Witness to China's Qin Terracotta Warrior Army>>The Phenomenal Achievement: Initiate an Integrated Empire

 

---

 

The Phenomenal Achievement: Initiate an Integrated Empire

 

The First Emperor destroyed forever China's feudal order with loose control from the central government replacing it with a centralized bureaucracy. Centralization and integration were first achieved focusing on means such as reforming political administration system, unifying legislation, establishment of road system and standardization the forms of writing, measurement and coinage... Such innovation of the integrated imperial system initiated during the Qin dynasty, however, set a pattern that was developed over the next two millennia.

 

Political Administration System Reformed

 

For centuries before Qin era, Kings allocated the lands to their family members and controlled them depending on family ties. The nobles would have the full control over their lands and pass on the peculiar through his family. Through several generations, the royal control was gradually disappeared and thus led to endless warfare and chaos.

The China's first emperor however instituted a brand new administration directly under central authority, creating for the first time in the World a centralized bureaucratic system on his new empire.

He divided the territory of the Qin Dynasty into 36 prefectures ruled by governors directly appointed by the central government. And each prefecture was further separated into smaller areas called counties. Any governor or the head of county could be dismissed at any time and severely punished should he not perform as loyalty as possible to the emperor.

 

The Administration Map: The Integrated Qin Empire were Divided Into 36 Prefectures

 

Unified Legislation

 

The bureaucracy created a rigid system of laws that were applicable throughout the country. The government's effective control depended on legal bonds than on familial ties. Anyone even the loyal family members who broke the law would be severely punished.

In June 2002, some 37,000 wooden and bamboo Qin slips were excavated from Liye, in Hunan Province in China. According to the slips, Liye was affiliated to the Qianling County of the Qin Empire and used to be the realm of the Chu Kingdom. The large number of Qin slips are mostly official documents and the regional archives which given the evidence of the empire's success in unifying the law system.

 

The Slip Recorded Qin Unified Law Found  at West-South Border of Qin Dynasty in 2002

 

An Extensive Road System

 

The first emperor also made some efforts in turning the seven different kingdoms into one solid society. The transportation and logistic system were built in only ten years with roads radiating from Xianyang, the Qin dynasty capital to the prefectures, counties and many other places. The main roads were recorded 70 meters (about 230 feet) in width that should allow more than ten today's heavy trucks running in a row. Meanwhile, there assigned exclusive area for the first emperor's chariots, called 'Express Road' which was said to be the world's earliest highway. It was in the middle of the roads, about 10 meters in width. According to a historical record, it only took the emperor three days from his captial to the west border via this extraordinary highway. At the both sides, all people were allowed to travel along and settled down anywhere across the empire, which had strictly forbidden for hundreds of years before.

 

Remain Relics of Qin Road and Royal Express Road

 

Standardization the Forms of Writing, Measurement and Coinage

 

In order to communicate each other and better delivered imperial edicts, the First Emperor of China ordered to apply common written language based on Qin social dialect while prohibiting other 11 existing languages used among his country. The unification was the foundation of the modern written Chinese which now serves 1.3 billion Chinese as a common medium.

The first emperor knew that having a common set of measurements would promote convenience for many aspects like tax imposing and trading in different places. So he abolished the different systems for weights and measure of other six vanquished kingdoms and ordered everyone used the Qin system.

The first currency used throughout whole China was also came to birth in the same goal. And the earliest currency management department was established accordingly, responsible for the standard coins minting, the old currencies taking over and the nationwide currency system overseeing. Based on those once used of the Qin Kingdom realm, the standard coin was made into a round shape with a square hole inside. Such design became a standard that China continued using for over 2200 years, until 1911 A.D.

 

The Currencies from the Vanquished Kingdoms and the Qin Coins as the Standard Currency

 

Other Achievements

 

Among the greatest figure's impressive accomplishment, the Great Wall of China and the mausoleum complex are both regarded as 'the Wonder of the World'. The astonishing demonstration of power, organization and technology are constantly telling the world of a part of achievements in Qin dynasty.

Though resented by his people for the ruthless, the First Empror was a master military strategist, a powerful politician with great vision. After he first unified China, he creating a new world order that was, at the time, beyond fantasy.

The Qin Dynasty marks the beginning of China's empire period followed by more than two millennia years of long chain of imperial Dynasties. Like someone believed, without him, China may not exist.

 

View All Terracotta Warriors Related Photos>>