Page 25 - A History of the World in 25 Cities

Qin Shi Huangdi died in 210 BCE. No one knows exactly what lies inside his enormous, pyramid-
shaped tomb, but it’s thought to contain an exact copy of the imperial palace he lived in
when he was alive, its ceilings painted with constellations of stars. It’s possible the tomb
is protected by traps for tomb raiders, such as archers that fire real arrows if
the tomb is broken into.
The emperor had a life-size clay army made to protect his tomb and serve him in the afterlife, made up of thousands of painted warriors, chariots and horses. Also discovered were painted terracotta archers and even entertainers such as acrobats and strongmen.
The statues were buried and forgotten for centuries, until farmers rediscovered them in 1974.
Qin Shi Huangdi became ruler of Qin when he was just 13. In nine violent years, he conquered the six states that surrounded his own to create his vast empire in 221 BCE. He made weights, measures and money the same
throughout China, employed officials to make sure it ran smoothly, and put up monuments that declared the country was unified and he was in charge.
The Qin dynasty only lasted 15 years. The Han dynasty took over, burned down Xianyang and moved their capital to Chang’an. Both cities are now part of the wider area of the modern Chinese city of Xi’an.
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