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First Emperor of China

221 BCE

Terracotta Army soldiers and a horse standing in the excavated earth of Pit 1, near the tomb of Qin Shi Huang.

Recorded HistoryFirst Emperor of China

China is unified.

In 221 BCE Qin Shi Huang completed the unification of China. He became Shi Huangdi, the first emperor, and replaced feudal holdings with provinces governed from the capital.

The Qin standardized weights, currency and writing, but the dynasty fell within four years of his death in 210 BCE.

221 BCE, placed on the scale of its era on a line leading toward now.

Era
Recorded History
Period
221 BCE
Edition
1/1
Status
Not Released
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Background artwork

Cinematic background showing ranks of terracotta soldiers in a pit. An illustration generated with an AI image tool for TIME. It is an artistic depiction, not a photograph or a record of the moment. Colour and lighting are imagined.