Great Qin: Power Games Through 563 Years of Turmoil

The ancestors of the Qin people were granted the fief of Qin by King Xiao of Zhou for their service in raising horses, becoming vassals of the Western Zhou. When King Ping moved the capital east, Duke Xiang of Qin earned merit by escorting him. He was made a feudal lord and granted lands west of Mount Qi, formally founding the state of Qin.

During the Spring and Autumn period, Duke Mu of Qin dominated the Western Rong and expanded his territory, laying the foundations of a great power. In the early Warring States period, Qin was isolated in the western frontier and its strength had waned. Duke Xiao of Qin appointed Shang Yang to enact reforms: abolishing the well-field system, rewarding farming and military service, clarifying the laws, and establishing commanderies and counties. Qin rapidly rose to become a formidable military power.

Thereafter, Qin relied on the wealth of Guanzhong and Bashu and the natural defenses of Hangu Pass, gradually devouring the Six States through alliances with distant powers and attacks on nearby ones. After generations of consolidation under King Huiwen of Qin, King Zhaoxiang of Qin, and others, Qin’s dominance was assured.

From 230 to 221 BC, King Zheng of Qin successively conquered Han, Zhao, Wei, Chu, Yan, and Qi, unifying the realm. He established his capital at Xianyang, took the title First Emperor, ended centuries of division, and founded the first centralized, unified dynasty in Chinese history.