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01-13-2006 17:34

Throughout China’s history, nomadic invaders from northern areas have spilled over into Chinese territory. In 771 BC, northwestern nomadic tribes forced the Zhou dynasty to retreat eastward. The Qin people, loyal to the King of Zhou, fought the invaders bitterly for two centuries. The drawn out warfare’s legacy was a society with advanced agriculture and a formidable military. The swelling ranks of the army required increased agricultural production. At this time, the power of the State of Zhou was waning. The Qin state embarked on a course of expansion. The State of Shu, located in present-day Sichuan Province, was the Qin’s nearest neighbour and the first to fall.

In ancient China, rivers were vital transport routes. But the Qin military base was Chengdu, over 50 kilometres from the wharves. An ambitious construction project was begun to bring the river through Chengdu as a new transport route. The project was to bring enormous benefits to the State of Qin. The river was redirected through a mountain and flooding was controlled. The diverted water irrigated thousands of hectares of farmland. The State of Qin was prepared for its eastward expansion.

The Battle of Changping was a major event in Chinese history. It was the decisive encounter in the Qin’s series of expansionist wars. Their victory in 260 BC led to the first Emperor, Qin Shihuang, founding the Qin dynasty in 221 BC. The Qin’s astonishing success is due to its social organization. Advanced and standardized agricultural methods supported its armies. Hereditary rank became less important than individual merit, usually measured by achievements on the battlefield. Strict laws accompanied by harsh punishments kept the social order functioning. But under different conditions, such harsh rule could turn draconian and sow the seeds of the Qin dynasty’s downfall.

 

Editor:Wang Ping