Ying Zheng - Johnson David

In the 3rd century BC, what we now know as China was divided into many states. This was called the "Warring States Period." Civil war was rampant, and eventually the number of states was reduced to seven. Of these, the state of Qin on the western border was despised as the most barbaric and weakest of all the states. There, a boy of thirteen became king; his name was Ying Zheng. The young man found men to fight for him, and at the age of twenty, he began a war of conquest, defeating all the other states. He completed this by his thirty-eighth year. On his ascension to ruling the country, Ying Zheng adopted the name First Sovereign Emperor of Qin (Qín Shǐ Huángdì). His vision created the foundation of what we call China. We remember him by his huge unopened tomb, the terracotta army that he buried, and major sections of the great wall of China that he built. He was also responsible for some of the largest water projects of all time. Qín's dynasty did not last, but his influence remains a part of China to this day. To learn the astonishing story of how one man changed the world, read the extraordinary novel based on his life, Ying Zheng: The First Emperor.

David Johnson has always been fascinated by young people who came to power and managed to leave a legacy. A retired quality manager, he lives in Parker, South Dakota. Photo by Jennifer Verhey, Parker, SD.