A Brief History of the Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is one of the most famous landmarks in the world, and it’s one of the few man-made wonders that can be seen from space. But how much do you really know about this iconic structure? In order to understand its significance, you need to know its history—the history of the Great Wall of China. Read on to learn more about this ancient structure!
6th Century BC - The First Great Walls
Even from the beginning, China's Great Walls were an awe-inspiring feat. Back in 6th century BC, some parts of what we now know as Great Wall date back to this time period, but it wasn't until 221 BC that the Great Wall took on its recognizable form - thanks to Qin Shi Huangdi. Qin Shi Huangdi was Emperor of China and used The Great Walls not only to defend his people from invaders but also to assert his power over them. Since then, both battlements and sections have been added over time. From the Ming Dynasty onwards, most additions had more to do with defending China against internal rebellion than external invasions. In many cases, there were so many bandits roaming freely between provinces that The Great Wall turned into a boundary line for large swathes of land as well as a defensive barrier. In recent decades, much has been done to restore and preserve The Great Wall for future generations. Today tourists are free to explore stretches of restored or reconstructed portions at their leisure.
5th Century BC - Construction Continues
Construction on the Great Wall spanned from 5th century BC up until the 17th century AD. While we don't know for sure who built this amazing landmark, legend has it that Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of a unified China, commissioned the construction for protection against invaders. Interestingly enough, scholars now believe that instead of invading forces, domestic rebellions spurred continued construction due to its effectiveness in stifling rebellion. It is also thought that labor shortages resulted in laborers being drawn from local governments and given titles as nobles or bureaucrats if they were able to complete their section satisfactorily (a truly brilliant strategy!). With every dynasty cycle came renovations on sections at risk due to new enemies and climate changes.
4th Century BC - Attacks Continue, Improvements Made
In the 4th century BC, there were continual attacks from nomadic tribesmen living north of the Great Wall. Several thousand soldiers were deployed to guard against these raids. In 221 BC, Liu Bang became emperor of a newly unified Han dynasty after defeating his last rival in a military campaign. To better protect his territories and prepare for possible rebellions, he ordered extensive repairs and extensions of the Great Wall at different points so that it would eventually extend over thousands of miles. The Great Wall was constructed by joining together sections of earlier walls. The earliest parts may have been built as early as 700 BC but most date from the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC).
3rd Century BC - Sacked by Nomadic Tribes
The first mention of a defensive barrier against nomadic tribes appears in 3rd century BC writings by Emperor Qin Shi Huang. These first mentions seem to be centered around some walls that were built by King Fuchai in the 6th century BC against attacks from nomadic tribes, and then later extended by his successor Zhong Zhou. The Qin Dynasty followed up on these short walls, built some more, and managed to have them connected on what is known as the Great Wall of China. This wall managed to hold up under attacks from many different nomadic groups until 220 AD when they were finally breached in three places during a battle with a group known as the Xiongnu - leaving it vulnerable for future attack.
2nd Century BC - Unaffected by Han Dynasty Construction
It is unclear exactly when and why construction on the Great Wall began. The oldest sections of the wall date back to second century BC. As recorded in historical texts, at this time both Han Dynasty (around 210 BC) and Northern Qi Dynasty (550 AD) ruled sections in present-day Gansu province. When these dynasties ruled, they constructed defensive systems rather than walls with towers along their borders, as they feared that attacking armies could go around them easily and converge on strategically important locations.
The wall was first built to stop invasions from outside China under Emperor Qin Shi Huang during his rule beginning in 221 BC.
1st Century AD - Maintenance Begins, Further Extensions Started
The Great Wall has a long and storied history. Contrary to popular belief, most of the Great Wall was not built in one construction project. Construction was spread out over centuries as different dynasties ruled and had a need for additional walls. This includes short stretches that were reconstructed during the Ming Dynasty after they took power in 1368 AD to keep invaders out during their offensive campaign against Mongols on their Northern border. The First Emperor Qin Shi Huang commissioned sections of wall as he expanded his kingdom, although much more needs to be done to validate this claim based on written records.
6th Century AD - Disrepair, Reconstruction in 8th century AD
The Great Wall began to take shape in the 6th century BC and was one of many projects carried out under Qin Shi Huang, who established unified rule over a large area for the first time. The Great Wall’s construction didn’t progress much until Emperor Qin Shihuang's successful defeat of all the rebellious states at once after a 10-year war and he then ordered for work on the project to start up again. In 8th century AD during Warring States period,the people made a decision to reconstruct Great Wall for protection. They used laborers recruited by way off conscription or kidnapping each year from four provinces - Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi and Hebei - as well as prisoners captured from other states.
10th century AD - The Great Wall Stands as a Monument to Chinese History
The Great Wall stands as a monument to Chinese history, but it was not created for one sole purpose. Rather, this awe-inspiring landmark is built from various motivations that are spread across its thousands of miles. Construction on the wall first began in 7th century BC and while it began with defensive purposes in mind, some 600 years later in 221BC, walls had been erected along major trade routes as well.
The Great Wall played an integral role in defending against invasions by nomadic groups. It also served as protection for the Han dynasty who ruled during these periods. However, despite being constructed over 2,000 years ago, much of what we know about the Great Wall comes from historical records that were not written until centuries after its completion. There is still much debate among historians about what exactly happened at times when invaders breached sections of the wall or when floods washed away portions entirely. These holes and gaps in history will likely never be filled with certainty since such events could only be witnessed by those few who survived them firsthand.
