The rise of the qin dynasty

The role/importance of Qin Shi Huang in early China Today China is a great industrial power, its rapid economic growth over the past few decades have been very remarkable. Almost everything is made in China, almost every United States citizen can be seen with at least one consumer item from the country. But this country was not always this great economic power. Long before China became the great power it is today, long before it was even a country, China was secluded from the outside world. Chinese history primarily focused on inner China because the surrounding area contained a very hostile environment. This independence thrust on the Chinese from its seclusion serves to explain how the Chinese developed a unique and independent civilization. Even within China, the country was never a unified state in ancient times. Rather, it was divided into dozens of independent Chinese states. However, after centuries of fighting, seven major kingdoms emerged, the most important being the kingdom of Qin. It was within this kingdom that Wang Ying Chen unified China after years of ruthless fighting. Under this king, China was, for the first time ever, unified under one ruler. When Wang came into power, his title as king was not good enough, so he renamed himself Shih Huang Di, which means first emperor. Through his reign, he made China a greater power economically, politically and socially. Before his rule, China was not politically stable, so to avoid political chaos, conquered states could not be referred to as independent nations. Shih Huang Di then divided his empire into thirty six commanderies. These administrative units served well for China, for they made China more organized. And what made this system so unique was that it was different from what previous dynasties had done. Previous dynasties had used loose alliances and federations, which did not do the country well. Moreover, government appointments were no longer based on nepotism but rather on merit. This eliminated any corrupt activity within the government that would jeopardize the country in any way. The first emperor of China was also responsible for unifying China economically. He standardized units of measurements for weight and measures. Moreover, he standardized the currency. And more importantly, he helped establish an extensive network of roads and canals that facilitated trade and contributed to the economic well-being of the country. But most of all, under his rule, the Chinese script was unified. This made the communication system of China completely unified. These accomplishments were important in establishing China as a better country. China would not be the same if it were not for Qin Shih Huang. The influence he had over Chinese culture can not be doubted.
Outline
I. Intro
a. China wasn’t always as great as it was today
b. Ancient times: not unified
c. First emperor
II. Political influence
III. Economic influence
a. Standardized currency
b. Network of roads
c. Effect
IV. Social influence
a. Communication system
V. Conclusion