Abstract
According to the Annals of Qin Shihuang (秦始皇本紀) in the Shiji, the First Emperor of Qin implemented a series of policies to consolidate his power when he unified the empire in the twenty-sixth year of his reign (221 BC). These included the policy of unifying the writing system, Shu Tong Wen Zi (書同文字). Most researchers consider it a policy of unifying the written characters throughout the empire based on the Qin character standard, while suppressing the other character systems which were used outside the State of Qin in the Warring States Period. However, it is difficult to tell what exactly was implemented, and still, there are many different hypotheses.
We are very lucky to have new historical sources to inform this debate, and the most critical piece of evidence is the “Tong Wen Zi Fang” (同文字方), numbered 8-461 in Liye Qinjian vol.1 (里耶秦簡[壹]). This paper demonstrates that the “unification of writing” involved adjustment of graphic forms, rules for associations between character and word, and changes in standard vocabulary. As a result, not only was the writing of the other regions altered, but also Qin texts themselves were further standardized after the implementation of the policy. The differences could, therefore, become criteria for the periodization of excavated Qin texts.
Keywords
unification of writing, “Tong Wen Zi Fang” , Qin texts, periodization
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