EmperorQinShihuang’sMausoleumandtheTerra-cottaWarriorsandHorsesMuseum
EmperorQinShihuanghadYingashissurnameandZhengashisgivenname.HenametothethroneoftheQinatage13,andtookthehelmofthestateatageof22.By221B.C.,hehadannexedthesixrivalprincipalitiesofQi,Chu,Yan,Han,ZhaoandWei,andestablishedthefirstfeudalempireinChina’shistory.
Intheyear221B.C.,whenheunifiedthewholecountry,YingZhengstyledhimselfemperor.HenamedhimselfShihuangDi,thefirstemperorinthehopethathislatergenerationsbethesecond,thethirdeventheonehundredthandthousandthemperorsinproperordertocarryonthehereditarysystem.Sincethen,thesupremefeudalrulersofChina’sdynastieshadcontinuedtocallthemselvesHuangDi,theemperor.
Afterhehadannexedtheothersixstates,EmperorQinShihuangabolishedtheenfeoffmentsystemandadoptedtheprefectureandcountysystem.Hestandardizedlegalcodes,writtenlanguage,track,currencies,weightsandmeasures.ToprotectagainstharassmentbytheHunaristocrats.EmperorQinShihuangorderedtheGreatWallbebuilt.Allthesemeasuresplayedanactiveroleineliminatingthecauseofthestateofseparationanddivisionandstrengtheningtheunificationofthewholecountryaswellaspromotionthedevelopmentofeconomyandculture.TheyhadagreatanddeepinfluenceuponChina’s2,000yearoldfeudalsociety.