The Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC) was preceded by the feudal Zhou Dynasty and followed by the Han Dynasty in China. The unification of China in 221 BC under the First Emperor Qin Shi Huang (or Shi Huang Di) marked the beginning of Imperial China, a period which lasted until the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912 CE. And the unification of China has endured for more than two thousand years. At the height of its power, the Qin Dynasty had a population of about 40 million people.

Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇 Qín Shǐhuáng) (259 BC – 210 BC), personal name Ying Zheng (嬴政 Yíng Zhèng), was king of Qin, and called himself the First Emperor. He was known for the introduction of Legalism and also for unifying China. Qin Shi Huang remains a controversial figure in Chinese history. After unifying China, he passed a series of major reforms meant to preserve unification. He undertook gigantic projects, including the first version of the current Great Wall of China, the now famous city-sized mausoleum guarded by a life-sized Terracotta Army, and a massive national road system, all at the expense of many lives. To ensure stability, Qin Shi Huang outlawed Confucianism and is reported to have buried alive many of its scholars. All books other than those officially decreed were banned and burned.