The Qin/Ch'in Dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC) was preceded by the Zhou Dynasty and followed by the Han Dynasty in China. The unification of China 221 BC under the First Emperor (Qin Shi Huangdi) marked the beginning of imperial China. The Qin government was totalitarian, which placed absolute power in the hands of the ruler, ruling by means of strict laws and harsh punishments. Qin Shihuangdi ruled exactly like this and took severe actions to eliminate …showed first 75 words of 391 total…

…showed last 75 words of 391 total…populace. However, the emperor was able to maintain stability due to his tight grip on every aspect of the lives of the Chinese people. The extent of this harsh rule was finally ended a few years after the First Emperor's death, in which the Qin Dynasty was overthrown, and Han Dynasty succeeded.. The new dynasty uplifted some of the harsh laws that was set by the Qin Dynasty, thus making the populace happy once more.