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The University High School Band
The History and Theory of Music

The Qin Dynasty

The Great Wall of China

For two and a half centuries, China had been divided into rival factions known as the "Warring States." In the wake of the Zhou Dynasty's collapse, the Qin, Han, Wei, Chu, Zhao, Yan, and Qi states all emerged as independent kingdoms struggling against one another for dominance.

In 230 BC, Qin Wang Zheng (King Zheng of Qin) conquered the Han State, along with the Wei State five years later. For the rest of the decade, the Chu, Zhao, and Yan put up fierce resistance but the Qin emerged victorious. The King of Qi surrendered in 221 BC without a fight. King Zheng then became known as Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China.

Qin Shi Huang centralized the government of the country and initiated many reforms. He ordered a massive book burning and executed many scholars, suppressing Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and other philosophies in favor of a state philosophy called "Legalism." During this suppression, much of China's early musical history was also lost. He also consolidated China's northern defenses by constructing the Great Wall.

Qin Shi Huang reigned for eleven years and was buried in a massive mausoleum surrounded by the Terracotta Army, a collecting of over eight thousand clay statues depicting the emperor's army.

He was succeeded by his son, Qin Er Shi, who ruled for just three years, lost control of the country in a series of rebellions, and was forced to commit suicide by a trusted advisor. A four-year-long civil war ended in 202 BC when a Han leader named Liu Bang established the Han Dynasty.