WebQin Shi Huang (Chinese: 秦 始皇, pronunciation ⓘ; February 259 – 12 July 210 BC) was the founder of the Qin dynasty and the first Emperor of China. Rather than maintain the title of " king " ( wáng 王 ) borne by the previous Shang and Zhou rulers, he assumed the invented title of "emperor" ( huángdì 皇帝 ), which would see ...