Lesson 10 The Great Peasant Uprising in the Late Qin Dynasty

Tyranny of Qin

Qin Shi Huang completed the unification of China, implemented various measures to consolidate the unification, and created a system of counties and counties that would be used by future generations. But his rule was also characterized by eagerness and tyranny. He imposed heavy taxes on the peasants, forcing them to hand over two-thirds of their harvest to the state. For example, more than 700,000 people were deployed for the construction of the Lishan Mausoleum and the Afang Palace, 500,000 soldiers were deployed for the conquest of the south, and 400,000 people were deployed for the construction of the Great Wall. At that time, the population of the country was about 20 million, and 3 million adult men were in military service every year. The peasant class was brutally exploited and oppressed, and thousands of peasants left their hometowns and agricultural production, causing serious damage to the social economy.

The laws imposed by the Qin Dynasty were so harsh that the people would break the law if they were not careful, and if one person broke the law, his family and neighbors would be implicated. The punishment at that time was extremely cruel, there were various mutilations of the flesh, and the death penalty alone was more than 10 kinds of carving, beheading, and burying alive.

After the death of Qin Shi Huang, the successor Qin II was even more brutal. He ordered the burial of a large number of court ladies and smothered all the craftsmen who built the tomb in the tomb. In order to consolidate his throne, Qin II murdered his siblings and slaughtered his ministers at will. He exploited the people even more cruelly, and made them live in an untenable situation by spending money freely and touring around with extravagant desires.

Uprising of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang

In the summer of 209 B.C., more than 900 peasants were drafted to Yuyang to guard the Great Wall. When they reached Dazexiang, the road was muddy due to heavy rain, so they were forced to stop their journey and could not arrive on schedule. According to Qin law, they were to be executed for missing the deadline. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, the leaders of the group, thought that it would be better to resist than to die, so they killed the officer who was escorting them and said to them, "We will be beheaded if we miss the deadline because of the rain. If a strong man does not die, he will die to make a great name. Under their call, everyone responded enthusiastically and resolved to resist the brutal rule of the Qin Dynasty. They chopped wood as weapons and raised the banner of rebellion. The first major peasant uprising in Chinese history broke out.

After the Dazexiang uprising, the ranks grew rapidly. After capturing Chen County, Chen Sheng became the king and established the "Zhang Chu" regime. Peasants from all over the world responded and the uprising army continued to grow. Chen Sheng sent his main force to the west to attack Xianyang. Qin Er Shi urgently mobilized his army to counterattack. Under the powerful attack of Qin army, the uprising army lacked backup and eventually failed.

Although the uprising of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang failed, the tide against Qin did not die down. The armies led by Xiang Yu and Liu Bang grew and fought separately against the Qin army. Xiang Yu was a brave and courageous warrior, and in the Battle of Julu, he defeated the main force of the Qin army by a small number. Liu Bang seized the opportunity and led his army to Xianyang, the Qin capital. In 207 B.C., the rulers of the Qin Dynasty were surrounded by the rebel army and were forced to surrender. The Qin dynasty, which was so famous and powerful, died after only 15 years of existence.

The Chu-Han Controversy

After the fall of the Qin Dynasty, Xiang Yu, who had a heavy army, made himself King of Western Chu and Liu Bang King of Han. The two sides fought for the throne, which was called the "Chu-Han War". Although Xiang Yu was powerful, he was headstrong and relied on force, while Liu Bang focused on collecting people's hearts and making good use of talents, and his power gradually changed from weak to strong. Finally, Liu Bang's army surrounded Xiang Yu and his men at Gaixia, and Xiang Yu was defeated and killed himself. This war lasted for 4 years, and Liu Bang won the final victory.（771words）