Why were the Qin people, who raised horses, able to unify the world in the end?

The state of Qin developed from a vassal state that raised horses to a powerful country during the Warring States period, and finally unified the world, experiencing many efforts and advantages.

The Qin State had a natural barrier, Hangu Pass, which provided the Qin State with a superior geographical environment. In addition, the Qin state occupied the land of Cuihan, which was one of the important reasons why it was able to unify the six kingdoms.

The Qin state also had significant advantages in terms of economy. Through a series of economic reforms, such as the establishment of a unified currency system and the construction of roads and water conservancy facilities, the Qin state promoted transportation and economic development. The foundation of agriculture is solid, and the abundant grain and grass provide the material support for waging a large-scale war.

On the military front, the Qin state implemented strict military reforms, built a strong army, and adopted an aggressive policy of foreign expansion, constantly conquering the surrounding vassal states. After Qin Shi Huang came into power, with the assistance of Li Si, Wei Yi and others, he formulated the strategy of "destroying the princes, becoming the emperor's industry, and unifying the world".

Politically, Qin adopted a divide-and-rule strategy, negotiating separately with each vassal state, and through compromises and promises, weakening the power of each vassal state and accelerating the process of unification. Qin Shi Huang abolished feudalism and established a centralized, multi-ethnic feudal state or region.

The heroic military of the successive monarchs of the Qin State also laid a solid foundation for the great cause of unification. The Shang Dynasty reformed the law and enabled the Qin state to develop its economy and continuously strengthen its military combat effectiveness, making it the richest and most powerful vassal state in the late Warring States period.

Qin's ability to unify the world was the result of a combination of factors, including geographical advantages, economic development, military strength, political strategy, and the efforts of successive monarchs. These factors led to the rise of the Qin state during the Warring States period and the eventual completion of the great cause of unification.

What specific economic reform measures did the Qin state make notable achievements?

1. Abandoned well field system: The Shang Dynasty Reform Law abolished the old well field system and created a new land system, which allowed land to be freely sold and transferred, and promoted the development of agricultural production.
2. Heavy agriculture and mulberry: The Shang Dynasty reform law emphasized the importance of agriculture, implemented the policy of heavy agriculture and mulberry, and encouraged farmers to engage in agricultural production, thereby improving agricultural production efficiency and grain production.
3. Taxation per mu: In terms of the land system, the Shang Dynasty Reform Law implemented the policy of paying taxes per mu, which not only increased the state's fiscal revenue, but also stimulated the peasants' enthusiasm for production.
4. Unified weights and measures: Qin Shi Huang unified the system of weights and measures, which not only facilitated the trading of goods, but also improved production efficiency and the convenience of state management.
5. Unified currency: Qin Shi Huang abolished the currencies of different countries in the Warring States Period, and replaced them with gold as the upper currency and round square-hole copper coins as the lower currency, which unified the national monetary system and promoted the circulation and development of the economy.
6. Increase in the number of households and sources of tax collection: By increasing the number of households, the sources of tax collection were expanded, the development of the small-scale peasant economy was promoted, and a solid financial and military foundation was laid for military activities.

What role did Li Si and Wei Yu play in Qin's military reform, and what key strategies did they employ?

Li Si and Wei Yu played an important role in Qin's military reform, and they adopted a series of key strategies to achieve Qin's unification.

Li Si and Wei Yi jointly formulated the strategy of "distant friendship and close attack". This strategy consisted of attacking weak countries such as Han Zhao first, and then gradually attacking strong countries. Li Si suggested that Qin Wangzheng attack Han Zhao first, and this strategic step was adopted by Qin Wangzheng.

As an important strategist of Qin Shi Huang, Wei Yi implemented Li Si's strategy of "long-distance friendship and close attack", and instilled his own military ideas in the army to educate soldiers to abide by the rules of war. He also proposed a strategy of dividing and disintegrating the enemy state from within, that is, to undermine its internal unity by bribing the powerful officials of the enemy country.

In addition, Li Si and Wei Yi also adopted the strategy of espionage and military offensive. In the process of reunifying China, they actively pursued espionage activities such as bribery and assassination, and combined them with military offensives, and achieved remarkable results. For example, when attacking the state of Zhao, although he was invincible in many battles, through espionage and assassination, he finally succeeded in defeating the state of Zhao.

What was the specific impact of the Shang Dynasty reform on the economic and military strength of the Qin state?

On the economic front, the Shang Dynasty reformed the law and significantly improved the agricultural production of the Qin state. Through the implementation of the equalization system and the abolition of the feudal land ownership system, land has been used more rationally, and agricultural production efficiency has been greatly improved. These measures led to the rapid development of Qin's economy, the level of production increased significantly, and a situation of "home for people" appeared. In addition, the Shang Dynasty Reform Law also encouraged farming, which further promoted the development of agriculture. These economic reforms laid a solid material foundation for the Qin state, making it an advanced and powerful country or region at the time.

On the military front, the Shang Dynasty also greatly enhanced the military strength of the Qin state. Through a series of military reforms, Qin's army became more elite and powerful. These reforms included the abolition of the hereditary privileges of the slave-owning aristocracy and the strengthening of the centralization of the new landowning class, thereby improving the overall governance capacity and military power of the state. Qin's military victories and territorial expansion made the state strong and became the first power during the Warring States period.

How did Qin Shi Huang weaken the power of the vassal states through diplomatic negotiations, and what compromises and promises did he implement?

1. Adjustment of the feudal system: Although Qin Shi Huang did not adopt the traditional feudal system, he followed the county system of the Qin state and established the throne in some specific regions. For example, he sealed his sons in the hometowns of Yan, Qi, and Chu as a way to consolidate his control over these regions.
2. Weakening the power of the vassal kings: Qin Shi Huang weakened the power of the vassal kings through a series of means. For example, the power of the princes to appoint and dismiss officials and collect taxes was abolished, greatly limiting their administrative and financial powers.
3. Distant and close attack strategy: Qin Shi Huang adopted the strategy of "distant friendship and close attack", which weakened the power of other vassal states by dividing the anti-Qin elements within the enemy state and dividing the relationship between the monarch and the courtiers. For example, in the process of destroying Wei, Qin Shi Huang used Fan Ju's strategy to successfully disintegrate the internal resistance of Wei.
4. Military Strikes: Qin Shi Huang directly weakened the military power of other vassal states through military operations. For example, between 293 and 260 BC, he weakened the military power of the two vassal states by cutting the lands of Han and Wei horizontally from east to west.
5. Economic Foreign Policy: Qin Shi Huang also engaged in peaceful exchanges with other countries through an open and flexible economic foreign policy, with the goal of weakening the power of the other side.

How did Qin take advantage of its geographical advantages, especially the strategic location of Hangu Pass and Cuihan Land, to unify the surrounding vassal states?

1. Control of traffic and material transportation of key points: Hangu Pass is located in the throat between the Qin State and the Central Plains, and is an important passage connecting the Central Plains and the Guanzhong region. By taking control of Hangu Pass, the Qin were able to cut off enemy forces from the Central Plains, limit enemy supply lines, and weaken their military strength.
2. Ease of defense and attack: Hangu Pass is located on the boundary of the Yellow River and Hangu Pass, where the Qin army can resist the attacks of the Kwantung princes, and at the same time is in a very important strategic position. It was easy to attack and retreat, which allowed the Qin state to be flexible in the face of foreign enemies.
3. Gradual erosion of land: Relying on the geographical advantages of Hangu Pass, the Qin State adopted the strategy of "recovering land in the east if it is advantageous, and closing itself in the unfavorable way", eroding and digesting the land of the Kwantung countries little by little, and finally realizing the unification of the surrounding vassal states.
4. Strategic Defense of the Land of Cuihan: The mountains and the Hangu Pass together constitute the land of Cuihan, and the terrain of this area is steep, which provides great strategic defense convenience for the Qin state. If the Shandong states wanted to attack the Qin state, they had to climb over the steep Kunshan Mountain, which greatly increased the difficulty of the enemy army.
5. The strategic value of the Western Henan Passage: The Cuihan Ancient Road is known as the Western Henan Passage because it is located in the western part of Henan, and has always been in a strategic position in the dispute between Qin and the Six Kingdoms of Kwantung. The existence of this channel allowed the Qin state to be more flexible in mobilizing forces during military operations, further consolidating its dominance.