Qins

Qins refers to the people, rulers, and realm associated with the ancient Chinese state of Qin, located in the western part of the Zhou dynasty’s territory. The Qin state grew from a relatively minor feudal principality during the early Zhou period into a dominant power in the late Warring States era (roughly 5th to 3rd centuries BCE). Through military expansion, strategic reform, and administrative centralization, Qin progressively eclipsed its rivals and laid the groundwork for a unified Chinese empire.

In 221 BCE, Ying Zheng, ruler of Qin, unified the warring states and declared himself Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty. This marked the beginning of imperial China. The dynasty pursued centralized governance, standardizing writing, weights and measures, axle widths for carts, and other key standards to consolidate administration and economic life. Military projects, infrastructure building, and a centralized bureaucratic system supported rapid control over conquered territories. The capital was at Xianyang, near modern Xi’an.

One of the era’s emblematic legacies is the mausoleum of the first emperor, guarded by the Terracotta Army, an extensive archaeological site that underscores the scale and control of the Qin state. The dynasty also advanced early versions of the Great Wall to deter northern incursions and fostered projects that connected distant regions.

The Qin Dynasty was short-lived, enduring until 206 BCE when civil unrest and succession crises contributed to its fall, giving way to the Han Dynasty. The Qins’ legacy lies in the early model of centralized, bureaucratic rule, standardized script and measures, and monumental state projects that influenced subsequent Chinese governance. The term is sometimes rendered Ch’in in older English texts.