The Terracotta Army commissioned by the first Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi is a collection of about 8000 life-sized ceramic soldiers and horses buried with the emperor.

The doctrine of Legalism that guided the Qin emphasized strict adherence to a legal code and the absolute power of the emperor.

Also similar to the Qin, traditional history has judged the Sui somewhat unfairly, as it has stressed the harshness of the Sui regime and the arrogance of its second emperor, giving little credit for the Dynasty's many positive achievements.

In 221 BC, Ying Zheng, who was king of Qin at the time, proclaimed himself shi huangdi ( 始皇帝 ), which translates as " first emperor ".

* Luoyang falls without much resistance to the armies of the Qin, ending the reign of the emperor Zhou Nan Wang.

* Fú Jiān, emperor of the Chinese Di state Former Qin ( b. 337 )

* Yao Chang, emperor of the Qiang state Later Qin ( d. 394 )

* Yao Hong, last emperor of the Qiang state Later Qin ( b. 388 )

* Fu Chong, emperor of the Chinese Di state Former Qin

* Fu Deng, emperor of the Di state Former Qin ( b. 343 )

* Yao Chang, emperor of the Qiang state Later Qin ( b. 331 )

* Gao Zu succeeds Tai Zu as emperor of the Later Qin Empire.

* Yao Xing, emperor of the Qiang state Later Qin ( b. 366 )

* Yao Xing, emperor of the Chinese Qiang state Later Qin ( d. 416 )

In fact, the Qin emperor implemented strict laws and extremely harsh punishments without taking into account mitigating circumstances even for insignificant crimes.

While the Qin emperor successfully instilled fear and respect for law into the minds of his people, the harshness of the law led to his quick demise after only 14 years of reigning over China.

* Fú Jiàn, emperor of the Di state Former Qin ( b. 317 )

* Yao Hong, emperor of the Chinese Qiang state Later Qin ( d. 417 )

* Fu Pi, emperor of the Former Qin

The Qin unified the Chinese Warring States by conquest, but their empire became unstable after the death of the first emperor Qin Shi Huangdi.

The advisors squabbled among themselves, however, which resulted in both their deaths and that of the second Qin emperor.

The newly declared emperor ordered all weapons not in the possession of the Qin to be confiscated and melted down.

Another project built during Qin Shihuang's rule was the Terracotta army, intended to protect the emperor after his death.

* The reign of Fú Jiān, the emperor of Former Qin, commences in China.

The practice was also well known in ancient China, as in Jing Ke's failed assassination of King Qin Shi Huang ( 227 BC ).

This practice began with the Qin Dynasty: in 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang united the various warring kingdoms and created the first Chinese empire.

His unification of the other six powers, and further annexations in the modern regions of Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi in 214 BC, enabled him to proclaim himself the First Emperor ( Qin Shi Huang ).

Qin Shi Huang

The Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang.

Legalism as a coherent philosophy disappeared largely due to its relationship with the unpopular authoritarian rule of Qin Shi Huang, however, many of its ideas and institutions would continue to influence Chinese philosophy until the end of Imperial rule during the Xinhai Revolution.

Li Ssu, Prime Minister of the Qin Dynasty convinced Qin Shi Huang to abandon the Confucians ' recommendation of awarding fiefs akin to the Zhou Dynasty before them which he saw as counter to the Legalist idea of centralizing the state around the ruler.

Qin Shi Huang.

Thus Zheng became Qin Shi Huang, abolishing the system where the huang / di titles were reserved to dead and / or mythological rulers.

* 1974 – Local farmers in Lintong District, Xi ' an, Shaanxi province, China, discover the Terracotta Army that was buried with Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China, in the 3rd century BCE.

The First Emperor Qin Shi Huang ( circa 221 BC, who unified the 7 pre-Imperial Kingdoms ) was buried under a large mound outside modern day Xi ' an.

Some well-known stories include Zhuan Zhu's assassination of King Liao of Wu, and most notably, Jing Ke's attempt on the life of the King of Qin ( who would become Qin Shi Huang later ).

* March 29 – The Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang is discovered at Xi ' an, China.

* 214 BC: Qin Shi Huang of the Chinese Qin Dynasty ordered construction of the Great Wall of China.

* Qin Shi Huang, Chinese Emperor ( 259 – 210 BC, reigned 246 – 210 BC )

** Qin Er Shi, Emperor of Qin China ( d. 207 BC )

* November 11 – Taiping Rebellion: Shi Dakai arrives at the Heavenly Capital once more with 100, 000 men and demands that Wei Changhui and Qin Rigang be executed.

** Qin Er Shi, Emperor of the Qin Dynasty of China ( assassinated ) ( b. 229 BC )