Invention

Inventions During The Qin Dynasty

        An important weapon used by the soldiers of the Qin dynasty was known as the crossbow. The crossbow was a developed model of the longbow. The crossbow was smaller than the longbow, but had stronger power and aim. Even though the crossbow was a stronger weapon, it was heavy and harder to reload. The crossbows were used in every battle. Up to 10,000 people would use them in each fight. The crossbow was hard for enemies to duplicate because it was specifically made by only the most skilled mechanics. The crossbow had a complex design making it like no other weapon during it's time. Later on, new improvements were added to the crossbow such as a scope and the ability to shoot multiple arrows at once. 

        The Chinese development of the crossbow depended on bronze technology advanced enough to allow   an 

accurately machined trigger-mechanisms. 

Crossbows were also used in the West. They were known to the ancient Greeks and Romans, and by medieval times in Europe, the crossbow had evolved into a powerful weapon capable of penetrating a knight's armor. The use of a crossbow became more popular as time carried on. Less armies started to use the longbow, and began using the crossbow. Today,  the crossbow is more commonly used for hunting.

         The crossbow changed people's lives. Knight's became less useful in battles since the crossbow could easily penetrate their armor. By not hiring knights to fight battles, rulers and peasants were able to save their money and give peasants an opportunity to fight in battles. This destroyed Feudalism because Peasants gained more power and use than knights. This would change the lives of many serfs because they could stop living hardworking lives on the farm and start fighting in wars. The crossbow also made hunting easier. The crossbow was much smaller than the longbow, which made it much easier for transportation. Also, with it's improved accuracy, it was easier to hit their pray. 

http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/miltech/crossbow.htm

         

Opinion/Editorial

The Great Wall of China

By: Adam Dwyer

Many Chinese achievements were accomplished during the Qin Dynasty. During the Qin dynasty, Emperor Qin Shihuangdi felt China needed more protection from the Mongols on China's northern boarder. They posed a threat to China's citizens, so emperor Qin decided to build a divider between the two civilizations to stay safe. This divider is known as The Great Wall of China. The Great Wall was the most important achievement during the Qin dynasty. The Great wall of china defended the citizens, gave people jobs, and stopped invasions from the north. Without the Great Wall, China might not have been able to survive being conquered by other civilizations. 

The Great wall of China defended China's people. Mongols and other civilizations from the north were unable to pass this 30 ft wall. "To protect the empire against intrusions by the Xiongnu people from the north, he ordered the building of a new wall to connect the remaining fortifications along the empire's new northern frontier." Because The Great Wall protected against armies, China was unable to be conquered. If China was conquered, China would have to obey their new ruler and perhaps change their culture to live under a different government. Things such as language spoken, currency, and writing could have all been changed. While China was being ruled, they would also have to fight battles for their ruler and perhaps pay taxes to them. This would of weakened China's power. "The central government now had direct control of the masses, giving it access to a much larger workforce. This allowed for the construction of ambitious projects, such as a wall on the northern border, now known as the Great Wall of China."The Great Wall was also able to give citizens in need of work a job. If citizens are working hard, they wont focus on China's problems and focus more on their work. This will enable China's rulers to rule easier. This is why The Great Wall of China was the most important achievement during the Qin dynasty. 

Map

"http://www.absolutechinatours.com/china-travel/Qin-Dynasty.html"

  Emperor Qin Shihuangdi extended China's power while he ruled. Qin came to power by capturing the remaining six of the "warring states," expanding his rule eastward and as far south as the Yangzi River. As a result, he became the first emperor of China. Throughout his rule, emperor Qin continued to expand the empire, eventually reaching Vietnam. He began to divide his empire into commanderies and prefectures. These were ruled by military officials. These officials acted as governments to china until the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. Emperor Qin improved China's safety by creating a wall located in the northern part of the empire protect the people from enemies. This wall is known as The Great Wall of China.

Front Page News Story

Qin Shihuangdi Elected as The First Emperor of China

Adam Dwyer "Swag"



    Qin Shihuangdi was the first leader China had ever elected. The Qin dynasty lasted from 221 BC to 206 BC. Although he ruled for a short period of time, Qin increased China's power, trade, agriculture, and military security. He made China stronger by expanding his empire. 

   

   Emperor Qin Shihuangdi increased China's military security by surrounding cities with tall walls for protection from enemies. Some cities had a second wall of protection included to assure their safety. Another way emperor Qin Shihuangdi increased China's military safety was by having a large amount of workers working on construction projects, such as The Great Wall of China. The Great Wall of China was a large wall traveling across the northern boarder of China. The wall was built of stone, brick,wood, and other materials. The wall was built to protect China from enemies such as the Mongols. Today, little of the original wall is left, but is preserved. 

  Emperor Qin also introduced several reforms to China including currency, weights, writing, and measures were all standardized. This made China stronger because it allowed people to trade and communicate better with one another. The written language of Qin was known as logographic. This standardized writing system spread throughout the whole country. Although he was trying to standardized language to make it easier for the people, this effected Chinese culture for thousands of years. 

  Qin Shihuangdi was a strong leader and helped China extend their empire and grow in power.