UNIFYING CHINA

Even as late as the mid-third century BC, it would not have been obvious that the multistate system of the Yellow and Yangzi River valleys would come to an end in a matter of decades. For centuries, the Central States (zhongguo) of what is now China had engaged in a fluid system of shifting wars and alliances, determined to maintain the balance of power. The seven great powers – Chu, Han, Qi, Qin, Wei, Yan, and Zhao – rose and fell and rose again in turn as they forged coalitions to check one another's ambitions.

By William Matthews

In 230 BC, upsetting the political equilibrium of the Central States, Qin conquered Han. Three years later, Qin conquered Wei. One by one, the other states fell to Qin, until in 221 BC, Qi, Qin's last remaining rival, surrendered. For the first time in history, the Central States were united under a single empire. What enabled Qin to break the cycle of the balance of power and emerge victorious? No single factor explains the successes of Qin's conquests, but the answer lies in a combination of transformative state reforms, exploitation of military developments, and shrewd realpolitik. Qin and the Warring States Period By the third century BC, 800 years had passed since the first historical Chinese dynasty, the Shang, was conquered by the Zhou. The Zhou state ruled through the enfeoffment of…

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Ancient Warfare (Digital) - 1 Issue, AW XVI.5

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