202508291350
Status: #idea
Tags: #history #china #social_technology #government #institutions #centralization
# The Qin dynasty developed advanced social technology for centralization
Initially, China's kingdoms operated on something akin to a feudal model of government - there was a ruling monarch, who sat atop the equivalent of manor lords. These lords were responsible for raising their own levies and collecting taxes for the monarch. They operated semi-autonomously. This reduced bureaucratic costs for the central government, at the expense of having less control over its subdued territories.
The Qin introduced several innovations in the 300s BC that allowed them far more direct control of their territories. They removed feudal lords in favor of centrally appointed ministers that governed each region. They standardized weights & measurements to facilitate trade, heavily taxes that trade, and received that taxes in the form of coins. They also implemented universal conscription.
In addition, they created what may have been the world's first surveillance state. They grouped 5-10 households into communities, and members of those communities were responsible for informing on other members who had committed crimes. If the crime was discovered without having been informed by a member of the community, the whole community would be punished for the crime. This incentivized informing and replaced the need for a large state-run surveillance system.
Lastly, the Qin implemented ranks for its citizens along with measurable benchmarks that citizens could reach in order to achieve the next rank. Thus, they could incentivize desired behaviors (such as killing the enemy in war).
These social technologies allowed the Qin to exert much more direct control over its society than its contemporaries were able to, allowing it to outcompete and ultimately conquer its neighbors.
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# References