Qin Shi Huang (259 - 210 B.C.) and His Empire
 In 221 B.C., Ying Zheng, ruler of the State of Qin
and a man of great talent and bold vision, ended the 250-odd years of rivalry
among the independent principalities during the Warring States Period,
establishing the first centralized, unified, multi-ethnic feudal state in
Chinese history¡ªthe Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.). He called himself Qin Shi Huang
or ¡°First Emperor of Qin.¡± He standardized the written script, weights and
measures, and currencies, and established the system of prefectures and
counties. The sovereigns of the next 2,000-odd years followed the feudal
governmental structure established by him. He mobilized more than 300,000 people
over a period of a dozen years to build the Great Wall, which stretches for
5,000 km in northern China. Qin Shi Huang had work on his enormous mausoleum
started early in his reign. The terracotta warriors of the ¡°underground army¡±
guarding the mausoleum, unearthed in 1974, amazed the world. The 8,000 vivid,
life-size pottery figures, horses and chariots have been called the ¡°eighth
wonder of the world.¡±
|
Breaking
News 
