Qin

Origins

According to Sima Qian, princes de Qin said themselves to go down from the emperor Zhuanxu (one of the five sovereigns). One their ancestors, Dafei, which had helped Yu Large the in its work, was rewarded by the emperor Shun, who gave him the family name of Ying in reward.

The descendants of Dafei were divided into two branches:

a Western branch, installed with Quanqiu (犬丘 the hill with the dogs ) in the valley of Wei (close to current the Tianshui), which will become the reigning family of Qin
an Eastern branch, in the East of the Yellow Fleuve, which will become the royal family of Zhao

The Western branch was annoblie by king Xiao of Zhou (IX E). Princes de Qin maintaining good relationships with the Rong barbarians who lived in the west, king de Zhou saw in this alliance a means of preserving his kingdom. At the beginning of the eighth century (-771), Rong Chiens attack the capital of Zhou, which must flee towards the East. Prince de Qin protects the escape from the royal house, and sees himself giving in stronghold all the Western territories which it will take again in Rong. Qin becomes one of the princes feudatories then.

The period of Springs and the Falls

Qin continued to become more powerful with the wire of the centuries, in particular because of extraordinary industrial capacity of its people. The dukes of Qin set up a great number of projects to improve their State, of which in particular much of public works of great width like irrigation canals and powerful walls of defense. Moreover, Qin was people of half-barbarians , going down from the not-Chinese tribe of Rong, coming from the steppes. So at the beginning of its history, Qin had to face the other “completely Chinese” States which bordered its borders.

The period of the Kingdoms combatants

Shang Yang

The most outstanding event of the history of Qin before third century BC was the come to power of Shang Yang. Shang Yang was a fervent supporter of the philosophy of Han Fei Zi, which is regarded as the first to have described the ideology known under the name of Légisme. Légisme affirms that all the Men are basically equal and that rigorous laws and hard punishments are necessary to maintain the order.

Shang Yang becomes Prime Minister for Qin under the government of the Duc Xiao and transforms the State into a vigorously regulated machine, of which the only goal was the elimination of its rivals. Shang Yang puts at the variation the aristocracy and rests on a méritocracie, within which only those which proved their value could reach the high stations and the right of birth was reserved only to the leader of the State. Shang Yang thus attracted itself many enemies and after the death of the duke Xiao it was continued and finally killed. However the reforms legalists of Shang Yang had unquestionable advantages and none the successors went so far as to repeal them.

One of the most outstanding results of this program of reform related to the military field. Previously the army was traditionally controlled by the noble ones. At the conclusion of the reform, the generals could come from any class of the company if they had necessary competences. Moreover, the troops became extremely trained and disciplined. But what was essential more is that the army of Qin increased quickly to reach an enormous size and could be based on the whole of the State. The many projects of public works, supporting an increase in agricultural production, made it possible Qin to maintain the regular troops of more than one million soldiers, which none of the other States could carry out (with share, perhaps, the kingdom semi-barbarian of Chu).

The expansion of Qin

In 260 av. J. - C., China discovered the full power of the reforms of Qin in the field of the war. All the vestiges of the aristocracy had disappeared in favor of a rough effectiveness. After the Bataille of Changping the Qin generals ordered the execution of some 400 000 Prisoner of war of the kingdom close to Zhao.

In the middle of third century BC, Qin starts a massive project in order to confirm its preeminence. The kingdom of Han was frightened by the expansion of Qin towards the east, which would probably be done with their costs. The king of Han then tries to destroy Qin, not by the weapons, which would have been useless, but using a hydraulic engineer. Qin had shown their leaning for the construction of very broad channels, such as for example that of the plan of irrigation of the Rivière Min. The idea of the engineer Cheng Kuo was to convince the king of Qin to devote his resources in a channel even larger. Qin agreed to build this work, but unfortunately for Han their plan failed. Although it actually made it possible to delay the expansion of Qin, it did not make it possible to come to end resources from Qin. After the completion of the Channel of ChengKuo in 246 av. J. - C., all the losses of Qin were caught up with and the kingdom had even a vast surplus. Qin then became one of the most fertile States of China and could raise hundreds of thousands of troops, while resting on the expansion of the agriculture of the State.

At that time, the number of feudal States had been tiny room of several hundreds in seven large kingdoms. Both more powerful State were Qin and the Chu. However, the expansion of this last had been opposed by the resistance of the Neighboring states. On the contrary, Qin had easily been able to annex the weak Neighboring states and, although the Chu finally could come to end from the Yue, at the end of fourth century BC, the long military countryside had exhausted its resources. Despite everything that, the Chu remained a potential rival for the increasing capacity of Qin.

The most immediate enemies for Qin were the Zhao and the Han which were all the two powerful ones, but without constituting a serious threat for the force of Qin with its many and powerful armies. It was necessary moreover compose with kings Zhou always in theory Masters of China. In 256 av. J. - C. the latter were deposited, regulating the problem definitively. This action was a clear message of Qin towards the six other kingdoms: Qin intended to direct the whole of China.

Formation of the Empire

The year 256 av. J. - C. mark the beginning of the end of the period of the Kingdoms combatants, because she saw the arrival on the throne of Qin of a 13 year old boy named Zheng. Sixteen years later Zheng was to begin the final and epic fight for supremacy ending in a total attack against the State from Han.

The colossal army of Qin comes easily to end from Han; Qin turns then to Zhao, whose army had been put in rout at Chengping a few thirteen years earlier. The Zhao falls in 228 av. J. - C., then quickly the Wei follows. At this time it seemed extremely probable that the final victory of Qin was close. However nothing was certain because the Chu was drawn up in front of Qin.

At this time, which was to remain as both plus large armies of the history until the French revolution engaged the battle for the control of China. In 223 av. J. - C. the victory of Qin becomes inevitable, with the conquest of the Chu.

What did not follow was not any more but one simple operation of cleaning . A a few month campaign in Yan allowed the annexation of its State. Only IQ remained but, realizing that its situation was intolerable, returned the weapons without fighting. In 221 av. J. - C., one of the most important years of the long story of China, king Zheng of Qin declared not only main of China, but so taken the title without precedent (with share the legend of the Yellow Empereur and other mythical characters) of emperor of China. It thus changed name to become Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor and ordered that all the leaders of its dynasty make the same thing.

Big events

557 av. J. - C. the Jin dominates Qin.
361 av. J. - C. the Duc Xiao reaches the throne. Shang Yang arrives of the Wei.
356 av. J. - C. Shang Yang sets up its first whole of reform of the State.
350 av. J. - C. Shang Yang sets up its second whole of reform of the State.
338 av. J. - C. the Duke Xiao dies, king Huiwen reaches the throne and Shang Yang is carried out.
316 av. J. - C. Qin conquers the area of the Shu.
293 av. J. - C. Qin beats the united forces of the Wei and the Han during the Bataille of Yique.
260 av. J. - C. Qin comes to end from the troops from the Zhao to the Bataille from Changping.
256 av. J. - C. Qin conquers the old kingdoms of Zhou.
247 av. J. - C. Zheng, known later under the name of Qin Shi Huangdi, reaches the throne.
230 av. J. - C. Qin conquers the Han.
228 av. J. - C. Qin conquers the Zhao, capturing king Qian of Zhao.
225 av. J. - C. Qin conquers the Wei.
223 av. J. - C. Qin conquers the Chu
222 av. J. - C. Qin conquers the Yan and captures king Jia of Dai (half-brother of king Qian of Zhao) which had directed the last forces of Zhao.
221 av. J. - C. Qin conquers IQ, supplementing the unification of China, and introducing the Dynastie Qin. The king of Qing becomes the first emperor of China and is known under the name of Qin Shi Huangdi.

Leaders

The dates of reigns are those provided by Sima Qian, in the tables of the Shiji (chapters 14 and 15). Other texts, or chapters different from the Shiji give slightly different dates. The beginning of each reign is the year of died of the preceding sovereign, that is to say the year which precedes the first year indicated in the chronicles.

Qin Zhong (秦仲), reigned of -845 with -822: back grandson of Feizi
Duke Zhuang (莊公), reigned of -822 with -778: Ying Ye (也), wire of Qin Zhong
Duke Xiang (襄公), reigned of -778 with -766: wire of the Duke Zhuang
Duke Wen (文公), reigned of -766 with -716
Duc Ning (寧公), reigned of -716 with -704
Prince Chu (出子), reigned of -704 with -698, usurper, it does not receive the posthumous title of duke
Duc Wu (武公), reigned of -698 with -678
Duc Of (德公), reigned of -678 with -676
Duc Xuan (宣公), reigned of -676 with -664
Duc Cheng (成公), reigned of -664 with -660
Driven Duke (穆公), reigned of -660 with -621
Duc Kang (康公): Ying Ying (罃), reigned of -621 with -609
Duc Gong (共公): Ying Yong (稻), reigned of -609 with -604
Duc Huan (桓公): Ying Rong (榮), reigned of -604 with -577
Duc Jing (景公): Ying Hou (後), reigned of -577 with -537
Duc Have (哀公), reigned of -537 with -501
Duc Today (惠公), reigned of -501 with -491
Duc CAD (悼公), reigned of -491 with -477
Duc Li (厲公) or Ligong (厲共公): Ying Ci (刺), reigned of -477 with -443
Duc Zao (躁公), reigned of -443 with -429
Duc Hooted (懷公), reigned of -429 with -425
Duc Ling (靈公): Known Ying (肅), reigned of -425 with -415
Duc Jian (簡公): Ying Daozi (悼子), reigned of -415 with -400
Duc Today II (惠公), reigned of -400 with -387
Duc Chu (出公), reigned of -387 with -385
Duc Xian (獻公): Ying Shiti (師隰), reigned of -385 with -362
Duc Xiao (孝公), reigned of -362 with -338
King Huiwen (惠文王), reigned of -338 with -311, also known under the name of King Hui (惠王): Ying If (駟), takes the title of king in -325
King Wu (武王), reigned of -311 with -307: Ying Dang (蕩)
King Zhaoxiang (昭襄王), reigned of -307 with -251, also known under the name of King Zhao: Ying Ze (则) or Ying Ji (稷)
King Xiaowen (孝文王), reigned of -251 with -250: Ying Zhu (柱)
King Zhuangxiang (荘襄王), reigned of -250 with -247: Ying Zichu (子楚)
Qin Shi Huangdi (秦始皇), reigned of -247 with -210 (as king de Qin (秦王) until -221, like First Emperor (始皇帝) starting from -221): Ying Zheng (政)
Qin er Shi, reigned of -210 with -207: Ying Huhai (胡亥)
Ziying (子嬰), reigned of mid-October with the beginning of December of the year -207

Random links: