Contingency and Historical Inevitability in the Development of the Qin Dynasty

Abstract

The history of the Qin dynasty is highly contingent and inevitable, with many historical events occurring with a strong sense of fatalism and sometimes quite inexorably. The rise of the Qin dynasty began with the reappointment of Shang Yang by King Xiao of Qin. It was a fortuitous decision, but the encouragement of agriculture and the emphasis on the army met the requirements of historical development. King Huiwen of Qin continued to follow Shang Yang’s changes and expanded Qin’s lands, and Qin continued to grow stronger. For various reasons, Ying Zheng, the later emperor Qin Shi Huang, also ascended to the throne and unified the other six states by defeating six other states one after another. The cause of unification would have been accomplished by the Qin or other state by contingency, but the unification of the late Warring States was inevitable. However, after the establishment of the Qin dynasty, Qin Shi Huang made significant mistakes in the political and cultural policies, and the empire soon fell. It was inevitable that tyranny would lead to the state’s downfall, but the end of the dynasty in just 15 years was somewhat contingent.