First emperor of the Qin Dynasty, Quin Shi Huang-di (259 BC-210 BC) unified China in 221 BC and turned the country into a centralized empire.

Contributed by Liping Bu, Ph.D. in History, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Name variations: Qin Shihuangdi, Ch'in Shih Huang-ti, Shih Huang Ti, Qin Shi Huang, Qin Wang Zheng (King Zheng of Qin), Qin Ying, Qin Zheng; Qin Shi Huang-di was his title, often abbreviated as Qin Shi Huang. His own name was Zheng, and his family name was Ying. "Qin" indicates the Qin Dynasty or Qin Empire, "Shi" means the beginning or the first, "Huang-di" means emperor. Born in 259 b.c.; died in 210 b.c.; son of King Zhuang Xiang of Qin; children: more than 20 sons. Predecessor: Zhuang Xiang of Qin. Successor: Hu Hai, his second son.

Before Qin Shi Huang (Ch'in Shih Huang-ti) unified China in 221 b.c., the country was torn apart...