历史小径·世界史英语30篇（2）
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From Feudal Fiefs to Unified Prefectures: Qin-Han Centralization
从分封诸侯到郡县一统：秦汉中央集权制度
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After unifying China in 221 BCE, the Qin Dynasty abolished hereditary feudal states and installed centrally appointed prefectural governors.
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Each commandery (jun) and county (xian) reported directly to the imperial court through standardized laws and written records.
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The Han Dynasty retained this system while softening its harshness and incorporating Confucian ethics into official conduct.
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Civil service appointments gradually replaced noble birth as the path to administrative power, laying groundwork for later examination systems.
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Uniform weights, measures, script, and coinage strengthened economic integration across vast distances.
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Censors traveled regularly to inspect local officials and report corruption or inefficiency to the emperor.
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This bureaucratic structure enabled rapid tax collection, large-scale infrastructure projects, and consistent legal enforcement.
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Rebellions like the Yellow Turban Uprising later tested the system’s responsiveness to regional hardship.
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Nonetheless, the郡县 system endured for over two millennia as China’s foundational administrative model.
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Its legacy reveals how institutional innovation can sustain empire across dynastic change.