Author: Yoon-Ngan CHUNG
Date: 01-16-04 18:26
From the State of Qin to the Qin Dynasty
由秦國至秦朝
From the inception of the State of Qin to the end of the Qin Dynasty. That covered the period 897BC to 207BC
In around 2275BC, Bo Yi (伯益), a descendant of Huang Di (黃帝) or the Yellow Emperor, was ordered by Yao Di (堯帝), who was a legendary chief of the federated tribes in ancient China, to help Si Wenming (姒文命 who later became Yu Di 禹帝) to dredge the rivers because all the rivers in the land overflowed their banks after extended period of rain. The whole inhabited land was flooded. Chinese historians referred to this phenomenon as "The Deluge 大洪水".
After thirteen years of hard work, the rivers were tamed and the water flowed smoothly to the sea. Bo Yi was rewarded with the authority to establish a settlement in the extreme northwest, in the region between the two rivers of Wei (渭) and Qian (千) (the present day western part of Shaanxi province 陜西省). Yao Di also bestowed upon him a surname called Ying (嬴).
During the Zhou Dynasty (周朝 1134BC to 256BC), in 897BC, Zhou King Xiao Ji Bifang (周孝王姬辟方 909BC to 895BC), the 8th ruler, appointed Ying Feizi (嬴非子), a descendant of Bo Yi, to breed stud-horses in a place called Yao Lin ( 姚林 located in present day Hua Xian 華縣 of Shaanxi province). Ying Feizi excelled himself as a stud-horses breeder. In appreciation Zhou King Xiao appointed him the administrator of a place called Qin Gu (秦谷 in the present day southwest of Tian Shui 天水 city in Gansu province).
In 777BC, Zhou King You Ji Gongnie (周幽王姬宮涅 781BC to 771BC), 13th ruler honoured Ying Kai (嬴開), a descendant of Ying Feizi, the hereditary title of Bo (伯) or Count and renamed the region the State of Qin (秦國). Ying Kai was then known as Qin Bo (秦伯) or the Count of Qin.
In 771BC Quan Rong (犬戎), a nomadic tribe from the northwest, attacked, occupied and destroyed the Zhou capital of Hao ( 鎬 present day Xi An 西安 city in Shaanxi province). Zhou King You was killed in the turmoil and the crown prince, Ji Yijiu (姬宜臼), requested help from many vassal States, including the State of Qin, to help him to expel the Quan Rong from the capital. The ruler of Qin, Ying Kai, led an army to assist the crown prince. The allied forces of many vassal States drove the Quan Rong out of the capital and pushed them back to the northwest desert where they belonged.
Crown prince, Ji Yijiu, was installed Zhou King Ping (周平王 770BC to 720BC). In appreciation of what Ying Kai did Zhou King Ping upgraded the title of the ruler of Qin from Bo (伯) to Hou (侯) or Marquis. Zhou King Ping also rewarded Ying Kai with full authority to expand his domain in the Northwest.
Since the capital of Hao was razed to the ground by the Quan Rong, Zhou King Ping shifted his capital to Cheng Zhou (成周 present day Luo Yang 洛陽 city in Henan province 河南省). Chinese historians referred to this move as the beginning of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (東周朝)
Within three years Ying Kai expanded the territory of his domain by fourfold and became a powerful State. Ying Kai established his capital in the present day Feng Xiang Xian (鳳翔縣) in Shaanxi province.
During the periods of Spring and Autumn (春秋時代 722BC to 481BC) and Warring States (戰國時間 453BC to 221BC) Qin conquered and annexed many States, becoming the most powerful State in the land.
In 246BC Ying Zheng (嬴政) was installed the 37th ruler of the State of Qin. Ying Zheng was a very intelligent, clever and capable man, however he was also a despotic ruthless ruler. He had a vision that one day he would conquer all the other States in the land and build a big empire. He accomplished his vision in 221BC after he had subjugated all the other States. He established the Qin Dynasty ( 秦朝221BC to 207BC). Ying Zheng did not want to be called the Wang (王) or King but adopted the title of Huang Di (皇帝) or Emperor. He titled himself the Qin Shi Huang Di (秦始皇帝) or The First Emperor of a thousand Emperors of Qin and moved his capital to Xian Yang (咸陽 located in the present day northeast of Xi An city in Shaanxi province). Ying Zheng thought that his empire could last thousands of years.
The First Emperor divided his empire into 36 Jun (郡) and later increased to 41. He was responsible for standardizing weights and measures, the coinage and even the axle lenghts of the wagons. He also standardized the way Chinese characters. It was during his reign that one of his generals called Meng Tian (蒙恬) invented writing the Chinese words with a brush made of goat hair. The First Emperor also embarked on constructing the Great Wall. He was both extravagant and repressive to his subjects. The construction of the Great Wall and building roads, cannals and palaces exhausted the resources of the empire. In the process he had also overstrained the peasants masses.
In 210BC, while on a tour of the Eastern part of his vast empire, the First Emperor died there from a severe asthma attack in the city of Sha Qiu (沙丘 in the northeast of present day Ping Xiang 平鄉 ccounty in Heibei province 河北省). His second son Ying Huhai (嬴胡亥), the Prime Minister Li Si (李斯) and the chief eunuch Zhao Gao (趙高) were with him when he died.
The city of Sha Qiu was more than 1,000 kilometers to the east of the Qin capital, Xian Yang. The Crown Prince, Ying Fusu (嬴扶蘇), was then in the north and far away from the capital. He was sent there by his father to help supervise the construction of the Great Wall. Ying Fusu was the son-in-law of the Prime Minister Li Si.
Under the will made by the First Emperor, the Crown Prince, Ying Fusu should become the next Emperor. However, the trio of Ying Huhai, Li Si and Zhao Gao destroyed the original and forged two new wills in its place. One pronounced Ying Huhai as the successor and the other ordered Ying Fusu the Crown Prince to take his own life. On the way back to the Xian Yang, the death of the First Emperor was concealed from the people and the Emperor's corpse was convered with salted fish to disguised its odour.
On his arrival back in the capital, Ying Huhai was officially crowned the Second Emperor of Qin (秦二皇帝) However, he proved to be stupid and idiotic. Li Si, the Prime Minister lost favour with the Second Emperor and the executive power gradually shifted to Zhao Gao, the chief eunuch.
The vast majority of people suffered greatly under the rigid and severe rule of the Qin government. Riots erupted throughout the empire, soldiers mutinied and the people were in open revolt.
The Prime Minister, Li Si, could not prevent the riots from spreading. Zhao Gao took the opportunity to get rid of the Prime Minister by accused him of cooperating with the rebels and trying to overthrow the government. Li Si was arrested, charged with high treason and executed along with his whole family.
The chief eunuch became the new Prime Minister and immediately harboured intentions of eliminating the Second Emperor too. However, he was unsured of the support of the Court Officials. In order to find out who were his supporters. One day, Zhao Gao took a deer to the Court. In front of all the officials he led the deer and gave it to the Second Emperor saying:
"This is the best horse in the land. It is for you, your majesty".
The Second Emperor thought he was joking and laughingly replied:
"丞相誤邪﹖謂鹿為馬."
"You must be joking, Prime Minister. It is not a horse. It is a deer".
However, Zhao Gao was serious and said that it was a horse. The Second Emperor was also obstinate and insisted that it was a deer. They argued and argued at length but neither party would give in.
Finally, they agreed that they should ask the opinions of Court Officials. Many of them were afraid of the powerful Zhao Gao as he was considered the man who was more powerful than the Emperor. Those who were scared of Zhao Gao said that it was a horse. Only a handful of Court Officials were honest and said it was a deer. Eventually the pretending horse won the day.
In 207BC Zhao Gao had the Second Emperor murdered and eliminated those officials who sided with the Emperor in the debate about the deer. The eldest son, Ying Ziying (嬴子嬰), of the late crown prince Ying Fu Su was crowned the King of Qin (秦王), and not the Emperor of Qin (秦皇帝). Fearing that Zhao Gao might murder him too, the new King had Zhao Gao executed.
In 207BC Liu Bang (劉邦) led a large armed force and occupied Xian Yang, the capital of the Qin Empire. Ying Ziying, the newly installed King of Qin, surrendered to Liu Bang. That was the end of the Qin Dynasty.
===================================================
The chronology and inception of the State of Qin
(秦國 897BC to 221BC) to the end of Qin Dynasty
(秦朝 221BC to 206BC).Ying (嬴) was the surname
of all the rulers of the State of Qin and the Qin Dynasty.
Name===============Title=============Period
(01) Fei Zi (非子)=====no title========== =897BC to ?
(02) Chen (成)=======no title============not recorded
(03) Gong Bo (公伯)===no title============not recorded
(04) Qin Zhong (秦仲)==no title============844BC to 822BC
(05) Qin Zhuang (秦莊)=Zhuang Gong (莊公)==821BC to 778BC
(06) Kai (開)=========Xiang Gong (襄公)===777BC to 766BC
(07) Not Recorded====Wen Gong (文公)====765BC to 716BC
(08) Jing (靜)========Ning Gong (寧公)====715BC to 704BC
(09) Chu Zi (出子)====Chu Gong (出公)=====703BC to 698BC
(10) Not Recorded====Wu Gong (武公)=====697BC to 678BC
(11) Not Recorded====De Gong (德公)=====677BC to 676BC
(12) Not Recorded====Xuan Gong (宣公)===675BC to 664BC
(13) Not Recorded====Cheng Gong (成公)==663BC to 660BC
(14) Ren Hao (任好)===Mu Gong (穆公)=====659BC to 621BC
(15) Ying (罃)========Kang Gong (康公)====620BC to 609BC
(16) Dao (稻)========Gong Gong (共公)====608BC to 604BC
(17) Rong (榮)=======Huan Gong (桓公)====603BC to 577BC
(18) Che (車)========Jing Gong (景公)=====576BC to 537BC
(19) Not Recorded====Ai Gong (哀公)======536BC to 501BC
(20) Not Recorded====Hui Gong (惠公)=====500BC to 492BC
(21) Not Recorded====Dao Gong (悼公)====491BC to 477BC
(22) Not Recorded==Li Gong Gong (厲共公)=476BC to 443BC
(23) Not Recorded====Zao Gong (躁公)====442BC to 429BC
(24) Not Recorded====Huai Gong (懷公)====428BC to 425BC
(25) Shi Xi (師隰)=====Ling Gong (靈公)====424BC to 406BC
(26) Not Recorded====Jian Gong (簡公)====405BC to 405BC
(27) Not Recorded====Jing Gong (敬公)====404BC to 400BC
(28) Not Recorded====Hui Gong (惠公)=====399BC to 389BC
(29) Chu Zi (出子)=====Chu Zi (出子)=======388BC to 385BC
(30) Not Recorded====Xian Gong (獻公)====384BC to 362BC
(31) Qu Liang (渠梁)===Xiao Gong (孝公)====361BC to 338BC
(32) Si (駟)========Hui Wen Wang (惠文王)=337BC to 311BC
(33) Dang (蕩)========Wu Wang (武王)====310BC to 307BC
(34) Ji (稷)======Zhao Xiang Wang (昭襄王)=306BC to 251BC
(35) Zhu (柱)======Xiao Wen Wang (孝文王)=250BC to 250BC
(36) Zi Chu (子楚)=Zhuang Xiang Wang (莊襄王)=250BC to 247BC
(37) Zheng (政)===Qin Wang Zheng (秦王政)====246BC to 221BC
Qin Dynasty (秦朝 221BC to 207BC) Zheng established the Qin Dynasty
(221BC to207BC) and proclaimed that he was the first Emperor.
(1) Zheng (政)====Shi Huang Di (始皇帝)======220BC to 210BC
(2) Hu Hai (胡亥)==Er Huang Di (二皇帝)=======209BC to 207BC
(3) Zi Ying (子嬰)==Qin Wang (秦王)===========206BC to 206BC
Ying Zheng (嬴政), The First Emperor divided the Qin Empire (秦帝國) into 36 Prefectures (郡) and later increased to 41. Ying Zheng centralized his empire. No more vassal States, no delegation to relatives, generals, officials and some others to rule on the ruler's behalf. He was the Emperor and all authorities, power and major decisions making controlled by him. Thus it was the beginning of a new administration system, Centralized Government which continued for more than 2,000 years until the 20th century. The followings are the 41 Prefectures:
(01) Interior Jun (內史郡)=======
Xian Yang, Qin Capital (咸陽首都)
(02) Shang Jun (上郡)===================
Sui De Xian, Shaanxi province (綏德縣﹐陜西省)
(03) Bei Jun (北郡)=================
Ning Xian, Gansu province (寧縣﹐甘肅省)
(04) Long Xi Jun (隴西郡)================
Lin Yao Xian, Gansu Province (臨洮縣﹐甘肅省)
(05) Han Zhong Jun (漢中郡)====================
South of Zheng Xian, Shaanxi province (南鄭縣﹐陜西省)
(06) Shu Jun (蜀郡)========================
Cheng Du City, Sichuan province (成都市﹐四川省)
(07) Ba Jun (巴郡)=========================
Zhong Qing City, Sichuan province (重慶市﹐四川省)
(08) He Dong Jun (河東郡)===========
Xia Xian, Shanxi province (夏縣﹐山西省)
(09) Shang Dang Jun (上黨郡)==============
Chang Zi Xian, Shanxi province (長子縣﹐山西省)
(10) Tai Yuan Jun (太原郡)==============
Tai Yuan Xian, Shanxi province (太原縣﹐山西省)
(11) Yan Men Jun (雁門郡)===============
You Yu Xian, Shanxi province (右玉縣﹐山西省)
(12) Jiu Yuan Jun (九原郡)=============
Bao Tou City, Sui Yuan (old name) province (包頭市﹐,綏遠省舊名)
(13) Yun Zhong Jun (雲中郡)===============
Tuo Ke Tuo Xian, Sui Yuan (old name) province (托克托縣﹐綏遠省舊名)
(14) Dai Jun (代郡)==========================
Wei Xian, Hebei province (蔚縣﹐河北省)
(15) Qian Zhong Jun (黔中郡)===============
Yuan Ling Xian, Hunan province (沅陵縣﹐湖南省)
(16) Xiang Jun (象郡)==================
He Nei City, Vietnam (河內市﹐越南)
(17) Shang Gu Jun (上谷郡)============
Huai Lai Xian, Hebei province (懷來縣﹐河北省)
(18) Yu Yang Jun (漁陽郡)===============
Mi Yun Xian, Hebei province (密雲縣﹐河北省)
(19) You Bei Ping Jun (右北平郡)=====
Ping Quan Xian Re He (平泉縣﹐熱河)
(20) Liao Dong Jun (遼東郡)===========
Liao Yang Xian, Liaoning province (遼陽郡﹐遼寧省)
(21) Liao Xi Jun (遼西郡)============
Yi Xian Liaoning province (義縣﹐遼寧省)
(22) Ju Lu Jun (鉅鹿郡)====================
Ping Xiang Xian, Hebei province (平鄉縣﹐河北省)
(23) Han Dan Jun (邯鄲郡)===============
Han Dan Xian, Hebei province (邯鄲縣﹐河北省)
(24) Dong Jun (東郡)================
Pu Yang Xian, Hebei province (濮陽縣﹐河北省)
(25) Lang Ye Jun (瑯琊郡)===================
Zhu Cheng Xian, Shandong province (諸城縣﹐山東省)
(26) Si Shui Jun (泗水郡)==============
Pei Xian, Jiangsu province (沛縣﹐江蘇省)
(27) Jiu Jiang Jun (九江郡)===========
Shou Xian Anhui province (壽縣﹐安徽省)
(28) Min Zhong Jun (閩中郡)==========
Fu Zhou City, Fujian province (福州市﹐ 福建省)
(29) Nan Hai Jun (南海郡)======================
Guang Zhou City, Guangdong province (廣州市﹐ 廣東省)
(30) Qi Jun (齊郡)========================
Lin Zi Xian, Shandong province (臨淄縣﹐山東省)
(31) Xue Jun (薛郡)=========================
Teng Xian, Shandong province (滕縣﹐山東省)
(32) Dang Jun (碭郡)========================
Dang Shan Xian, Jiangsu province (碭山縣﹐ 江蘇省)
(33) Qi Jun (蘄郡)=================
Su Xian, Anhui province (宿縣﹐安徽省)
(34) San Chuan Jun (三川郡)=============
Luo Yang City, Henan province (洛陽市﹐河南省)
(35) Ying Chuan Jun (潁川郡)========
Yu Xian, Henan province (禹縣﹐河南省)
(36) Nan Yang Jun (南陽郡)=================
Nan Yang Xian, Henan province (南陽縣﹐河南省)
(37) Nan Jun (南郡)=======================
Jiang Ling Xian, Hubei province (江陵縣﹐湖北省)
(38) Hui Ji Jun (會稽郡)===============
Wu Xian, Jiangsu province (吳縣﹐江蘇省)
(39) Zhang Jun (鄣郡)========================
Chang Xing Xian, Zhejiang province (長興縣﹐浙江省)
(40) Chang Sha Jun (長沙郡)================
Chang Sha Xian, Hunan province (長沙縣﹐湖南省)
(41) Gui Lin Jun (桂林郡)===================
Gui Lin Xian, Guangxi province (桂林縣﹐廣西省)
===========================================
CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 17012004
Yoon-Ngan CHUNG
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