<P> The name' Qin' (pronounced as' Chin') is believed to be the etymological ancestor of the modern - day European name of the country, China . The word probably made its way into the Indo - Aryan languages first as' Cina' or' Sina' and then into Greek and Latin as' Sinai' or' Thinai' . It was then transliterated into English and French as' China' and' Chine' . This etymology is dismissed by some scholars, who suggest that' Sina' in Sanskrit evolved much earlier before the Qin dynasty .' Jin' (pronounced as' Zhin'), a state controlled by the Zhou dynasty in seventh century BC, is another possible origin . Others argued for the state of Jing (荆, another name for Chu), as well other polities in the early period as the source of the name . </P> <P> Note: King Zhaoxiang of Qin (秦昭襄 王) had already been ruling Qin for 51 years when Qin annihilated the Zhou dynasty; however the other six warring states were still independent regimes . Some Chinese historiographers thus used the next year (the 52nd year of King Zhaoxiang of Qin) as the official succession from the Zhou dynasty . </P> <P> Qin Shi Huang was the first Chinese sovereign to proclaim himself "Emperor", after unifying China in 221 BC . That year is therefore generally taken by Western historians to be the start of the "Qin dynasty" which lasted for fifteen years until 206 when it was cut short by civil wars . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Posthumous names / title </Th> <Th> Chinese family names and given names </Th> <Th> Period of Reigns </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Convention: "Qin" + posthumous name </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Zhaoxiang (昭 襄 Zhāoxiāng) </Td> <Td> Ying Ze (嬴 則 yíng zé) or Ying Ji (嬴 稷 yíng jì) </Td> <Td> 306 BC--250 BC </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Xiaowen (孝文 Xiàowén) </Td> <Td> Ying Zhu (嬴 柱 yíng zhù) </Td> <Td> 250 BC </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Zhuangxiang (莊 襄 Zhuāngxiāng) </Td> <Td> Ying Zichu (嬴 子 楚 yíng zǐ chǔ) </Td> <Td> 249 BC--247 BC </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Qin dynasty (221 BC--206 BC) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Shi Huangdi (始皇帝 Shǐ Huángdì) </Td> <Td> Ying Zheng (嬴 政 yíng zhèng) </Td> <Td> 246 BC--210 BC </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Er Shi Huangdi (二 世 皇帝 Èr Shì Huángdì) </Td> <Td> Ying Huhai (嬴 胡亥 yíng hú hài) </Td> <Td> 210 BC--207 BC </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> Ziying was often referred using personal name or <P> Ziying, King of Qin (秦 王子 嬰 qín wáng zi yīng) </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Did not exist </Td> <Td> Ying Ziying (嬴 子 嬰 yíng zi yīng) </Td> <Td> 206 BC </Td> </Tr> </Table>

An example of a qin reform resulting in greater social organization was the division of china into