THE RECORD
What changed
Commanderies, laws and roads extended central power while regional scripts, weights and measures were standardized.
EVIDENCE
What remains
Standard weights and measures, Qin manuscripts, inscriptions and the terracotta army reveal administrative scale.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
It left a durable model of political unification while relying on coercive labour and harsh punishment.
OPEN QUESTION
Where interpretation begins
Unification did not erase all script variation, and later accounts of book burning and executions require scrutiny.