Question

which chinese ruler established a national currency, a system of weights and measures, and a standard chinese writing?

confucius
han fei zi
laozi
qin shi huangdi

Explanation:

Identify the historical achievements described

The question asks for a Chinese ruler who established a national currency, standardized weights and measures, and unified Chinese writing. These sweeping standardization reforms are classic hallmarks of the unification of China under its first imperial dynasty.

Evaluate the options based on historical roles

• Confucius: A philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period who founded Confucianism. He was not a ruler and did not implement state-wide administrative standardizations.
• Han Fei Zi: A prominent Legalist philosopher of the Warring States period. While his ideas heavily influenced imperial governance, he was a theorist rather than a ruler.
• Laozi: The legendary founder of Daoism, associated with the concept of Laozi and wu-wei. He was a philosopher, not an emperor or political administrator.
• Qin Shi Huangdi: The first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (r. 221–210 BCE). Following his military unification of the Warring States, he implemented centralized reforms to consolidate his rule, including standardizing the currency (Ban Liang coins), weights, measures, and the Small Seal script.

Select the correct ruler

Qin Shi Huangdi is the only figure among the choices who was a ruler and who enacted these specific national standardization policies.

Answer:

• (A) Confucius
• (B) Han Fei Zi
• (C) Laozi
• (D) Qin Shi Huangdi (Correct answer)