Knowra Shang Yang Shang Yang Shang Yang was a fourth-century BCE statesman whose reforms strengthened Qin through centralized administration, strict laws, and rewards for farming and military service.
Shang Yang reforms : A package of administrative, legal, economic, and military changes implemented in Qin under Shang Yang. These measures translated his program into institutions that increased Qin’s capacity to govern and wage war.
Legalism (Chinese philosophy) : A tradition of Chinese political thought emphasizing enforceable laws, administrative control, and state power. Shang Yang is one of the thinkers most closely associated with this tradition.
Duke Xiao of Qin : A Qin ruler from 361 to 338 BCE who sponsored reforms to strengthen his kingdom. His support gave Shang Yang the authority to carry out major changes in Qin.
Confucianism : A Chinese tradition of thought emphasizing ethical cultivation, ritual, and humane government. Its reliance on moral example contrasts with Shang Yang’s emphasis on law, incentives, and punishments.
Qin Shi Huang : The king of Qin who conquered rival states and became China’s first emperor in 221 BCE. His conquests depended on the powerful Qin state built over generations after Shang Yang’s reforms.
Household registration : A system that records households for taxation, labor service, surveillance, and administrative control. Qin’s registration practices helped make population and obligations legible to the state.
Fa (law) : In Chinese political thought, fa means publicly stated standards, methods, or laws used to regulate conduct and administration. His reforms relied on clear rules and consistent penalties and rewards.
Gongsun Yang : The personal name of the statesman later known as Shang Yang, who served the state of Qin. The name distinguishes his earlier identity from the title associated with his Qin fief.
Mencius : A Confucian philosopher who argued that human nature inclines toward goodness and rulers should govern humanely. His moral and political claims sharply differ from Shang Yang’s coercive state-centered program.
Qin dynasty : China’s first imperial dynasty, established in 221 BCE and ended in 206 BCE. The empire inherited institutions and state capacity associated with Qin’s earlier reforms.
Show all 26