Qin Shi Huang

ChinaQin246-210 BC
RealmChina
Reign246-210 BC
HouseQin
LegacyFirst Emperor, unifier, terracotta army

Biography

Ying Zheng conquered the six warring states by 221 BC, inventing the title Huangdi, emperor. Standardized script, weights, axle widths, currency. The Great Wall linked into one line. Legalism, book burnings, scholars buried. The Terracotta Army, 8,000 strong, guarded his tomb, mercury rivers within, unopened. His dynasty fell four years after his death, but the unified China he forged never came apart again.

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