The Period of Great Feudal Unity - Qin and Han Dynasties

The periods of Qin and Han dynasties began in 221 BC and ended in 220 AD. Qin Dynasty was the first feudal dynasty to rule all of China. It laid the foundation of a united multi-ethnic country. Many institutions initiated in Qin and Han dynasties, and were inherited continuously by later dynasties.

Qin Empire was established in 221 BC by Emperor Qinshihuang, who adopted a series of reforms bringing the whole system under his rule. He made Qin Empire the first united multi-ethnic country with a centralized autocratic monarchy. However, the heavy-handed methods of Qinshihuang and his successor led to the overthrow of Qin Dynasty in 206 BC by a farmer uprising.

Han Dynasty includes two periods: Western Han and Eastern Han, in 202 BC, Liu Bang established Han Dynasty, choosing Chang'an, which today is Xi'an, as his capital. In 9 AD, Wang Mang staged a coup, and set up Xin Dynasty. Han Dynasty was restored in 25 AD by Liu Xiu, who moved the capital to the city known today at Louyang. Subsequently, this period became known to historians as Eastern Han Dynasty, and the previous one as Western Han Dynasty. In 220, Eastern Han Dynasty was overthrown by a farmer uprising. In its over 400 years of existence, Han Dynasty had a profound influence upon the subsequent dynasties. The names of Han nationality, Chinese characters, Chinese language and Chinese culture today are all in relation with Han Dynasty. In Qin and Han dynasties, the production grew, economy prospered, national defense was consolidate, technology and culture developed, and lots of outstanding achievements were made in medical science, astronomy, geology, etc. And there also appeared many great statesmen, thinkers, strategists, scientists, historians, and writers during this period. Notable among these achievements was the invention of the technique of papermaking, which was a great contribution to world civilization.

During the period of Qin and Han dynasties, the Silk Road started to connect China with the Roman Empire and the Western world as a whole. With the opening up of the Silk Road, the brilliant Chinese culture began to influence the whole world, and the splendid cultural accomplishments of other countries gradually merged into traditional Chinese culture.