221 BC
The Qin state completed the military unification of the Warring States, ending centuries of fragmentation and creating the first centralized imperial state in Chinese history.
Background
Following the decline of Zhou authority, China entered the Warring States period,
marked by intense interstate warfare and administrative innovation. The Qin state,
located in the western frontier regions, adopted Legalist reforms that strengthened
central control, standardized administration, and expanded military capacity.
Through sustained conquest, Qin eliminated rival states one by one.
Legacy
– Created the first unified Chinese imperial state
– Established centralized bureaucracy, uniform laws, weights, measures, and script
– Set the structural template for later Chinese empires