As the Qin Dynasty ruled until 206 BC and writer of the essay, Jia Yi, was born in 200 BC and died in 168 or 169 BC, the document was probably written around 20 or 30 years after the fall of the Qin Dynasty.
After centuries of war among the states of ancient China, the Qin conquered all others in just twenty-five years. Under the rule of Qin, China saw sweeping reforms and massive public works projects. Despite these achievements, the Qin dynasty lasted only fifteen years.
