14 Facts About Shang Yang

Shang Yang was born as the son of a concubine to the ruling family of the minor state Wey.

At a young age, Shang Yang studied law and obtained a position under Prime Minister Shuzuo of Wei.

Shang Yang personally led the Qin army to defeat Wei, and eventually Wei ceded the land west of the Yellow River to Qin.

Shang Yang is credited by Han Fei, often considered to be the greatest representative of Chinese Legalism, with the creation of two theories;.

Shang Yang introduced his second set of changes in 350 BC, which included a new standardized system of land allocation and reforms to taxation.

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Shang Yang introduced land reforms, privatized land, rewarded farmers who exceeded harvest quotas, enslaved farmers who failed to meet quotas, and used enslaved subjects as rewards for those who met government policies.

Shang Yang made laws forcing citizens to marry at a young age and passed tax laws to encourage raising multiple children.

Shang Yang enacted policies to free convicts who worked in opening wastelands for agriculture.

Shang Yang partly abolished primogeniture and created a double tax on households that had more than one son living in the household, to break up large clans into nuclear families.

Shang Yang moved the capital from the city of Yueyang to Xianyang, in order to reduce the influence of nobles on the administration.

Shang Yang was deeply despised by the Qin nobility and became vulnerable after the death of Duke Xiao.

Shang Yang had previously humiliated the new duke "by causing him to be punished for an offense as though he were an ordinary citizen.

Shang Yang was executed by julie; his whole family was executed.

Shang Yang then fled to his fiefdom, where he raised a rebel army but was killed in battle.