Warring States Period to the Great Wall of China - Assignment Example

Warring s Period to the Great Wall of China The Warring s Period in ancient Chinese history is generally referred to an era from 475 BC to 221 BC. There exists a dispute regarding the start of the Warring States Period but most of the historians believe it to start from 475 BC. The Zhou (sometimes written as Chao) dynasty ruled China from 1027 BC to 221 BC and the Zhou era comprises of two significant periods of rule the Eastern Zhou Period and the Western Zhou Period. The Eastern Zhou period is further divided into spring and autumn period and Warring State Period which, as the name suggests, was a period of history when the six most powerful kings of six prominent states of China fought against each other. These states were (ChI, Ch’u, Wei, Han, Qin and Zhou). The state of Yen is also included is warring states but did not actually compete in the war. Out of the six states, the states of Qin and Chu emerged as the strongest competitors for supremacy. The Warring States Period also witnessed the development of different political philosophies and number of schools of thought (Adler and Pouwels). The most popular schools of thought were Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism and Legalism; elaborated by Mencius, Lao Zei, Hen Feizi and Mozi, respectively. Trade also flourished during that period enhancing the powers of merchants. The Warring States Period had a marked impact on the technological advancement of Chinese warfare. Different war techniques were developed, instead of few highly skilled aristocrats, large infantry deployment was adopted. New and improved weapons like dagger-axe, crossbows iron swords were used for the first time in history. No doubt that the Warring States Period was an era of violence and conflicts but advancement and growth also took place in many fields like agriculture, architecture and modes of communications. Agriculture and farming was improved and enhanced by developing various tools like iron axes and iron hoes; architectural and construction skills were excellent, the use of tiles and bronze decoration was one of the aesthetical aspects of the magnificent structure of palaces. For meeting the demands of military affairs and economy, road infrastructure was developed; most popular of which was the Silk Road which passes through Eurasia (Europe and Asia). In a nutshell, Warring States Period is of paramount significance in the history of China because besides learning the art of war Chinese took one step forward on the path of advancement and progress. State of Qin: Historical records reveal that the state of Qin had a heritage linkage with Zhuanxu (one of the five emperors in ancient China). The founder of the Xia dynasty “Yu the great” was helped by Dafies (ancestor of the royal clique of Qin) in flood controlling techniques thus earing a family title of Ying. During the period of Xia and Shang dynasties, Ying fraternity was divided into two branches; an Occidental Ying Clique an Oriental Ying Clique. The Occidental Ying Clique occupied the Wei River Valley in Quanqiu and one of their men, Feizi served the King Xioa as royal horse trainer and breeder. Due to his loyalty and sincerity towards the king and the assigned task, he was awarded with a territory in Quanqiu along with the powers of feudal lord. He was also married to a princess, further raising his status in the royal court. This territory which was surrounded by the nomadic tribal people (or Rong people) was named as the State of Qin. After the establishment of State of Qin, it faced several difficulties. Relations with the neighboring feudal states which included Zhao, Jin, Chu, Ba, Wei and Han were not good. State of Qin was indulged in several wars with these state; the surrounding Rong tribe attacked Qin state soon after its formation. During the Spring and Autumn Period, the state of Qin suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of the state of Jin in the Battle of Yao. State of Qin also tasted defeat in the battles against Wei, Han and Zhao in early Warring States Period (413 BC – 409 BC) and lost the portions of its territory. A large majority of people of the State of Qin were not Chinese by origin and were sinicized and thus had to face a very hostile attitude from other states. During the period of Duke Xiao of Qin (381 BC – 338 BC), a number of educational, political, military and agricultural reforms were proposed and implemented. Some Qin politicians were against these reforms but they could not substantiate their opposition. These reforms had a marked impact on the administrative structure and military strength of the State. After the death of King Xiao, Huiwen of Qin (338 BC – 311 BC) and later Zhaoxiang of Qin (324 BC – 250 BC) came into power. The policy of reforms was retained during their reign and Qin fought several battles with Chu, Han and Wei thus expanding the territory beyond the eastern shore of the Yellow River, which is considered as the cradle of ancient civilization. These wars are also knows as Qin’s wars of unification because a military movement by Qin state was initiated against all six major of the Warring States Period ending with the conquest of all of the states and unification of China as a single territory under one single rule. The table above gives the details of the conquest by Qin during this time period. Qin Shi Huang was the First Emperor of a unified China, who ruled from 246 BC. to 210 B.C He was also known as Qin Shi Huangdi (august and divine Emperor). Born in the state of Qin in 259 BC, he was a son of king Zhuangxiang. There is controversy whether or not he was a real son of the king Zhuangxiang. Ssu-Ma and Sima claimed in the Records of the Grand historians that Qin Shi Huang was not an actual son of the king but most of the modern scholars do not verify Qin Shi Huang as the real son of the king. King Zhuangxiang died when Qin Shi was thirteen years old; he succeeded his father’s regality. Since the very beginning of his childhood Qin Shi was very aggressive and aspiring. When he was 22 he had to defend his throne against a treason led by Lu Buwei who was made his guardian and caretaker of the affairs of the government when Qin Shi was a minor. When Qin Shi came into power China was going through warring states period, all the seven states including the state of Qin were fighting for supremacy and absolute power. Qin Shi wanted unification of China by conquering all other states and for that he led a series of battles against all the six states and defeated them one by one. After becoming the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang with a few modifications, followed the footprints of his forefathers by adopting the policy of introducing various reforms in government and social life and then implementing them effectively (Portal and Kinoshita). He abolished the existing Nobility by reorganizing the bureaucracy and appointing government officials for various tasks. The State was divided into various districts or prefectures directly ruled by the emperor himself. Another very important development of this era of Chinese history was the standardization of education and currency. Shi Huang developed his state to such an extent that it started meeting the basic requirements and needs of the people of that time making it the very first welfare state in the history of the region. Special emphasis was given on architecture, literature and religion. Architectural features like pillar gates, towers and high rise buildings are the evidences of the advancements and excellence achieved in the fields of architecture and construction (Lewis). In 220 BC the emperor ordered to build a great defensive wall in the north (present Beijing) to fend off the attacks by the Xiongnu (the ancestors of Attilas Huns). The Lingqu canal system was also constructed connecting Xiang River with Lijiang River and was used as a strategic path to attack the country of Baiyue. During the last years of his life the emperor started fearing death and various expeditions were made for finding out the elixir of immortality. During one of the journeys in 220 BC the court scientists and doctors offered him mercury pills for making him immortal but ironically the pills turned out to be the reason of his death (Pancella). His tomb is situated in modern town of Xi’an where is buried with his Terracotta Army, which he ordered to build before his death so he could maintain and rule his empire in the afterlife. The Great Wall of China is included in the wonders of the medieval world and was listed as UNESCO’s world heritage site in 1987. It passes through deserts, mountains, plateaus and grasslands extended approximately 5500 miles from east to west of China. As this master piece possess history more than 2000 years some sections of the wall are in ruins or have vanished. Construction of Great Wall was not done in one definite region, the wall was built in many different states but it was united and was presented with the name of Great Wall of China in the state of Qin. The history of the construction of the Great Wall of China can be traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC - 771 BC). But in that time it was just a defending wall against Yanyun attacks. The period of the warring states (476 BC – 221 BC) was an era when the seven states (Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, Qin) struggled for building the Great Wall for self-defense. In 656 BC Chu state built the part of wall which today is known as the southern part of the Honan Province. In 361 BC Wei state built the portion of the wall known today as Shensi Western wall, in 356 BC Eastern wall was also built in Wei state. During 331-279 BC Yen state built it in the Mongolian region and from 334-311 BC Yen State built part of the wall known as Northern Hopie. The Southern and Northern parts were constructed by Chao. The various parts of wall which were constructed in different states were joined together in reign of Emperor Qin and making it one single wall, the Great Wall of China. The Great Wall was initially built by various states for protection purposes during wars with one another but under Qin Shi Huang the various portions were joined to keep foreign invaders out of China. Other purposes which the wall served include a system of outposts, communication system through relays between towers on the wall and also as a broad road for rapid transportation after the unification of China (Geil). The Great Wall of China is still a wonder in the world and is visited by thousands of tourists from all over the world earning considerable amount so foreign exchange for China. The Great Wall of China is famous for its construction, beauty and unity. It is considered to be one of the most significant things that unified China. The construction of the wall in medieval time, without the assistance of technology was very difficult and therefore hundreds of Chinese men died during its construction. The wall is the true symbol of man’s hard work, dignity, pride and power. The reign of Qin can be considered as the most significant period of Chinese history because during this period the various states of China which were indulged in a never ending war were conquered by the state of Qin and resulted in the unification of China as it stands today on the map of the world. Works Cited Adler, Phillip, and Randall Pouwels. World Civilizations. N.p.: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print. Lewis, Mark. The early Chinese empires: Qin and Han. N.p.: Harvard University Press, 2007. Print. Pancella, Peggy. Qin Shi Huangdi: First Emperor of China. N.p.: Paw Prints, 2008. Print. Portal, Jane, and Hiromi Kinoshita. The first emperor: Chinas Terracotta Army. N.p.: Harvard University Press, 2007. Print. Ssu-Ma, Chien, and Qian Sima. Records of the Grand Historian. N.p.: Columbia University Press, 1996. Print. Geil, William. The Great Wall of China. N.p.: BiblioBazaar, 2010. Print. Read More