The First Emperor of Qin (259 BC - 210 BC), whose surname was Qin and named Zheng (zheng), was born in Handan, the capital of Zhao (now Hebei), so he was also called Zhao Zheng (pre-Qin surname). They were not unified, so men were called surnames and women were called surnames, so Qin Shihuang was called Zhao Zheng); an outstanding politician and military commander. The first founding emperor of the Qin Dynasty to complete the unification of China, and the son of King Qin Zhuangxiang, he ascended the throne at the age of thirteen and became emperor at the age of thirty-nine. He reigned for thirty-seven years. Qin Shihuang established the emperor system, implemented the Three Gongs and Nine Ministers at the central level, and abolished the feudal system at the local level and replaced it with the county system. This created a new situation for the establishment of an authoritarian centralized system and had a profound impact on the history of China and the world. He was hailed as "one emperor through the ages" by Li Zhi, a thinker of the Ming Dynasty.
Character Profile
The First Emperor of Qin (259 BC - 210 BC) was a famous political figure. He was born in Handan in the first month of the forty-eighth year of King Zhao of Qin (259 BC). His surname was Qin. , also known as Zhao Zheng (Zhao Zheng)[1][2]. The founding emperor of the Qin Dynasty, the first unified dynasty in Chinese history. The son of King Zhuangxiang of Qin. Han nationality (the main body of the Chinese nationality) [3]. He was born in Handan (now Handan City, Hebei Province), the capital of Zhao State (named Zhao Zheng because he was born in Handan).
Qin Shihuang (4 photos) In 247 BC, Qin Wangzheng ascended the throne when he was 13 years old. In 238 BC, when Qin Shihuang was 22 years old, he held a coronation ceremony for the monarch in his old capital Yongcheng and began to "manage the affairs of the state personally". From 230 BC to 221 BC, the six kingdoms of Han, Zhao, Wei, Chu, Yan, and Qi were successively destroyed. At the age of 39, he completed the great cause of unifying China and established a centralized and powerful country with the Han nationality as the main body. —Qin Dynasty. The capital was Xianyang. In 210 BC, Qin Shihuang died in a sand dune (today's Xingtai City, Hebei Province) during his eastward tour. Qin Shihuang believed that his contribution to the Qin Yangling Tiger Talisman was better than that of the previous Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and the title agreed upon with the ministers was changed to "Emperor". Qin Shihuang was the first monarch in Chinese history to use the title "Emperor". He called himself "First Emperor", but he died in his second generation. Qin Shihuang had a profound and significant impact on the history of China and the world. He was hailed as "one emperor through the ages" by the Ming Dynasty thinker Li Zhi. Qin Shihuang was not a tyrant as recorded in "Historical Records" written by Sima Qian. If you want to know the real Qin Shihuang, the book "The True Qin Shihuang" has a detailed introduction. It can be said that Qin Shihuang is a powerful and legendary epoch-making figure in Chinese history, and the founder of the first multi-ethnic centralized empire in Chinese history.
Character life experience
According to "Historical Records: Biography of Lu Buwei", Qin Shihuang's mother Zhao Ji was originally Lu Buwei's concubine, and Lu Buwei dedicated Zhao Ji to a stranger (later Qin Zhuangxiang). Prince of Chu), later Zhao Ji gave birth to a son named Zheng in her twelfth year; and according to the "Chronicles of the First Emperor of Qin", "the first emperor of Qin was Prince Zhuangxiang of Qin. King Zhuangxiang was the hostage of Qin in Zhao. When he saw Ji Lu Buwei, he took him with pleasure and gave birth to him. The First Emperor." As the son of a proton who was not favored, Zhao Zheng spent his youth in Handan, the capital of Zhao State. At this time, the foreigner had returned to Qin through Lu Buwei's mediation and recognized Mrs. Huayang as his wife. After many political struggles, Lu Buwei finally gained the trust of Mrs. Huayang. Lu Buwei spent a lot of energy and money to bring Zhao Ji's mother and son back to Qin. From then on, Zhao Zheng began his political career in the Qin Palace. Lu Buwei
Ascends to the throne
In the third year of King Zhuangxiang of Qin (247 BC), King Zhuangxiang of Qin died, and Zhao Zheng ascended the throne as King of Qin. Due to his young age when he came to the throne, the affairs of the country were controlled by Lu Buwei, the prime minister, and he respected Lu Buwei as his father-in-law. Lu Emperor Qin's edict to Tong Quan
Buwei not only controlled the court, but also had an affair with the Queen Mother (Zhao Ji). Seeing that Qin Shihuang was getting older, he was afraid of being discovered by him and wanted to leave the Queen Mother, but he was also afraid of the Queen Mother's resentment, so he gave the Queen Mother a fake eunuch, Lao Ai, who pretended to be tortured and only pulled out his beard before entering the palace. Qin Shihuang grew up day by day, so they lied to Qin Shihuang, saying that the feng shui of the Queen Mother's palace was not good and that they should move away. Qin Shihuang believed it was true, so they moved to a place far away from Qin Shihuang. As a result, the Queen Mother gave birth to two illegitimate children. The fake eunuch Lao Ai also regarded himself as the fake father of the King of Qin. With the help of the Queen Mother, he was granted the title of Marquis of Changxin, and took over Shanyang and Taiyuan. Wait for the place to gather your own party members. Lao Ai has been operating in Yongcheng for many years and has established a huge power. He is another powerful political force after Lu Buwei. It was inevitable that Lao Ai would become a villain, so she scolded a minister after getting drunk: "I am the false father of King Qin, how dare you mess with me." The minister was very angry after hearing this, and secretly found an opportunity to tell Qin Shihuang. Lao Ai panicked and prepared to rebel.
In 238 BC, Qin Shihuang held a crowning ceremony at Qinian Palace in Yongcheng. Lao Ai used the royal seal of the King of Qin and the Queen Mother's seal to launch a rebellion and attack Qinian Palace. Qin Shihuang had already deployed three thousand elite troops in Qinian Palace to defeat the rebels. Lao Ai turned to attack Xianyang Palace, where there were already troops. Lao Ai escaped alone and was arrested not long after. Qin Shihuang cut Lao Ai's chariot into pieces and exposed his body to the public. He also imprisoned his mother, Zhao Ji, in the Guiyang Palace in Yongcheng. He threw Lao Ai's two illegitimate sons with the Queen Mother to death. Qin Shihuang subsequently dismissed Lu Buwei from his post as prime minister and exiled Lu Buwei to Bashu. Later, although he listened to the advice of the Qin nobles and issued the "Book of Expelling Guests" to expel diners from the six countries, he was dissuaded by Li Si's "Book of Remonstrance and Expelling Guests". Later, he appointed Wei Liao, Li Si and others.
Qin captured Jiuding
It is said that Jiuding was cast by Xia Yu, symbolizing Kyushu. It has been protected by many countries and was made of copper tribute from Kyushu. During the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, it was regarded as a national treasure, and the person who owned the Nine Cauldrons was the emperor. In 256 BC (the fifty-first year of King Zhao of Qin and the fifty-ninth year of King Nan of Zhou), the Qin army attacked Handan of Zhao State and continued to launch offensives against Han and Zhao. On this occasion, the Eastern countries launched a joint resistance against Qin. Under the influence and coercion of Han, Zhao and other countries, the Duke of Western Zhou, who was ignorant of current affairs, was also involved in this activity. Under the banner of King Zhou, the coalition forces united to resist Qin. King Zhao was furious. Qin had long wanted to wipe the Western Zhou Dynasty off the map and remove an obstacle to unifying the world as soon as possible. The Western Zhou Dynasty participated in the rebellion against Qin, which just gave Qin an excuse to send troops. In 256 BC (the 59th year of King Nan of Zhou and the 51st year of King Zhao of Qin), Qin soldiers attacked the Western Zhou Dynasty. King Nan listened to the Duke of Western Zhou and surrendered the 36 cities and 30,000 households in the west to Qin. The King of Qin demoted King Nan of Zhou. As a king, the Duke of Western Zhou Dynasty became a retainer and was granted the title of Liangcheng (south of Hancheng County, Shaanxi Province today). King Nan arrived in Liangcheng and died in one month. The country was eliminated and Jiuding was placed in Xianyang (it is said that one tripod fell into Sishui on the way, so Qin only got 8 tripods, but it is still customarily called Jiuding). From the following year (the fifty-second year of King Zhao, 255 BC), historians began to record the year as King Qin. In 255 BC, Jiuding moved to Qin, which meant that the King of Qin would become the supreme leader of the world and could legitimately attack various vassal states.
Destroying the Six Kingdoms
From 230 BC to 221 BC, Qin Shihuang adopted the strategy of establishing distant relations and attacking close quarters, dividing the country and establishing alliances, and launched the Qin War to destroy the Six Kingdoms. They successively destroyed Han in the seventeenth year of Qin Shi Huang (230 BC), Zhao in the nineteenth year (228 BC), Wei in the twenty-second year (225 BC), Chu in the twenty-fourth year (223 BC), and Chu in the second year of Qin Shihuang. Yan was destroyed in the fifteenth year (222 BC), and Qi was destroyed in the twenty-sixth year (221 BC). In the war that never massacred the city, the Qin Dynasty, the first unified centralized authoritarian state in Chinese history, was finally established. Qin Unification Situation Map
General Policy
After Qin Shihuang took office, he listened to Li Sijin's suggestions for destroying the six countries and began to plan the great cause of unifying the six countries. Its general strategic policy is to move from near to far, concentrate forces, and defeat them one by one; first capture Zhao in the north, Wei in the middle, and Korea in the south, and then attack Yan, Chu, and Qi—first conquer Chenggao, and advance eastward along the Yellow River. , tearing apart the joint defense of Han, Zhao, Weichu. Then go north, cut off the communication between Han and Wei, then destroy Han and annex Zhao, waiting for an opportunity to destroy Yan.
Destroy South Korea
The first target Qin Wangzheng chose to attack was South Korea. Because South Korea is the weakest among the six countries, it is the biggest obstacle to Qin's path to unification. However, South Korea is not yet vulnerable. The Qin army attacked South Korea many times, but was repelled by South Korea. While using its main force to attack South Korea, Qin adopted a strategy of supporting pro-Qin forces and gradually dismembering South Korea. In 231 BC, Teng, the "false governor" (i.e. acting governor) of Nanyang County in South Korea, offered the territory under his jurisdiction to Qin. Teng was appointed as the internal historian by the King of Qin, and he was later sent to lead an army to attack South Korea. Teng knew Korea well, so it went smoothly. In 230 BC (the seventeenth year of King Qin's reign), he captured Wang An of Han, and Korea was destroyed.
Destroying the State of Zhao
In 229 BC, Qin took advantage of the great earthquake and famine in the State of Zhao and sent Wang Jian to lead troops to attack Zhao. Zhao Guo sent Li Mu and Sima Shang to lead troops to resist, and the two sides remained in a stalemate for a year. At the critical juncture, the State of Qin resorted to its trump card-the alienation tactic. Wang Jian paid a lot of money to bribe King Zhao's favorite Guo Kai, asking him to spread rumors that Li Mu and Sima Shang were planning to rebel. King Zhao believed the rumors and sent someone to replace Li Mu. Li Mu was in the current situation of the enemy. Situation map of the Battle of Changping between Qin and Zhao
According to the refusal to give up the right to send troops, King Zhao secretly sent people to arrest Li Mu and execute him, and also killed Sima Shang. Killing Li Mu undoubtedly cleared the way for the Qin army to overthrow Zhao. After that, the Qin army attacked the Zhao army as if they were in an uninhabited territory, attacking the city and seizing the territory.
In 228 BC (the 19th year of the Qin Dynasty), the Qin army captured Handan, and this famous city fell into the hands of the Qin State. Soon, Zhao Wangqian, who fled, was forced to surrender Zhao's map to Qin. Zhao State was actually destroyed. However, Gongzi Jia took a group of people and fled to Daijun (now Yuxian County, Hebei Province) and proclaimed himself king. The Later Qin army captured Yan after destroying him in 222 BC. At this point, Qin unified the north.
Destroy the Wei Kingdom
In 231 BC, King Jingmin of Wei was forced by Qin's powerful power and took the initiative to offer Liyi to Qin in order to delay the war. At this time, King Qin Zhengzheng was mobilizing troops to launch a general attack on Zhao. He did not want to disperse his troops to attack Wei, so he accepted the land offer. This allowed Wei to maintain its endgame for several more years. In 225 BC (the 22nd year of Qin Wangzheng), when the main force of the Qin army went south to attack Chu, Qin Wangzheng sent young general Wang Ben to lead an army to besiege the Wei capital Daliang (now Kaifeng, Henan). The Wei army closed the city gate tightly and could not get out. Because the Daliang city defense was extremely strong after many years of construction, the Qin army could not attack it by force. Wang Ben came up with a water attack method. A large number of soldiers of the Qin army were arranged to dig channels to divert water from the Yellow River and Honggou and pour it into Daliang. Three months later, all the walls and fortresses of Daliang were collapsed, and King Wei had to surrender. The state of Wei was destroyed.
Destroy the Chu State
The Chu State, a large country in the south, has a vast territory, dense mountains and forests, and rich products. It is said to have millions of soldiers. However, the internal affairs of the Chu State had always been sluggish, and the nobles were always fighting for power. This situation became especially serious at the end of the Warring States Period. In 228 BC, King Chu You died, and internal strife broke out in the ruling group. King You's half-brother Ju, ascended the throne as King Ai, but was killed by his half-brother's disciples in just over two months. He became the king of Chu. The Chu royal family fell apart even more. When civil strife broke out in the Chu State, in 226 BC, the King of Qin lost no time in dispatching Qin troops from the northern front line to attack Yan, and went south to attack Chu, winning more than 10 cities in Chu State in a row. In 224 BC, the decisive battle between Qin and Chu was about to begin. King Qin Zhengxian sent young general Li Xin to lead 200,000 Qin troops to attack Chu, but was defeated by the Chu army. Later, he sent general Wang Jian to lead 600,000 Qin troops to attack Chu. After Wang Jian entered Chu territory, he did not immediately launch an offensive. He summed up Li Xin's lesson of underestimating the enemy's aggressive advance, and adopted the strategy of stationing troops to practice martial arts, solidifying the wall, paralyzing the enemy, and waiting for work. In this way, after more than a year, the Qin army basically adapted to the situation in Chu, and its morale was high and its physical strength was strong. At the same time, the Chu troops that were mobilized to fight against the Qin army gradually lost their fighting spirit, and due to lack of food and grass, they prepared to return eastward. As soon as the Chu army withdrew, Wang Jian seized the opportunity and ordered the entire army to attack. The Qin army defeated the main force of the Chu army in one fell swoop, marched straight into the interior, and killed Xiang Yan, the commander of the Chu army. Then, the Qin army captured Shouchun, the capital of Chu (today's Shouxian County, Anhui Province), and captured Chu King Fu Chu. The Chu Kingdom was destroyed in 223 BC (the 24th year of the Qin King's reign). In 222 BC (the twenty-fifth year of the Qin Dynasty), the army that had just defeated Chu in the south took advantage of the victory and surrendered to the Yue king, and established Kuaiji County. As a result, the entire Yangtze River Basin was incorporated into Qin's territory.
Destroy the Yan Kingdom
In the process of destroying Zhao, the Qin army has reached the border of the Yan Kingdom. King Yan was in a panic all day long. Seeing that Qin had defeated the three Jins, he wanted to kill him, but he had no idea what to do. Prince Dan of Yan finally came up with a desperate assassination operation, the famous assassination of King Qin by Jing Ke in history, which took place in 227 BC. The assassination operation ultimately failed, but Qin Wangzheng almost died under Jingke's dagger. He deeply hated the Yan State and immediately increased his troops to launch a massive attack. In 226 BC, the Qin army captured Ji (now Beijing), the capital of Yan, and King Xi and Prince Dan fled to Liaodong County. Qin general Li Xin led thousands of Qin troops to pursue Prince Dan to Yanshui. Prince Dan survived because he lurked in the water. Later, after weighing the interests, King Xi of Yan sent people to kill Prince Dan and dedicated his head to the Qin State, hoping to obtain a truce and preserve the Yan State. After King Yan fled to Liaodong, the main force of the Qin army was transferred to the southern front to attack Chu. In 222 BC (the twenty-fifth year of the Qin Dynasty), Wang Ben was ordered to attack the remaining forces of the Yan State in Liaodong, captured King Xi of Yan, and the Yan State was completely destroyed.
Destroy the State of Qi
In 221 BC (the twenty-sixth year of the Qin Dynasty), the King of Qin ordered Wang Ben to go south and attack the last of the six eastern kingdoms: Qi. From the Spring and Autumn Period to the middle of the Warring States Period, Qi was a relatively powerful one among the Shandong states. However, in 284 BC, the five kingdoms of Yan, Zhao, Han, Wei, and Chu attacked Qi, especially Yan general Le Yi, who swept Qi and almost destroyed Qi. After that, Qi never regained its strength. Moreover, Qi Wangjian was an incompetent person at this time. When her mother was still alive, he relied on her; before her death, he shamelessly asked her to write down the names of ministers who could assist him.
In 249 BC (the 16th year of the reign of King Qi), the resolute and unyielding king Queen passed away, and later became the prime minister. The State of Qin quickly launched an activity to bribe internal officials and donated a large amount of gold and jade to Xiang Sheng. After the victory over Qin, he sent a large number of guests to Qin one after another. Qin State bribed them heavily, giving them money and treasures, and asked them to return to Qi State to serve as internal agents. After this group of people came back from Qin, they actively created pro-Qin public opinion. They said that King Jian of Qi should go west to Qin to show his submission. They also said that Qi and Qin were related by marriage, so there was no need to prepare for war against Qin, nor to help the three Jin, Yan, and Chu attacks Qin. It was under this circumstance that Wang Ben went south to attack Qi and encountered almost no resistance. Wang Ben led the army commander and drove straight into Linzi. Qi Wang Jian and Hou Sheng immediately surrendered to Qin without a fight. The state of Qi was destroyed. At this point, Qin State has completed the final journey of defeating the heroes and unifying the six countries. The territory of the Qin Dynasty
It is worth noting that the Qin army, known as the "violent army", never massacred the city under Qin Shihuang's restrained and cautious orders, which was unprecedented and unique.
The first title of emperor
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, princes from various countries were called "jun" or "king". In the late Warring States period, Qin and Qi were once called "emperors", but this title did not go hand in hand at that time. The King of Qin, who had already unified the world, thought that these past titles were not enough to show his respect. "If the title is not changed now, it cannot be called a success and passed on to future generations." He ordered the ministers to discuss the title. After some deliberation, Prime Minister Wang Wan, Imperial Censor Feng Jie, Tingwei Li Si and others believed that the Qin Dynasty's political achievements "promoted righteous soldiers, punished the remaining thieves, and pacified the world" and that their achievements were "unprecedented since ancient times and beyond the reach of the five emperors." They cited traditional honorifics, saying, "In ancient times, there were emperors of heaven, emperors of earth, emperors of human beings, and the human emperor was the most noble." They suggested that the Qin Dynasty adopt the title of "Emperor of Tai". However, Qin Shihuang was not satisfied with this. He only used the word "emperor" and added the word "emperor" under it because of the "three emperors and five emperors", creating a new title of "emperor" for himself. From then on, "emperor" became the title of the supreme ruler of China. The emergence of the title "Emperor" is not just a simple name change, but also reflects the emergence of a new concept of governance. In ancient times, "huang" meant "big". People sometimes called ancestor gods and other gods "huang". "Emperor" is the supreme god who dominates all things in ancient people's imagination. Qin Shihuang combined the two words "emperor" and "emperor". First, it showed that he wanted to express his supreme status and authority, which was given by God, that is, "the power of kings is granted by the gods"; second, it reflected that he felt that his supreme status and authority were only given by God. Being a ruler on earth is not enough, he also wants to be a god. It can be seen that the title of "Emperor" is a product of Qin Wang's political deification of monarchy. Qin Wangzheng became the first emperor in Chinese history and called himself the "First Emperor". He also stipulated that when the throne is passed to his descendants after his death, his successors will be called the second emperor, the third emperor, and even forever. Qin Shihuang dreamed that the throne would be inherited by his family forever and "be passed down endlessly" ("Historical Records: The Chronicles of Qin Shihuang"). In order to sanctify the emperor's status, Qin Shihuang took a series of "respecting the emperor" measures: canceling the posthumous title. The posthumous title method began in the early Zhou Dynasty. After the death of the king, an evaluative title was given based on his life and deeds. However, Qin Shihuang believed that it was too outrageous and meaningless to "sons discuss fathers and ministers discuss emperors" like this. He announced the abolition of posthumous titles and prohibited future generations of officials from evaluating him. The emperor calls himself "I". The meaning of the word "朜" is the same as that of "I". In the past, ordinary people could use it, but Qin Shihuang restricted that only the emperor could call himself "朜". The emperor's order is called "Zhi" or "Chao" (the order is called Zhi, and the order is called Zhao, because the two orders have different effects). The emperor's name is not allowed to be mentioned in the text and must be avoided. Whenever the words "Emperor" or "First Emperor" appear on the document, they must be written on a new line. Only the large seal carved from jade used by the emperor can be called a "seal". The purpose of these regulations is to highlight the special status of the emperor, emphasize that the emperor is unique, and strengthen the mystery of imperial power in people's minds. Qin Shihuang imagined that by taking these measures, his throne would be passed down to his descendants for eternity.
Edit this paragraph to centralize power
In order to effectively manage the country and lay a foundation for future generations, Qin Shihuang learned from the specific experience of setting up official positions during the Warring States Period and established a fairly complete set of centralized system and government institutions.
The central organization
The central government has the prime minister, the Taiwei, and the imperial censor. The prime minister has two members, the left and the right. He is the head of a hundred officials and is in charge of political affairs. The Taiwei is in charge of the military affairs and is not always in charge. The imperial censor is the second deputy of the prime minister. He is in charge of the secretary of books and supervises all officials.
Below the prime minister, Taiwei, and Yushi officials are the ministers who are in charge of specific government affairs. Among them are the Lang Zhongling who is in charge of the palace gate, the guard who is in charge of the palace gate guard and the army, the lieutenant who is in charge of the capital security, the court lieutenant who is in charge of punishment, and the officer who is in charge of military matters. The person in charge of grain production, domestic history, the taxation of mountains, seas, ponds, and government handicrafts to supply the royal family. The person in charge of the palace will be the person in charge of the Shaofu. The person in charge of domestic and ethnic affairs and foreign affairs will be the official. The official in charge of the rituals of the ancestral temple. , Zongzheng, who is in charge of royal family status, Taipu, who is in charge of horses, etc. The prime minister, Taiwei, Yushi and other ministers discuss government affairs, and the emperor makes a decision. In addition to this, there were some more important official positions in the Qin Dynasty, such as doctor - "in charge of ancient and modern times", that is, he was familiar with ancient and modern history to prepare for the emperor's consultation, and was also responsible for book collection; Dian Shiguo - in charge of ethnic minority affairs like Dianke , the difference is that Dianke is in charge of the exchanges with ethnic minorities who are friendly to Qin, while Dianguo is in charge of ethnic minorities that have surrendered to the Qin Dynasty; Zhanshi - manages the affairs of the queen and prince. The set of centralized political institutions established by the Qin Dynasty has been imitated by successive dynasties. Among them, the "Three Gongs and Nine Ministers" of the Han Dynasty basically copied the Qin system.
Local institutions
After Qin Shihuang destroyed the six kingdoms, he adopted Li Si's suggestion to abolish the feudal system and change it to the county system. Local administrative agencies are divided into county and county levels. The main officials of counties and counties are appointed and dismissed by the central government. The county has guards, lieutenants, and supervisors (supervisors and censors). The county governor is in charge of his county. The county lieutenant assists the county guard and conducts military affairs. Supervision by the County Supervisory Department. Qin Shihuang divided the country into thirty-six counties, and later successively added to forty-one counties. They are: Qin: Bajun, Shujun, Longxi County, Beidi County; Zhao: Taiyuan County, Yunzhong County, Handan County, Julu County, Yanmen County, Daijun, Changshan County; Wei: Shangjun , Hedong County, Dong County, Dang County, Hanoi County; Han Dynasty: Sanchuan County, Shangdang County, Yingchuan County; Chuyue County: Hanzhong County, Nan County, Qianzhong County, Nanyang County, Chen County, Xue County, Sishui County, Jiujiang County, Kuaiji County, Changsha County, Hengshan County; Qi County: Donghai County, Qi County, Langya County, Jiaodong County, Jibei County; Yan County: Guangyang County, Shanggu County, Yuyang County, Youbeiping County , Liaoxi County, Liaodong County; the hometown of South Vietnam: Minzhong County, Nanhai County, Guilin County, Xiang County; the hometown of the Xiongnu: Jiuyuan County. In counties, those with more than 10,000 households have orders, and those with less than 10,000 households have chiefs. The county magistrates and chiefs are led by chiefs, lieutenants and other subordinates. County magistrates and chiefs are mainly in charge of government affairs, county lieutenants are in charge of military affairs, and county magistrates are in charge of justice. There are townships below the county level, and their main functions are four: 1. assign corvee services; 2. collect land taxes; 2. verify the case details of the defendants in the township; 4. participate in the custody of grain in the national warehouse. The three elders in the countryside were in charge of education, the stingy husband was in charge of litigation and taxation, and youyou was in charge of public security. There is a li in the countryside, which is the most basic administrative unit. There are Lidians in Li, and later generations call them Li Zheng and Li Kui, and they are called "haoshuai", that is, powerful ones. A strict Shiwu household registration organization was set up in the village to facilitate the dispatch of tribesmen and collect taxes. It also stipulates that each other should supervise each other and report adultery. If one person commits a crime, the neighbors will be punished together. In addition, there are special agencies called pavilions for policing and prohibiting thieves. In addition to managing public security, the pavilion is also responsible for receiving officials who come and go, and is responsible for transporting, purchasing, and delivering (documents) to the government. The distance between the two pavilions is about ten miles.
Edit this paragraph to sort out economy and culture
Books with the same text
After the Yin and Shang Dynasties, writing gradually became popular. As an official text, bronze inscriptions have relatively consistent shapes. However, there are regional differences in the weapons, pottery inscriptions, silk scripts, bamboo slips and other folk writings of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. This situation has hindered economic and cultural exchanges between various places, and also affected the effective implementation of the central government's policies and laws. Therefore, after Qin unified the Central Plains, the first emperor of Qin
Xiaozhuan (10 photos) ordered Li Si and others to organize and unify writing. Based on the large seal script commonly used by the Qin people during the Warring States Period, Li Si absorbed the advantages of simple strokes in the tadpole script popular in Qilu and other places, and created a new script with a round and neat shape and simple strokes, which is called "Qin Zhuan", also known as "Xiaozhuan" is used as the official standard script, and other variant characters are abolished at the same time. In addition, a government official named Cheng Miao was imprisoned in Yunyang prison for committing a crime. During the 10 years in prison, he carried out a change that had occurred in the evolution of fonts at that time (later known as the "Libian"). Summarize. This move was appreciated by Qin Shihuang, who released him, promoted him to censor, and ordered him to "define the script" and formulate a new font, which is the "official script". Official script broke the tradition of ancient Chinese characters, laid the foundation for regular script, and improved writing efficiency. Qin Shihuang's order to unify and simplify Chinese characters was a summary of the development and evolution of ancient Chinese characters and a major reform of characters. He played an important role in the development of Chinese culture.
Qin Shihuang adopted two main ways to unify the currency: one was to unify the coinage by the state, severely punish private coinage, and put the manufacturing power of currency in the hands of the state. The second is to unify two currencies, namely gold coins for upper coins and copper coins for lower coins. The unit of gold was changed to "yi", and one yi was equal to twenty taels. The unit of copper coins is "half a tael", and the word "half a tael" is clearly marked on the gold coins. The shape of the copper coin is a round square hole, commonly known as "Qin Ban Liang". It turns out that pearls, jade, turtle shells, silver and tin, etc. that were common in the six countries can no longer be used as currency (as of Qin, the currency of one country is second-class; gold is named after yi, which is the upper currency; copper coins are named half a tael, which is as heavy as its text, and is the lower currency). Coins. Pearls, jade, turtles, shells, silver and tin are treasures of ornaments, not coins.
The system of weights and measures and the currency system of various countries were very inconsistent during the Warring States Period. After the unification of the Qin Dynasty, it was stipulated that the currency was divided into two types: gold and copper: gold was called the upper currency, and the unit was yi (the Qin system was 20 taels of yi); copper coins were unified into the yuan currency (3 Zhang)-shaped square hole, with half a tael as the unit. Gold coins were mainly used for rewards by the emperor, and copper coins were the main circulation medium. Qin Shihuang used the original Qin state's measurement, measurement, and measurement systems as the unit, and eliminated the system that was inconsistent with this. The Qin Dynasty stipulated that it was forbidden to use the imperial inscriptions on the original standard instruments issued by Shang Yang, or to make the same standard instruments with inscriptions and distribute them throughout the country. In terms of land system, the Qin Dynasty stipulated that 6 A foot (230 centimeters today) is a step, and 240 steps are an acre. This acre system will remain unchanged for thousands of years.
Improved the currency system
Qin Shihuang adopted two unifications. The main ways of currency: First, the state unifies the coinage, severely punishes private coinage, and puts the manufacturing power of currency in the hands of the state. The second is to unify the currency of two currencies, namely gold coins and copper coins, changing the name of gold to "yi". One yi is twenty taels. The unit of copper coins is "half liang", and the word "ban liang" is clearly marked on the coin. The shape of the copper coin is a round square hole, which is commonly known as "ban liang" in the original six countries. Pearls, jade, turtle shells, silver and tin, etc. can no longer be used as currency (up to the Qin Dynasty, the currency of a country in China was second-class; gold was named after yi and was the upper currency; copper coins were named half a tael and were as heavy as their inscriptions and were the lower currency. And pearls, jade, Turtle shells, silver and tin are treasures for decorations, not coins.
Regulating transportation
Starting from 222 BC, Qin Shihuang began to build a large-scale construction centering on the capital Xianyang. The Chidao extending in all directions is similar to a modern expressway and is 50 paces wide. One is to facilitate transportation and facilitate the management of the Six Kingdoms. One said that the main purpose was to facilitate the supply of the front lines of the northern war, and the other said that it was to facilitate the first emperor to have unobstructed access when he was on patrol. Except for the Qin Straight Road and the Qin Plank Road, most of them were built in Qin's hometown and the old roads of the Six Kingdoms, as well as during the Qin's conquest of the Six Kingdoms. The famous Chi Roads include: Shangjun Road, Linjin Road, Dongfang Road, Wuguan Road, Qinzhan Road, Western Road and Qinzhi Road. After Qin Shihuang wiped out the six countries, he conquered Lingnan for convenience. In order to obtain the necessary troops and supplies, Shi Lu was ordered to dig a canal to connect the Xiangjiang River in the Yangtze River system and the Lijiang River in the Pearl River system. The canal was finally built in the 20th to 23rd years of the First Emperor (219 BC). . The Lingqu Canal is one of the oldest canals in the world. It has been an important waterway transportation between Lingnan and the Central Plains for more than 2,000 years. Therefore, this project is a national key cultural relic protection unit. 1.
Cars on the same track
During the Warring States Period, the shapes of vehicles varied from country to country. After Qin Shihuang unified the country, the width of the vehicle was determined to be six feet, so that one vehicle could travel across the country.
Xing Tonglun
"Xing Tonglun" means correcting customs and establishing unified ethics and behavioral norms. In this regard, the Qin Dynasty also paid considerable attention. For example, in the twenty-eighth year of Qin Shi Huang (219 BC), Qin Shi Huang came to the foot of Mount Tai. This was originally the hometown of Qi State, known as the "Land of Etiquette". The First Emperor ordered people to write down on a stone carved on Mount Tai that "men and women should be courteous, carefully abide by their duties, separate the inside and outside, and be unclean and do it to the heirs" (meaning that the boundaries between men and women should be clear, and women should be treated with courtesy. They should be commended if they govern the inside and the men govern the outside, and each performs his or her duties, thereby setting a good example for future generations). The inscriptions left on stones in Kuaiji in the thirty-seventh year of the First Emperor (210 B.C.) strongly criticized the prevailing sexual immorality in the area, and corrected the inequality between men and women in the Wuyue area with articles that made it illegal to kill an adulterer. A custom of lax defense.
Making the Chuan Guo Seal
The "Jade Seal Chuan Guo" is made of "He's Bi". It was a seal passed down from generation to generation by emperors after Qin Dynasty, and was engraved on the order of Qin Shihuang.
It is four inches in diameter and has five dragons on it. The front is engraved with eight seal characters written by Li Si, "Ordered by heaven, you will live forever" as a token of "imperial power is divinely authorized, orthodox and legal". Afterwards, emperors of all dynasties regarded the seal as a symbol of talisman and regarded it as a rare treasure and an important weapon of the country. If you get it, it symbolizes your "order from heaven", while if you lose it, it means you "have run out of energy". Anyone who ascends to a high position without this seal will be ridiculed as a "white emperor", showing lack of confidence and being despised by the world. This prompted people who wanted to seek great treasures to fight for it, causing the jade seal that passed down the country to change its owner many times, and it traveled across the land of China for more than 2,000 years. However, he finally disappeared and has no trace to this day, which often makes people sigh with regret.
Evaluation
The above unification measures strengthened the centralization of power, which was conducive to the further development of the ancient economy, the initial establishment of the motherland's territory and the consolidation and development of the country's unity, and the formation of the Chinese The Chinese nation, whose ethnic group is the main body, has played an important role. Promoted the first great ethnic integration in the history of our country. For the first time, a real China was formed.