How Did Imperial China Unify Under The Advent Of The Qin Dynasty?

Although the Chinese civilization is believed to have dated to at least 2100 BCE , it was not until the advent of the Qin Dynasty from 221 to 206 BCE that a distinctly imperial China can be said to have existed. Prior to 221 BCE, Qin was one of seven states known as the Warring States, each of which sought to control the other six. Over time, the state of Qin amassed sufficient military and economic advantage such that it was able to conquer its neighbours, or else impose hegemony on them. In doing so it became an empire, taking on those qualities necessary for an empire in some major aspects but retaining qualities of a state in others. Unprepared for the challenges of peacetime, however, the Qin Dynasty collapsed in 206 BCE. The large expanse

The readiness of the Warring States to unify under the Qin was, in part, due to a developing sense of contrast between a generally Chinese culture and the culture of surrounding regions, which was seen as barbaric. As such, one of the goals of the Qin Empire was to maintain security and seclusion from barbarian influences. Military forces were sent on arbitrary expeditions to the south and northeast, or put to work constructing projects such as walls or palaces dedicated to the emperor. Large-scale projects such as the joining of feudal lords’ walls along the northern border, which created the foundation for the Great Wall of China, were undertaken, partially, in order to occupy an increasingly large conscript army. However, the increasing size of the military proved ultimately to be untenable. The state of Qin had enforced a policy of conscription in order to attain the necessary strength to subjugate its neighbours. As an empire, this policy was continued, although there were no longer any useful territories to conquer. The Qin Empire failed to recognize that, as an empire, its military requirements differed from those of a state. As a result, the Dynasty struggled to find a meaningful use for its military. As a result of its policies, the Qin Empire attained a large army without any real

Unified systems of weights and measurements, uniform currency, homogenous codes of laws, and calendars, were implemented across the empire. In doing so, Qin sought to assert its control over the empire not only by military means, but also through gaining economic and social acceptance throughout the empire. However, unlike other ancient empires such as the Romans, the Qin did not make any attempt to create a single religion across the empire as a unifying cultural factor. A strong factor in this was Qin Shi-Huang’s belief that the same factors that had created the culture of the Qin state would also apply to the empire as a whole. The Qin state’s efforts to reduce the power of the nobility, combined with its militarization of the lower classes, meant that culture in the Qin state derived from local and regional traditions. Qin Shi-Huang believed that as culture was based on local tradition, any effort to homogenize culture across the empire would necessarily be unsuccessful. The lack of a homogenous culture is characteristic of an empire rather than a state. As an empire, the Qin Dynasty recognized that different regions would have their own cultures. As such, the Qin Empire can be said to have successfully adopted this aspect of an