Introduction to Shi Huangdi

Introduction to Shi Huangdi

Ancient China

• The Warring States period (475- 221 BCE) was a time when China was divided between seven major states.

• The states were fighting one another for power. 

Multiple Choice

When was the Warring States Period?

• 475- 221 BCE

• 475- 221 CE

• 1475- 1221 BCE

Warring State Period Ends

• The Warring States period ended when Shi Huangdi and his army defeated the other states.

Multiple Choice

Whose army won and defeated all the other states?

• Mulan

• Shi Huangdi

• Confucius

Unified China

• Shi Huangdi unified the people of China under the Qin Dynasty.

Multiple Choice

What was the name of Shi Huangdi's Dynasty?

• Han

• Ming

• Qin

Legalism

• Shi Huangdi followed a philosophy called Legalism. 

• People who follow Legalism are called Legalist.

Multiple Choice

What is the name of the philosophy Shi Huangdi followed?

• Confucianism

• Legalism

• Buddhism

Legalism Ideas

• Legalist believed that humans are essentially bad and selfish, so a ruler has to enforce strict laws with harsh punishments to create order. 

Multiple Choice

How do emperors who believe in Legalism treat their people?

• Nicely

• Fairly

• Harshly

What can we learn about Shi Huangdi from artifacts?

Artifact 1: Terracotta Army

• In 1974, workers digging a well outside of the city of Xi’an in China uncovered the burial chamber of the Qin Dynasty emperor, Shi Huangdi. (burial chamber = cámara funeraria)

Multiple Choice

What did workers discover in 1974?

• Burial Chamber

• Pyramid

• Dragon Bones

The Burial Chamber

•  The burial chamber is 19 square miles and mirrors the plan for the capital of the Qin government, Xioanyan.

• The burial city is guarded by over 7,000 unique terracotta soldiers that are 6 feet tall and weigh between 300 and 400 pounds each.

• The burial chamber, clay soldiers, horses, and other figures was made to go with Shi Huangdi into the afterlife but they were made when he was still alive.

Multiple Choice

When was the burial chamber and terracotta statues made?

• When Shi Huangdi was still alive

• After Shi Huangdi died

The Great Wall of China

• After ending the Warring States Period and unifying China, Shi Huangdi wanted the walls on China’s northern border to be made into a single wall.

• This wall would protect the empire from attacks from the north.

Multiple Choice

Who was the Great Wall of China protecting people from?

• People from the South

• People from the East

• People from the North

Construction Workers

• During the Qin Dynasty, the labor force that built the Great Wall was mostly soldiers and convicts.

• It is estimated that as many as 400,000 people died during the wall’s construction and many of them were buried within the wall itself.

Multiple Choice

Was working on the wall a safe and good job that many people wanted?

• Yes

• No