Lesson 17:The First Emperor

They farmed as before. Instead of paying their
taxes to the local lords, however, they paid them to the
emperor’s officials.
Then Qin Shihuang divided China into districts. He
chose a governor to supervise each one. The governors
reported back to him. This gave him total control.
Just to make sure that no one thought about
rebelling, Qin Shihuang also collected all of the
weapons. Only his soldiers could keep theirs.
According to one account, he had the rest melted
down to form huge bells and statues.
But, remember, these were the days long before
cell phones and the Internet! Qin Shihuang had to
figure out how to keep in touch with all parts of his
huge empire. He also needed to move goods and
soldiers around. He decided to build a network of
roads. Of course, he did not do any of the labor.
The Great Wall
of China
6