Editing History of Asia (section)

=====Qin dynasty=====
{{main|Qin dynasty}}
One leader eventually came on top, [[Qin Shi Huang]] ({{zh|c=始皇帝}}, ''Shǐ Huángdì''), who overthrew the last Zhou emperor and established the Qin dynasty.{{sfn|Stearns|2011|page=43}} The [[Qin dynasty]] (Chinese: 秦朝; pinyin: Qín Cháo) was the first ruling dynasty of Imperial China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC.{{sfn|Stearns|2011|page=42}} The new Emperor abolished the feudal system and directly appointed a bureaucracy that would rely on him for power. Huang's imperial forces crushed any regional resistance, and they furthered the Chinese empire by expanding down to the [[South China Sea]] and northern [[Vietnam]]. Greater organization brought a uniform tax system, a national census, regulated road building (and cart width), standard measurements, standard coinage, and an official written and spoken language.{{sfn|Stearns|2011|page=45}} Further reforms included new irrigation projects, the encouragement of [[silk]] manufacturing,{{sfn|Stearns|2011|page=45}} and (most famously) the beginning of the construction of the Great Wall of China—designed to keep out the nomadic raiders who'd constantly badger the Chinese people. However, Shi Huang was infamous for his tyranny, forcing laborers to build the Wall, ordering heavy taxes, and severely punishing all who opposed him. He oppressed Confucians and promoted [[Legalism (Chinese philosophy)|Legalism]], the idea that people were inherently evil, and that a strong, forceful government was needed to control them. Legalism was infused with realistic, logical views and rejected the pleasures of educated conversation as frivolous. All of this made Shi Huang extremely unpopular with the people. As the Qin began to weaken, various factions began to fight for control of China.