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FIND OUT MORE. Imperial China 393 • Revolutionary China 429

China’s First Empire

China was a collection of kingdoms ruled by rival

dynasties (powerful families) until 221 BCE, when one king

conquered the others and became the first emperor.

The name “China” comes from his title, Qin Shi

Huangdi, which means “first emperor of Qin”.

HOW DID THE FIRST EMPEROR UNITE CHINA?

Qin Shi Huangdi defeated his rivals and united China

with the help of armies of soldiers like the

. TERRACOTTA WARRIORS who guard his tomb.
China was also united by new laws enforcing the
same system of writing, weighing, and measuring.

WHAT WAS CHINA’S BEST–KEPT SECRET?

Around 2500 BCE, Chinese farmers discovered how to

rear silkworms and unwind the fine thread of their

cocoons. Women wove the thread into shimmering

fabric, and coloured it with brilliant dyes. To preserve

the value of silk, the Chinese government tried to

keep the processes involved in making it a secret.

HOW DID CHINA FEED ITS PEOPLE?

In north China, farmers cut terraces on steep hillsides,

to grow millet and wheat. In south China, they dug

irrigation ditches and invented machines to carry

water from rivers, to grow rice in flooded fields.

By 2 CE, the Chinese population numbered 57 million.

WHY WERE THE WARRIORS MADE?

The terracotta warriors were designed to guard the

emperor’s body, and serve his spirit in life after

death. The tomb entrance was defended by

crossbows, set to fire automatically if

robbers broke in. The Chinese buried all

important people with food and drink,

and killed servants to care for them.

1 BURIAL BANNER

This silk banner is from the tomb

of Lady Dai of the Han dynasty,

who died around 160 BCE. It is said

to show her journey to heaven.

1 MODEL RIVER BOAT

This earthenware model of a sampan (river boat) is an artefact from an

ancient Chinese tomb. For centuries, boats like this travelled along

China’s two great natural waterways, the Yellow and Yangtze rivers.

1 TERRACOTTA GUARDS

Each clay soldier guarding Qin Shi Huangdi’s tomb has an individual

face, possibly copied from real members of the emperor’s army. They all

stand facing east in 11 rows, stretching for more than 200 m (656 ft).

1 STANDARD WEIGHT

Weights like this were used by

officials in the vast civil service

set up by the Han dynasty, which

ruled China after the Qin dynasty.

4 FUNERAL SUIT

A princess of the Han dynasty

was buried in this suit, which

took 10 years to make. Jade

was thought to have magical

qualities that would preserve

bodies after death.

Real gold wire

joined the jade

pieces together

Over 2,000

pieces of

precious jade

Jade is
carefully cut
so pieces fit
together

TERRACOTTA WARRIORS

When Qin Shi Huangdi died in 210 BCE, his

body was buried with over 7,000 life-size

warriors made of terracotta (baked clay).

There were also foot-soldiers, horses,

and chariots. The underground tomb took

700,000 slave labourers many years to build.

China’s first

empire