Qin Dynasty-Abigail

Emperor Qin Shi Huang came to the Throne

246 BCE

When King Zhuangxiang died, he left his kingdom to his thirteen year old son, Qin Shi Huang. Qin Shi Huang went on to create the mighty Qin dynasty.

Beginning of the Ch'in dynasty

221 BCE

The Ch'in dynasty began in 221 B.C. when Qin Shi Huang united all of the separate warring states into one empire. This began the new Qin dynasty.

The Great Wall of Qin was Completed

221 BCE

In 221 BC, the Great Wall of Qin, which like many other gargantuan walls would go on to become part of the Great Wall of China, was completed. The Great Wall of Qin was built to protect the Qin dynasty from invaders.

Legalism was Introduced to China

221 BCE

When Qin Shi Huang took the throne in 221 BC, he introduced legalism as the official philosophy of China. Legalism is the belief that the government has the right to dictate every move that occurs under their rule.

Weights and Money are Standardized

219 BCE

In 291 BC, shortly after uniting the warring states into one empire, Qin Shi Huang standardized the weights and measurements throughout the entire empire. This made communications and understanding much easier.

The Burning of the Books

213 BCE

In 213 BC, Shi Huangdi ordered all books that did not support legalism burned. Only books on farming, medicine, and predictions were spared.

The Written Language was Standardized

213 BCE

In 213 BC, China's written language was standardized.
This meant that the whole country used the same alphabet, this made communications simpler.

Disagreeable Scholars were Executed

212 BCE

In 212 BC, Qin Shi Huang ordered all scholars that did not agree with his legalistic way of thinking to be buried alive.

Qin Shi Huang dies

210 BCE

Qin Shi Huang died in 210 BC. The cause of his death is unknown, but the two main theories are illness caused by overworking himself, and murder.

Qin Er Shi Becomes the Ruler

210 BCE

In 210 BC Qin Er Shi, who was the son of Qin Shi Haung, came to the throne. He was a much weaker ruler than his father, and this eventually led to the demise of the Qin dynasty.

The Terracotta Army was Created

210 BCE

In 210 BC Qin Shi Haung created a terracotta army to protect him in the afterlife. The army consists of more than eight thousand soldiers, one hundred and thirty chariots, and six hundred and seventy horses.

Rebellion Began

210 BCE

After Qin Shi Huang died, rebellions sprang up all around the country. The rebellions were caused by rulers of separate states wanting their independence back, and the common people who wished to be free from harsh rulers.

The Last Qin Emporer Came to the Throne

207 BCE

In 207 BC the last emperor of the Qin dynasty came to the throne. Ziying was likely Qin Shi Huang's brother and he ruled for forty-six days, and quickly surrendered to Liu Bang, who was the leader of a rebellion, thereby ending the Qin dynasty.

The End of the Ch'in Dynasty

207 BCE

The downfall of the Qin dynasty occurred when the people overthrew the government. This began as a uprising engineered by the peasants, and was later taken over by the army of Xiang Yu. His army eventually defeated Hu Hai, who was the sucessor of Qin Shi Haung, therefore ending the Qin dynasty.

Xianyang is Destroyed

206 BCE

Early in 206 BC Xianyang, which was the capital city of the former Qin dynasty, was destroyed. The rebels destroyed the city after the end of the Qin dynasty. It was destroyed by the same group of rebels who killed Ziying.