WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Legalism became the official philosophy of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE) when the first emperor of China, Shi Huangdi (r. 221-210 BCE), rose to power and banned all other philosophies as a corrupting influence.

Detailed explanation-2: -The founders of legalism. Shang Yang (c. 390-338 BCE) is considered one of the important early philosophers of legalism. A Qin state official, he reorganized the state under the Qin leader Duke Xiao.

Detailed explanation-3: -Legalism promotes the notion of strict law and order and harsh, collective punishments, ideas that influenced Qin Shi Huangdi’s despotism and centralized rule.

Detailed explanation-4: -The main achievement of the Qin is the fact that it unified China, creating the first dynasty ruled by the first emperor Qin Shi Huang. Other well-known achievements is the creation of the Great Wall and a large army of Terracotta Warriors.

Detailed explanation-5: -The Qin dynasty (/ˈtʃɪn/ CHIN; Chinese: ), or Ch’in dynasty, was the first dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin state, the Qin dynasty arose as a fief of the Western Zhou and endured for over five centuries until 221 BC when it was briefly elevated to an empire, which lasted only until 206 BC.

Detailed explanation-6: -The first emperor believed that Legalism would help him rule his empire. He ordered Legalists to write new laws. The Legalist laws gave district officials the power to investigate crimes, arrest suspects, and act as judges. The courts were allowed to beat suspects until they confessed.