Qin (state) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Traditional Chinese | 秦國 | ||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 秦国 | ||||||||
Literal meaning | Qin State | ||||||||
|
Qin was the name of a people and a state in ancient China. They lived in the Wei Valley of eastern China that conquered rival states until they had created the first Chinese Empire, the Qin dynasty from 221 to 206 B.C. The Qin ruler, Qin Shi Huangdi standardized many aspects of Chinese society and ruthlessly marshaled subjects for military and construction projects. This engendered hostility that led to the fall of his dynasty shortly after his death.
The framework put in place by the Qin was largely taken over by the Han dynasty.