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Qin Shi Huang (259 BC – September 10, 210 BC), personal name Ying Zheng, was king of Qin from 247 BC to 221 BC, and then the first emperor of a unified China from 221 BC to 210 BC, ruling under the name the First Emperor.
The pre-Qin monarchs were called King. In 221 BC, after the King of Qin completed the conquest of the various kingdoms of the Warring States, Qin Shi Huang adopted a new title to reflect his prestige as a ruler greater than the kings before him. He created the new title Huangdi or "Emperor", and styled himself Shi Huangdi, the First Emperor. Before this, Huang and Di were the titles of several pre-historical leaders. From the Qin dynasty to the last emperor of Qing dynasty, there have been nearly 400 Emperors.
Qin Shi Huang
In order to consolidate the nascent empire, Qin Shi Huang reformed politics, economy and culture. In politics, he abolished the hereditary vassal fiefdom system and established prefectures and counties, ruled directly by the emperor. Based on the original rules of the Qin State, the emperor adopted some regulations of other rival states to form a workable law of the Qin Dynasty. In economy, he claimed that both agriculture and commerce were very important and that people should develop them together. The tax system also became functional and coinage and metrology were all standardized. In culture, the emperor unified the Chinese characters in writing, which promoted the development of the Chinese culture. However, he also suppressed scholars who were not to his liking.
The symbol of the Chinese ancient civilization, the Great Wall bears witness to Qin Shihuang's centralism. He ordered conscript laborers to link together the defensive works against marauding nomads already built by the former states. That was the forerunner of the modern Great Wall. Another world-famous achievement is the Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Xian, which was discovered near the mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Both are wonders of China.
The emperor departed from the world of the living in 210 BC while traveling. The Peasant Uprising broke out, accordingly, the Qin Dynasty came to an abrupt end in 206 BC. Whatever the criticisms, Qin Shi Huang remains an epoch-making emperor in China's long history.
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