AncientPages.com - For the first time, after the sustained efforts of two generations, Chinese archaeologists have discovered ruins of pottery marked with the characters for "Yueyang" in a location northeast of Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province.
With this discovery, they have confirmed the location of Yueyang, one Qin state capital during the Warring States period (475 BC—221 BC), where the famous 'Reforms of Shang Yang' took place.
The discovery has provided important information for the study of history and culture of the state of Qin.
Shang Yang (ca. 390-338 BC) was a Chinese statesman and political philosopher. He was one of the founders of Chinese Legalism.
In 383 BC, the Duke Xian of Qin moved the capital from Yongcheng to Yueyang. Yueyang thus became the new capital of the Qin state, lasting for 35 years.
During that period, Shang Yang, an important Chinese statesman of the State of Qin, contributed to what would be termed Chinese Legalism. With the support of Duke Xiao of Qin, Yang enacted numerous reforms, transforming the peripheral Qin state into a militarily powerful and strongly centralized kingdom, as well as enhancing the administration through an emphasis on meritocracy.
Unearthed deer pattern tile. Credits: Xinhua/Feng Guo
Qin finally conquered all other Warring States and eventually unified China in 221 BC.
A large number of relics from the Qin and Han Dynasties have also been unearthed. Liu Rui, researcher at the Institute of Archaeology in the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that we can confirm the location of the ancient capital of Qin through meticulous archaeological work.
Unearthed architectural monuments. Photo credits: Xinhua/Feng Guo
The important pottery relics and ruins also prove the importance of Yueyang during the Qin and Han Dynasties.
'Reforms of Shang Yang' were very important for China's development.
Lord Shang Yang - born in an aristocrat family in the state of Wei - introduced the reforms to the state of Qin in the Warring States Period (475-221BC).
Pottery marked with "Yueyang." Photo credits: Xinhua/Feng Guo
In 356BC, he was appointed governor to introduce the first political reform to reward faring and weaving, abolish hereditary privileges of the nobility and encourage farming and fighting for the country, set up a unitary administrative system down to household registration at the grass roots.
Excavations in the ruins of Yueyang. Xinhua/Feng Guo
The first reform brought rapid development to the state of Qin. Two years later, the capital was shifted to Xianyang and the second political reform was then introduced to establish the political system of county, in which China was divided into 31 counties, to abolish the nine-square system and make land private, and unify weights and measures, thus laying the foundations for the state of Qin to become strong and eventually unify China for the first time in history.
Shang Yang carried the reform in strict terms and political reform achieved great success.
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