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Qin Shihuangdi

ANC-QIN is worth about 25 marks out of 100 in recent HSC Ancient History papers. Practise 11 exam-style questions (multiple choice, short answer) with instant marking and a worked solution for every question.

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Topic notes

Qin Shihuangdi — the Warring States and Qin, King Zheng's rise, the conquest of 230–221 BC, the imperial system, standardisation, Legalism and the burning of the books, his tomb and terracotta army, the fall of Qin and how historians judge him.

  1. 1What you need to know
  2. 2Historical context
  3. 3Early life and rise
  4. 4The conquest (230–221)
  5. 5Creating the empire
  6. 6Death and the fall of Qin
  7. 7The tomb and the terracotta army
  8. 8Evidence and interpretations
  9. 9Building an evaluation
  10. 10Common mistakes
  11. 11Exam tips
  12. 12Links to other topics
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Example questions

Example 1 · 1 mark · multiple choice

Qin conquered the other six Warring States between 230 and 221 BC. Which state was the last to fall?

  1. AQi
  2. BHan
  3. CChu
  4. DZhao

Example 2 · 1 mark · multiple choice

Why did King Zheng of Qin adopt the new title huangdi in 221 BC?

  1. AConfucian scholars required it before he could rule
  2. BThe title ‘king’ seemed too low for the ruler of all China
  3. CIt was the title already used by all the Warring States kings
  4. DThe Zhou king had granted him the title as his heir

Example 3 · 1 mark · multiple choice

Why must historians use Sima Qian's account of the First Emperor with care?

  1. AHis work survives only in short fragments quoted by later writers
  2. BHe served the Han, who justified their rule by Qin's faults
  3. CHe wrote more than a thousand years after the events
  4. DHe admired Qin and left out the cruelty of its rule

Answers and worked solutions appear when you practise these questions.

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