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Geography helped Shihuangdi (Ying Zheng) and his armies hold power because the Qin region was
protected by the Qinling Mountains on one side and the Huang He on the other. Shihuangdi was in the middle so his soldiers
could protect the empire. Good thinking Ying!
(A relaxed giant panda in the Qinling Mountains of Sichuan, China)
*Learn more about the type of forest
the giant panda (above) is located in :
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/ne_asian_decid_forest.htm
Shihuangdi's empire was more organized that the Shang kingdom for many reasons! Shihuangdi divided his
empire into 36 provinces (states), with a governor for each province, not a ruler for each town, as the Shang had done.
 (Above-Shihuangdi)
Shihuangdi standardized measurement and money and that encouraged trade throughout the empire!
However, people began criticizing the empire because Shihuangdi asked for too much out of his people. By the time they
were done doing what he asked, they barely had enough time or energy to grow crops to survive.
Money Facts:
Before Shihuangdi took over, each state in China had its own system of money. Shihuangdi standardized money
by setting up a decimal system based on units called the sheng, dou, and tong.
Ten sheng=1
dou Ten dou=1 tong
Shihuangdi came up with his own idea for money with only 2 kinds of coins:
1. a gold coin called a yi
(worth more)
2. a copper coin called a tael
 (a Qin dynasty coin)
Great Facts:
The Great Wall of China is often called the 8th Wonder of
the World. The Great Wall can be seen with imaging radar placed in outer space!
Shihuangdi believed in legalism. Legalism was a philosophy of government that emphasized strong government,
strict laws, and they didn't play with the enforcement of the laws if they were broken!
The Han dynasty
kept many of Shihuangdi's policies in place because it simply made sense for them to keep things going as they were.
Rulers had power and control! It was easy for the Han to govern the country if they followed the way of Shihuangdi.
Shihuangdi created a lasting legacy by setting up an awesome government and standardizing money, weights and
measures. Shihuangdi influenced China for centuries.
Shihuangdi (above)wanted 8,000 clay soldiers and horses to be placed in his tomb to have an army protect him in
the afterlife!
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