Chapter 22: The First Chinese Emperor

Qin Shihuangdi, the first emperor of China, began life as

• an invader from Central Asia.

• a prince of one Chinese state.

• a member of the Zhou dynasty.

• a farmer in the North China Plain.

In which year would a visitor to China have found a unified Chinese state under the rule of its first emperor?

• 1250 B.C.E.

• 540 B.C.E.

• 220 B.C.E.

• 70 C.E.

What was one difference between feudalism and the Emperor of Qin’s system of government?

• Under feudalism, power was held locally; the Emperor of Qin held all the power.

• Under feudalism, lords met with the king; the Emperor of Qin did not have meetings.

• Under feudalism, leadership came from a few men; the Emperor of Qin had many leaders.

• Under feudalism, peasants chose their lords; the Emperor of Qin chose their lords for them.

Which Chinese teaching most influenced Qin Shihuangdi’s style of rule?

• A. Daoism

• B. Legalism

• C. Buddhism

• D. Confucianism

What actions related to the areas listed below did the emperor take to help unify China? • Laws • Money • Weights and measures • Writing

• A. He set up schools where they were taught.

• B. He took ideas about them from other countries.

• C. He let officials adjust them to meet local needs.

• D. He standardized practices that had differed in all parts of the county.

Which group most likely had the best life under the Emperor of Qin’s rule?

• artists

• scholars

• peasants

• merchants

Under Qin rule, what would happen if a rich person and a poor person committed the same crime?

• The rich person would pay a larger fine.

• The two would have to exchange places.

• The two would suffer the same punishment.

• They would have been punished equally

What was the purpose of building the Great Wall?

• to keep invaders out northern invaders

• to provide employment

• to reward followers with land

• to punish critics of the emperor

Why did many people sent to work on the Great Wall not return home?

• They became wandering nomads.

• They ran away to other countries.

• They died under harsh conditions.

• They decided to live near the wall.

To a large extent, the Great Wall was built by

• forced labor

• foreign workers

• skilled stonemasons

• close friends of the emperor