Qin Dynasty and Legalism

Qin Dynasty and Legalism

By Andrew Porter

• The Warring States period ​(476 - 221 BCE) ended with the Qin State creating the first Chinese Empire

• In order to keep it from falling apart​, Emperor Qin enacted a policy of Legalism

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Warring States

Strict obedience to the law enforced by harsh punishments for even small crimes

Our Definition

​Emperor Qin believed that giving people too much freedom caused the Warring States

Why?

Legalism

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Multiple Choice

What policy did the Qin Dynasty enforce?

• Legalism

• Taoism

• Confucianism

• Democracy

Organization

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Anyone working for the Emperor had to prove themselves through the Civil Service Exam. This was known as a meritocracy because jobs were given based on knowledge and skill, not friendships

​Meritocracy

Emperor Qin made it so ultimate power was given to the Emperor and only the Emperor

He then would hire people to work for him and this is known as a bureaucracy

Autocracy

Multiple Choice

Fact or Cap: Emperor Qin wanted his workers to prove they could do the job

• Fact

• Cap

• The Qin Dynasty only lasted 15 years

• It's impact would last 2,000 as Autocracy and Meritocracy became standard in Chinese Dynasties

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​Legacy

Multiple Choice

How long did the Qin Dynasty last?

• 15 Years

• 5 Years

• 10 Years

• 20 Years

Achievements

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• Meritocracy would continue to define Chinese government to the modern day

• Autocratic rule would be the norm until 1920 CE​

Government

• The Qin Dynasty uniformed Chinese writing into one system

• This is the same system used today​

Writing​

Achievements (cont.)

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• Killed scholars and followers of Confucius

• Limited thinking opposed to his

• Burned books that went against his teachings​

​Negatives

• Emperor Qin began construction of the Great Wall

• He had the Terra Cotta army built to defend him in the afterlife

Architecture

Open Ended

Overall, do you think the Qin Dynasty helped or hurt China and the Chinese people?

Explain your reasoning