Zhou and Qin Dynasty: China
Background—from dynasty to empire
The Zhou and Qin dynasties came after the Shang Dynasty. The Shang ruled from about 1600 to 1050 BCE. The Shang loosely controlled their territory. Each local region had its own rulers. In 1050, the Zhou took over the Shang. Later, the Zhou were taken over by the Qin Dynasty. The Zhou had local leaders like the Shang. This made it easier for the Qin to take over. The Qin conquered most of what is now China and created the first Chinese empire.
Formation—Heaven said we could
In 1046 BCE, the Zhou King Wu overthrew the Shang. He justified his actions through the Mandate of Heaven. The Mandate of Heaven was about being fair. A ruler lost the Mandate of Heaven if he became immoral or cruel.
Map of the Warring States Period of the Eastern Zhou. By SY, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Zhou Dynasty ruled for over 700 years. Over time, kings found it harder to control the states. By 771 BCE, most Zhou states had become independent. One of these states was ruled by the Qin. The Qin took over the Zhou and conquered all of China. By 334 BCE, Zhou rulers had lost all power in China.
The Qin only ruled for 15 years. However, they were very important. King Zheng of Qin called himself Qin Shihuangdi. It means “August Emperor”. He ruled over his empire with an iron fist. This earned him many enemies. After Qin Shihuangdi died, his son Qin Ershi took over. When Qin Ershi died in 206 BCE, the Qin Dynasty ended.
Map of the Qin Empire. By SY, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Stone rubbing of Qin era depiction of one of the three assassination attempts against Qin Shihuangdi. The would-be assassin Jin Ke is on the left, being restrained by a physician. Qin Shihuangdi is center right fleeing the scene while holding a jade disc. The assassin’s blade is stuck in the pillar in the center. Public domain.
Administration
Zhou kings ruled as many as 200 states. However, these states were mostly run by family members of the Zhou king. This type of rule is called kinship. Kinship ties weakened over time. The states felt less loyalty to the king. This made it harder for the king to control the states.
The Qin ruled China differently than the Zhou. The Qin followed the system of legalism. Legalism required people to follow the laws. Even breaking less important laws could be punished by death.
Qin Shihuangdi also began a number of projects. One was the Great Wall of China.
Drawing of Qin Shihuangdi by unknown artist (c. 1850 CE). Public domain.
The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling. By Severin.Stadler, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Religion and philosophy
At that time, Chinese religion worshipped many gods. The Zhou worshipped a god named tian. Tian means “Heaven.” The Zhou claimed that Heaven gave the king the right to rule. Some Zhou states began worshipping other gods. They wanted to challenge the Zhou’s power.
Several important thinkers existed in the Zhou era. Confucius developed a philosophy called Confucianism. Laozi created a belief system called Daoism. Sun Tzu wrote an important book called The Art of War.
In 361 BCE, Lord Shang brought legalism to Qin. Shang said power came from the law. The ruler had total power. The laws also had to be applied equally to all people. Shang was killed for his beliefs. However, legalism continued in the Qin empire.
Portrait of Confucius by the Tang Dynasty artist Wu Daozi (685-758 CE). Public domain.
Trade—No merchants, please
Trade appeared during the Zhou Dynasty. The Zhou had a system of roads. This made it easier for traders to transport goods and ideas. Still, Confucianists and legalists did not like the traders. They thought traders could cause conflict in society. Many traders were sent away during Qin rule. As a result, trade didn’t grow much under Qin rule.
Women and society
The Zhou and Qin separated women and men, especially in work. Men farmed, and women spun cloth. Later, this separation became tied to Confucian values. One Chinese text tells of a woman who was in a fire. She had to choose between burning or breaking the moral code. She chose death.
Example of a spade coin (as in money) dating to the Eastern Zhou period (650-200 BCE). By Davidhartill, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Decline and fall—A sinking (kin)ship
The Zhou system was bound to fall apart. Kinship ties to the king weakened. Eventually, these powerful states pushed out the Zhou rulers.
It’s hard to say what caused the Qin to fail. Traditional Chinese historians say it was an abusive ruler. The people also stopped honoring traditional values. Historians outside of China have other explanations. For example, the were many peasant revolts against the king. Whatever the cause, the Qin left a major mark on China. In fact the name “China” likely comes from “Qin”!
Photograph close up of the head of a terracotta archer from Qin Shihuangdi’s tomb complex. By Charlie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photograph of one (small) section of the terracotta army (pit 1) buried along with Qin Shihuangdi at his tomb complex (Xi’an, China). By Maros M r a z (Maros), CC BY-SA 3.0.
Sources
Hinsch, Bret. 2003. “The Origins of Separation of the Sexes in China.” Journal of the American Oriental Society 123: 595-616.
Loewe, Michael and Edward L. Shaughnessy eds. 1999. The Cambridge History of Ancient China: From the Origins of Civilization to 221 b.c. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Li Xueqin. 1985. Eastern Zhou and Qin Civilizations. Translated by K.C. Chang. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Twitchett, Denis and John K. Fairbank eds. 2009. The Cambridge History of China, Volume I: The Ch’in and Han Empires, 221 b.c.—a.d. 220. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Dennis RM Campbell
Dennis RM Campbell is an associate professor of History at San Francisco State University. He primarily conducts research on esoteric topics in ancient history and writes about ancient language, religions, and societies.
Image credits
This work is licensed under CC BY 4.0 except for the following:
Cover: Terracotta Warriors, Tomb of Qin Shi Huang, Shaanxi Province, People’s Republic of China. © Tom Till / Photographer’s Choice / Getty Images Plus
Map of the Warring States Period of the Eastern Zhou. By SY, CC BY-SA 4.0. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Early_Warring_States_Period.png
Map of the Qin Empire. By SY, CC BY-SA 4.0. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Qin_Dynasty.png
Stone rubbing of Qin era depiction of one of the three assassination attempts against Qin Shihuangdi. The would-be assassin Jin Ke is on the left, being restrained by a physician. Qin Shihuangdi is center right fleeing the scene while holding a jade disc. The assassin’s blade is stuck in the pillar in the center. Public domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Assassination_attempt_on_Qin_Shi_Huang.jpg
Drawing of Qin Shihuangdi by unknown artist (c. 1850 CE). Public domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Qinshihuang.jpg
The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling. By Severin.Stadler, CC BY-SA 3.0. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Great_Wall_of_China_at_Jinshanling-edit.jpg
Portrait of Confucius by the Tang Dynasty artist Wu Daozi (685-758 CE). Public domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Confucius_Tang_Dynasty.jpg
Example of a spade coin (as in money) dating to the Eastern Zhou period (650-200 BCE). By Davidhartill, CC BY-SA 3.0. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Square_Shoulder_Spade.jpg
Photograph close up of the head of a terracotta archer from Qin Shihuangdi’s tomb complex. By Charlie, CC BY-SA 4.0. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Archer_head.jpg
Photograph of one (small) section of the terracotta army (pit 1) buried along with Qin Shihuangdi at his tomb complex (Xi’an, China). By Maros M r a z (Maros), CC BY-SA 3.0. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Terracotta_Army_Pit_1_-_2.jpg
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