Editing History of China (section)

====Qin dynasty (221–206 BC)====
{{main|Qin dynasty}}
[[File:Terracotta Army-China2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|The massive [[Terracotta Army]] of [[Qin Shi Huang]], a UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]]]]

Ying Zheng's establishment of the Qin dynasty ({{lang|zh-hant|秦朝}}) in 221 BC effectively formalised the region as a true empire for the first time in Chinese history, rather than a state, and its pivotal status probably led to "Qin" ({{lang|zh-hant|秦}}) later evolving into the Western term "{{linktext|China}}".{{sfn|Bodde|1986|p=20}} To emphasise his sole rule, Zheng proclaimed himself {{transliteration|zh|[[Qin Shi Huang|Shi Huangdi]]}} ({{linktext|始|皇|帝}}; "First Emperor"); the {{transliteration|zh|[[Emperor of China|Huangdi]]}} title, derived from [[Chinese mythology]], became the standard for subsequent rulers.{{sfn|Bodde|1986|p=53}}{{efn|In his lifetime, Ying Zheng would have been known as simply {{transliteration|zh|Shi Huangdi}}, but after the Qin's fall it became standard practice to include the dynasty's name when referring to him. In its fullest form, Ying's name would be Qin Shi Huangdi ({{lang|zh-hant|秦始皇帝}}), though it is commonly abbreviated to [[Qin Shi Huang]] ({{lang|zh-hant|秦始皇}}).{{sfn|Wilkinson|2018|p=287}}}} Based in [[Xianyang]], the empire was a centralized bureaucratic monarchy, a governing scheme which dominated the future of Imperial China.{{sfn|Ebrey|1999|p=60}}{{sfn|Sanft|2019|p=15}} In an effort to improve the Zhou's perceived failures, this system consisted of more than 36 [[Commandery (China)|commanderies]] ({{lang|zh-hant|郡}}; {{transliteration|zh|jun}}),{{efn|The ''[[Records of the Grand Historian|Shiji]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s description of the Qin including of 36 [[Commandery (China)|commanderies]] has now been disproven by archaeological evidence indicating more. The exact number is unknown;{{sfn|Sanft|2019|pp=16–17}} The sinologist [[Derk Bodde]] noted that probably "four and possibly as many as half a dozen were added by 210 to the original thirty-six".{{sfn|Bodde|1986|p=55}}}} made up of [[Counties of China|counties]] ({{lang|zh-hant|县}}; {{transliteration|zh|xian}}) and progressively smaller divisions, each with a local leader.{{sfn|Sanft|2019|pp=15–17}}

Many aspects of society were informed by [[Legalism (Chinese philosophy)|Legalism]], a state ideology promoted by the emperor and his [[Grand chancellor (China)|chancellor]] [[Li Si]] that was introduced at an earlier time by [[Shang Yang]].{{sfn|Bodde|1986|pp=58–59}} In legal matters this philosophy emphasised mutual responsibility in disputes and severe punishments for crime, while economic practices included the general encouragement of agriculture and repression of trade.{{sfn|Bodde|1986|pp=58–59}} Reforms occurred in weights and measures, writing styles ([[seal script]]) and metal currency ([[Ban Liang]]), all of which were standardized.{{sfn|Ebrey|1999|p=61}}{{sfn|Bodde|1986|pp=56–57, 59–60}} Traditionally, Qin Shi Huang is regarded as ordering a [[Burning of books and burying of scholars|mass burning of books and the live burial of scholars]] under the guise of Legalism, though contemporary scholars express considerable doubt on the [[Burning of books and burying of scholars#Skepticism|historicity of this event]].{{sfn|Bodde|1986|pp=58–59}} Despite its importance, Legalism was probably supplemented in non-political matters by [[Confucianism]] for social and moral beliefs and the five-element [[Wuxing (Chinese philosophy)|Wuxing]] ({{lang|zh-hant|五行}}) theories for [[cosmology|cosmological]] thought.{{sfn|Bodde|1986|pp=75–78}}

The Qin administration kept exhaustive records on their population, collecting information on their sex, age, social status and residence.{{sfn|Sanft|2019|p=17}} Commoners, who made up over 90% of the population,{{sfn|Lewis|2007|p=102}} "suffered harsh treatment" according to the historian [[Patricia Buckley Ebrey]], as they were often conscripted into forced labor for the empire's construction projects.{{sfn|Ebrey|1999|p=63}} This included a massive system of imperial highways in 220 BC, which ranged around {{convert|4250|mi|km}} altogether.{{sfn|Bodde|1986|p=61}} Other major construction projects were assigned to the general [[Meng Tian]], who concurrently [[Qin's campaign against the Xiongnu|led a successful campaign]] against the northern [[Xiongnu]] peoples (210s BC), reportedly with 300,000 troops.{{sfn|Bodde|1986|p=61}}{{efn|Other tribes of the north, collectively called the [[Five Barbarians|Wu Hu]] by the Qin, were free from Chinese rule during the majority of the dynasty.{{sfn|Lewis|2007|p=129}}}} Under Qin Shi Huang's orders, Meng supervised the combining of numerous ancient walls into what came to be known as the [[Great Wall of China]] and oversaw the building of a {{convert|500|mi|km}} straight highway between northern and southern China.{{sfn|Bodde|1986|pp=60–61}} The emperor also oversaw the construction of his [[Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor|monumental mausoleum]], which includes the well known [[Terracotta Army]].{{sfn|Bodde|1986|pp=82–83}}

After Qin Shi Huang's death the Qin government drastically deteriorated and eventually capitulated in 207 BC after the Qin capital was captured and sacked by rebels, which would ultimately lead to the establishment of the Han Empire.{{sfn|Bodde|1986|p=84}}{{sfn|Sanft|2019|pp=22–24}}