After unifying China in 221 BCE, the Qin dynasty standardized coinage, weights, measures, and even cart axle widths across its territory, reforms that the succeeding Han dynasty largely maintained and extended. A uniform round bronze coin with a square hole, cast under state authority, became the standard currency across the empire, simplifying transactions between distant regions. Standardized weights and measures reduced friction in trade between different former kingdoms now unified under one administration. These reforms supported the later expansion of long-distance trade routes, including the overland routes that would become known as the Silk Road.
Relevance to Trade History
Currency and measurement standardization reduced transaction costs across a vast territory, laying essential groundwork for the large-scale long-distance trade China conducted in the following centuries.
Read the full story in our article Early Trade Networks of Ancient China.
Source: World History Encyclopedia — Qin Dynasty. See our Sources & Methodology page for how we select and verify references.