The next dynasty, Qin (from where we get the word “China”), was
very brief but decisive for history because of the use of cavalry
and the crossbow and bringing freed peasants into the army. This
was the fi rst true Chinese empire, replacing local warlords with
bureaucrats, which is a crucial feature of Chinese cuisine. The Qin
dynasty lasted only from 221 to 207 B.C., but it introduced a form
of government that lasted until the 20th century.
The most important ruler of this period was Shihuangdi. During
this period, 1,400 miles’ worth of scattered, old defensive walls
were linked up to form the Great Wall, the only manmade structure
visible from space. A huge palace complex was built with 700,000
workers forced into labor; weights, measures, and coinage
were all standardized; and many roads and canals were built.
All of this tends to unify China in one culinary culture, despite
regional differences.
The Qin dynasty collapsed just a few years after Shihuangdi’s
death, but the Han dynasty (from about 202 B.C. to 220 A.D., with
one interruption) adopted many of his principles and extended
the empire. The Han dynasty was a period of long-lasting peace,
roughly coterminous with the Pax Romana. Confucian doctrine
became state policy.
China on the whole was probably the most urbanized civilization
on Earth by this time, which meant that an extraordinary level of
organization was required to feed these cities. The state adopted a
rigorous agricultural policy and what has been called the world’s
fi rst green revolution, which involved intense agriculture and
increased yields.
The technological advances of this era are staggering. In terms of
material culture, the Chinese had the most advanced arts of the
ancient world, including the art of cookery. There were new food
technology (including the production of fermented soy products),
new pickling techniques, new noodle technology, and improved
brewing techniques.