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James Padfield
JINS 302
25 Jul 2014
Qin Shi Huang and the Wars of Unification of Ancient China
Introduction
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Life
Qin Shi Huang was born 260 BC. Name: Ying Zheng. His father was Yiren. Yiren was a
prince of Qin before Yiren met Lv Buwei. With the help of Lv Buwei, Yiren become King
Zhuangxiang of Qin. Zheng was Yiren’s eldest son. In ancient China, the eldest son can be
the King after the old King died. In 246 BC, King Zhuangxiang(Yiren) was died. After King
Zhuangxiang died, Zheng became the King of Qin. At this time, Zheng was only a 13-year–
old boy. The person who has been help Yiren becames King Zhuangxiang acted as the regent
prime minister of Qin State. In the fact, Zheng was just a puppet King. In historical research,
many traditional historians have different opinion about Qin Shi Huang. A part of traditional
historians thinks Qin Shi Huang was Yiren’s son. Other part of traditional historians thinks
Qin Shi Huang was son of Lv Buwei.
Prepared before Unified China
In 246 BC, Han State try to persuaded Qin State build Zhengzhuo System (Zhengguo
System was a canal system). Han State send a irrigation worker called “Zhengguo” to Qin
State and try to persuaded Zheng Build Zhengzhou System. Han State wants to reduce the
money and labor from Qin State. After Zheng found it, Zheng thought to kill Zhengguo.
Zhengguo told Zheng: “it was beneficial for Qin State after ‘Zhengguo System’ build up.” In
the fact, “Zhengguo system” was really a vantage point to Qin State. This canal system
helped Qin State gain more than 200 hectares farmland. Even thought this strategy wasn’t
successes, Zheng still worry about the people who came from other six countries will hurt
Qin State. Zheng issued a order for guests to leave from Qin State.
Expansion to Six Countries
After Qin Shi Huang became the real King, Qin Shi Huang promote a unified strategy.
230-229 BC， Qin Shi Huang beat Han State. 229-228 BC beat Zhao State. 226-225 BC beat
Wei State. 226-225 BC beat Chu. 222 BC beat Yan State. 221 BC beat Qi State. It was
hardest thing that try unified six countries. Why Qin State win in this war around 10 years.
That was because Zheng issued a policy called “netting with Yan State and Qi State; steady
Wei State and Chu State; eliminate the Han State and Zhao State; friendly with distal
countries and fire with closely countries; beat six countries one by one.”
Qin Dynasty
Qin Shi Huang was elimination of six countries one by one in 10 years. During the term
of unified strategy, Qin Shi Huang beat six countries one by one. Qin Shi Huang award
“emperor” to himself instead of “King” Qin Shi Huang became the first emperor of China.
The first Dynasty of Qin born that day.
Administrative Reforms
Then, Qin Shi Huang believes legalists. Qin Shi Huang promotes “Autocratic
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Monarchy” policy. Otherwise, Qin Shi Huang need promotes “Autocratic Monarchy” policy
to control people and consolidate the territory since Qin Dynasty was unified by six
countries. Qin Shi Huang abolished the system of enfeoffment which policy used from the
Western Zhou Dynasty. Then, Emperor Qin established “the system of prefectures and
countries” and “bureaucracy” from the central to local. This policy distributed the territory of
Qin Dynasty to be 36 parts at the beginning.
Unified Words, Currency, Weights and Measures
After the Qin Dynasty unified six countries, Qin Shi Huang found a big problem that the
words in six countries was not identical, Qin Shi Huang decide to implement “unified words”
policy. And he was also implements “same measure” policy in Qin Dynasty. Those two
policies were really help in business and culture exchange in six parts of Qin Dynasty. People
became more and more unity from different parts. After Qin Dynasty unified currency, the
economic started a boom developed. More and more people found a better way to earn
money which way is give up farm instead of by business. Thus, emperor Qin was
encouraging agriculture rather than trade.
Military Construction
In 214 BC, emperor Qin sends 100,000 forces attack Xiongnu (an ancient nationality in
China) to defense the northern nomadic people. And emperor Qin ordered to build the Great
Wall to defense other countries. In many historical researches, this engineering couldn’t
defense any attack from Xiongnu. The second greatest engineering in Qin Dynasty was
building Ling Canal.
BACKGROUND
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Historical: Qin Shi Huang and the Wars of Unification of Ancient China
There were many outstanding individuals that helped shaped the history of China. Some
individuals created a new dynasty; some influenced religion; some improve the income
disparity between the rich and poor; some even promoted equality between men and women.
These individuals are leaders in their own right that made important decisions influenced
outcomes of different events, that we now read as part the of History of China. Although
there were many individuals were part of the history, the most important leader is called
Qin Shi Huang (246–221 BC). Qin Shi Huang was Ancient China’s first emperor ruling from
220 to 210 BC that not only created a new dynasty, known as the Qin Dynasty, but he was the
sole conqueror that unified six separate countries that we now know as China. Qin Shi
Huang spent 17 years to end the Warring States Period whereby seven countries(states); Qin,
Zhao, Han, Wei, Qi, Chu and Yan were constantly at war to dominate land and resources and
it had lasted for hundreds of years (475 – 221 BC) and caused many sufferings for the people
of Ancient China. So, I have decided to focus on Qin Shi Huang’s effort on unification of
seven countries for this paper and I will elaborate on the pre-war and post-war decision he
has made that makes him an incredible leader in his right.
Before I start to discuss more on his unification efforts, I would talk more about Qin Shi
Huang’s background because an individual’s background is often important in shaping
character that would influence his or her decision-making. Qin Shi Huang was known as
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Zheng and he was crowned as King of Qin state at a tender age of thirteen years old. During
that period, being king meant having power to command those that serve the king and also,
make decisions for the Qin state. However, King Zheng was too young and incapable, so he
did not have any authority. He was a puppet king controlled by others. And, his puppeteers
was Lü(Liu) Buwei. Lü Buwei was a famous businessman in Qin State that was extremely
wealthy. But as he got older, he came to understand that he needed power to keep him and his
descendants wealthy forever. Coincidentally, Lü Buwei met Yi Ren, King Zheng’s father in
Chu State. Yi Ren was held hostage in Chu State to keep the peace between Qin State and
Chu State. Lü Buwei schemed with Yi Ren so that Yi Ren can become the next King of Qin
state and Lü Buwei the prime minister of Qin state. With the help of influence and monetary
backing from Lü Buwei, Yi Ren was crowned the King Zhuang Xiang, and Lü Buwei became
the prime minister of Qin State. Lü Buwei recommended Zhao Ji to become King Zhuang
Xiang’s wife. On the February 7th 260 BC, Zheng who will become Qin Shi Huang, the first
Emperor of China was borned. However, many historians have different opinions about
Zheng parentage. Some believed that Zheng was not fathered by King Zhuang Xiang, but Lü
Buwei because Zhao Ji was pregnant before she married King Zhuang Xiang. This mystery
remains unsolved but regardless, Zheng ascended the throne in 247 BC after his father’s
death. Lü Buwei became the chancellor and regent (temporary acting King) to King Zheng
since he was too young. Lü Buwei controlled the Qin state and that was due to his brilliance
of as a politician. He was a smart man who knows when to fight and surrender. This greatly
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influenced King Zheng during his upbringing to become wiser beyond his age. As King
Zheng matured into a young man, he desired to be the real King of Qin state and wanted his
power back. Hence at 238 BC, the 22 year old King Zheng concocted a plan to regain his
powers whereby firstly, he held a coronation to let the people of Qin state that he is the real
king, Lü Buwei and both parties battled each other. Eventually, King Zheng won in 235 BC by
implicating Lü Buwei with a scandal involving the Queen Dowager (Zheng’s mother) and her
illicit lover, Lao Ai. Lü Buwei was sentenced to exile to Shu state and he committed suicide in
235 BC. As replacement, Li Shi became the new chancellor.
One factor that motivated King Zheng to dominate all six countries is the effects of poverty,
pain, sufferings and loss of resources during the Warring State Period of Ancient China that
has caused a real mess in each seven countries. However, the significant push was the 243
BC plague that wiped out a huge human population, but did not affect Qin state terribly that
had the Zhengguo system. The Zhengguo System was a canal system totaling 150,000 meters
that was initially a plan by the King of Han state that wanted to cripple the economic power
of Qin state in 246 BC. This tragedy helped King Zheng wiser in terms of using talents and
helped him devise a tactic to win the civil war of seven countries.
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King Zheng start his plan to unify the six countries by scouting talents from the six countries
and allowing them to help him govern Qin State. Although he was king, King Zheng listened
intently to advices of others, even the advice from enemy camp and some people who have
been criticizing him. The reason being that King Zheng understood ideas concocted with
expert advice was helpful towards his cause. One of King Zheng important advisors is
military theorist, Wei Liao. King Zheng gained many military advices from Wei Liao that
groomed him to become a wise monarch and also helped him increase military power that
would be able to fight for his cause of unification.
