Qin: Map & History
Qin was an ancient Chinese state during the Zhou dynasty.
Wikipedia Encyclopedic Compendium
Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
Qin was an ancient Chinese state during the Zhou dynasty. It is traditionally dated to 897 BC. The state of Qin originated from a reconquest of western lands that had previously been lost to the Xirong. Its location at the western edge of Chinese civilisation allowed for expansion and development that was not available to its rivals in the North China Plain.
Modern Countries Once Part of Qin
At its mapped extent, Qin covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Qin's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Qin in Depth
History
According to the 2nd-century BC Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian, the state of Qin traced its origin to Zhuanxu, one of the legendary Five Emperors in ancient times. One of his descendants, Boyi, was granted the family name of Ying by Emperor Shun. During the Xia and Shang dynasties, the Ying clan split in two: a western branch that migrated across the Ordos Plateau to Quanqiu (犬丘; 'hill of the Quanrong', modern Li County, Gansu), and an eastern branch that settled east of the Yellow River in modern Shanxi. The latter became the ancestors of the rulers of the later state of Zhao.
Culture and society
Before Qin unified China, each state had its own customs and culture. According to the Yu Gong or Tribute of Yu, composed in the 4th or 5th century BC and included in the Book of Documents, there were nine distinct cultural regions of China, which are described in detail in this book. The work focuses on the travels of the titular sage, Yu the Great, throughout each of the regions. Other texts, predominantly military, also discussed these cultural variations.
The nature of Qin's troops is to disperse so that each unit fights their own respective battles.
The people of Qin are ferocious by nature and their terrain is treacherous. The government's decrees are strict and impartial. The rewards and punishments are clear.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Qin (state) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Qin: Key Facts
| Capital | Chang'an |
|---|---|
| Founded | 350 CE |
| Dissolved | 394 CE |
Preceded by
Facts from Wikidata Q1471995 (CC0).
Qin Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Qin appears, with the other states of the time.
Qin Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 1,523,240 km² in 220 BCE.
Qin: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Qin exist?
Qin is dated to 750 BCE – 219 BCE, in the Bronze & Iron Age Civilizations era.
What was the capital of Qin?
The capital of Qin was Quanqiu, Qinyi, Qian, Pingyang, Yong, Jingyang, Yueyang, Xianyang.
How large was Qin at its peak?
At its peak in 220 BC Qin covered about 1,523,240 km².
How did the map of Qin change over time?
Qin appears on 3 dated world maps in the atlas, from 750 BCE to 323 BCE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
Other Sovereign Realms
Classical Antiquity • Capital: Rome
Classical Antiquity • Capital: Chang'an
Classical Antiquity • Capital: Persepolis, Pasargadae, Susa, Babylon
Bronze Age Civilizations • Capital: Memphis