Qin Shi Huang unifies China
One state conquers the rest and standardises everything by decree.
- When
- —
- Duration
- 11 years
- Known to
- ± 1 year
- Era
- Classical, Holocene
The state of Qin defeats the last of its rivals in 221 BCE, and its king declares himself First Emperor. He abolishes the old aristocratic states, imposes a single script, currency, legal code and axle width, connects existing frontier walls, and — on Legalist advice — orders the burning of books that could be used to criticise the present with the past. The dynasty lasts fifteen years. The unified state it created has been the default ever since.