Video · 1:24
How did seven ancient kingdoms become one China?
Seven ancient kingdoms became one China when Ying Zheng, the King of Qin, conquered the rival states between 230 BC and 221 BC. After taking the name Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor brought the land together under shared rules. He cleared away old confusion by creating one common bronze coin, matching weights, standard writing on bamboo slips, and even identical cart sizes.
Watch on YouTube ↗Key facts
- The army of Qin conquered the state of Han first and the state of Qi last.
- The new unified coin was a round bronze piece with a square hole called the banliang.
- Wooden carts were made the exact same size so their wheels fit into the tracks of new roads.
- The Qin dynasty lasted only 15 years, but it shaped China for thousands of years.
Questions people also ask
Who was the First Emperor of China?
Ying Zheng, the King of Qin, became the First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, after conquering the warring states.
What was the banliang?
The banliang was a round bronze coin with a square hole that replaced the different types of money across the land.
Why were cart sizes standardized in ancient China?
All wooden carts were made the exact same size so their wheels could fit smoothly into the tracks on the new roads.
What the video says
Ancient China was split into seven warring states long ago. People used different money, words, and weights.
Ying Zheng, King of Qin, changed everything in 230 BC. His army moved east. They conquered the state of Han first.
The last state, Qi, fell in 221 BC. Ying Zheng finally united the land. He became the First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang.
The new emperor stopped the old confusion. He made one new coin called the banliang. It was round bronze with a square hole.
How do you make things fair? He made all weights the same. Everyone also had to write the same way on bamboo slips.
Even the wooden carts had to be the exact same size. Their wheels fit perfectly into the smooth tracks on the new roads.
The emperor joined older walls in the north into one giant wall. Everyone across the land finally shared the same rules.
The Qin dynasty lasted only 15 years, but it shaped China for thousands of years.
