How did the Qin dynasty start?
The far ancestors of Qin were humble care takers for Zhou emperors’ horse. They were awarded a small piece of land and became one of the many feudal lords which serve the Zhou emperors, probably due to their help in fending off some of the invading barbarians. Then slowly they grew into one of the 7 states in late Zhou Dynasty (commonly known as the Warring State Period). A powerful and resourceful ruler came into power (the future Qin Shi Huang Di), and finally Qin destroyed the other 6 states and united China as one country for the first time. That’s the beginning of Qin Dynasty. We are still able to visit the world famous terracotta warriors inside Qin Shi Huang Di’s tomb in Xian today.
