Emperor Qin and the Great Wall Quiz

Who wrote Source 1 and when was it likely written?

• A modern historian or textbook author, likely in the 20th or 21st century

• Sima Qian, 94 BCE

What does Source 1 say about Emperor Qin?

• Describes Qin as a powerful but harsh ruler who unified China and introduced reforms

• Portrays Qin as a cruel and feared ruler

Do you think Source 1 may be biased and why?

• Possibly, but less so because modern historians use multiple sources and try to be objective

• Yes, because Sima Qian wrote during the Han Dynasty

Who wrote Source 2 and when?

• Sima Qian, 94 BCE

• A modern historian or textbook author, likely in the 20th or 21st century

What does Source 2 say about Emperor Qin?

• Portrays Qin as a cruel and feared ruler

• Describes Qin as a powerful but harsh ruler who unified China and introduced reforms

Do you think Source 2 may be biased and why?

• Yes, because Sima Qian wrote during the Han Dynasty, which replaced the Qin

• Possibly, but less so because modern historians use multiple sources and try to be objective

Why were the separate walls originally built?

• To defend individual states from attacks by northern tribes

• To unify China under one rule

How did these become the Great Wall?

• Qin Shihuang joined the walls together to form a single defence line for the unified empire

• They were built by the Han Dynasty

What evidence do we have that many may have died during the construction?

• Historical records mention harsh labour and mass deaths; archaeologists have found graves along the wall

• There are no records of deaths during construction

Was the Great Wall effective in stopping northern invaders?

• Only partially; it slowed down invaders but didn’t stop all attacks

• Yes, it completely stopped all invasions