China & TibetAsiaMajor empire

Qin dynasty

221 – 206 BCE · about 15 years

The Qin dynasty first unified China under Qin Shi Huang, who standardised writing, weights and coinage and began early sections of the Great Wall. It collapsed soon after his death.

Key facts

Dates	221 – 206 BCE
Region	China & Tibet
Continent	Asia
Capital	Xianyang
Founder	Qin Shi Huang
Religion(s)	Legalism, Chinese folk religion
Peak extent	≈ 2.3 million km² (c. 220 BCE) – source

Before & after

Preceded by

Zhou dynasty Chu (state) Qi (state) Yan (state) Zhao (state) Wei (state) Han (Warring States)

Followed by

Han dynasty Nanyue

Sources

Wikipedia – Qin dynasty
Wikipedia – List of largest empires

Dates follow widely used reference works; many ancient dates are approximate or debated. Neutral summary for general reference.