conquering all the other states in China. He founded the Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE) and gave himself the title ‘Shihuangdi’. In modern Chinese, he is called Qin Shikuang (pronounced chin shir hwang) meaning ‘First Emperor of the Qin’. The Qin dynasty was the shortest in Chinese history but very important. It was China’s ýrst centralised empire, and its legacies include the Great Wall.
SkillBuilder discussion Causes and consequences 1. What message does this painting convey about Qin Shihuang’s policies towards knowledge and education during his reign? 2. How did the burning of books and the execution of scholars affect Chinese culture and history? 3. What reactions might people have had to these actions depicted in the painting, both at the time and in later interpretations?
SOURCE2 A Chinese painting illustrating Qin Shihuang’s burning of the books and the execution of scholars
From 221 BCE, Qin Shihuang’s harsh laws were enforced across China. He sent armies to conquer southern China and took weapons from the people. He banished many nobles and forced others to live in his capital. In 213 BCE, to stop rebellious ideas, he ordered a public burning of books, including those of Confucian scholars (see SOURCE2 ), and executed scholars who kept their books. Qin Shihuang ended the feudal system, where nobles controlled land, and instead divided the country into local areas run by ofýcials. He allowed land to be bought and sold freely. 7.7.2 The Great Wall and other achievements of Qin Shihuang As early as the seventh century BCE, Chinese states built walls to protect against the northern Xiongnu tribes. During the Warring States period, they also built walls between each other. To unify China, Qin Shihuang destroyed those walls and linked the northern ones, creating about half of the Great Wall (see SOURCES3 and 4 ).
206 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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