qilin or ch'i-lin \che-'lin\ In Chinese mythology, a kind of unicorn whose rare appearance often coincides with the imminent birth or death of a sage or illustrious ruler. Appearances could also indicate the benevo¬ lence of living emperors. A qilin has a single hom on its forehead, a yel¬ low belly, a multicoloured back, a horse’s hooves, a deer’s body, and an ox’s tail. Legend has it that a qilin appeared to the pregnant mother of Confucius.
Qin dynasty or Ch'in \'chin\ dynasty (221-207 bc) Dynasty that established the first great Chinese empire. The Qin (from which the name China is derived) established the approximate boundaries and basic administrative system that all subsequent dynasties were to follow. Qin accomplishments include standardizing the Chinese writing system and building the Great Wall; the dynasty is also notorious for the “Qin bib- liocaust,” in which all nonutilitarian books were ordered burned. Due to its harshness, the dynasty outlasted its first emperor, Shihuangdi, by only three years; it was beset by rebellion and succeeded by the Han dynasty.
Qin Hui or Ch'in Kuei Vchin-kii-'iA (b. 1090, Jiangning, Jiangsu prov¬ ince, China—d. 1155, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province) Chief counselor to the Southern Song emperor Gaozong. He maintained external security by signing a peace treaty with the Juchen in the north and internal security by undermining the power of leading generals, notably Yue Fei, who had
argued for war with the Juchen and whom Qin Hui executed. For relin¬ quishing northern China to the Juchen, Qin Hui is remembered as a traitor.
Qin Jiushao (b. c. 1202, Puzhou, China—d. c. 1261, Meizhou) Chi¬ nese mathematician who developed a method of solving simultaneous linear congruences. In 1219 he joined the army as captain of a territorial volunteer unit and helped quash a local rebellion. In 1233 he began his official government service. In his only mathematical book, now known as Shushu jiuzhang (1247; “Mathematical Writings in Nine Sections”), he introduced a method of solving systems of linear equations that was redis¬ covered in Europe about 1802, where it became known as the Ruffini- Homer method. He later became provincial governor of Qiongzhou, but charges of corruption and bribery brought his dismissal in 1258.
Qin tomb or Ch'in Vchin\ tomb Major Chinese archaeological site near the ancient capital city of Chang’an (now Xi’an), a 20-sq-mi (50- sq-km) funerary compound built by the first sovereign emperor, Qin Shi¬ huangdi. In 1974 workers drilling a well discovered a subterranean chamber that contained an army of some 6,000 life-size terra-cotta sol¬ diers with individually detailed faces, as well as horses, weapons, and other objects. Three nearby chambers containing more than 1,400 figures have also been unearthed; the tomb itself has not yet been excavated. Archaeologists anticipate that it will take many years to unearth the rest of the complex. The mausoleum is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Qing dynasty or Ch'ing \'chiq\ dynasty or Manchu dynasty
(1644-1911/12) Last of the imperial dynasties in China. The name Qing was first applied to the dynasty established by the Manchu in 1636 in Manchuria and then applied by extension to their rule in China. During the Qing dynasty, China’s territory and population expanded tremen¬ dously. Cultural attitudes were strongly conservative and Neo- Confucianism was the dominant philosophy. The arts flourished: literati painting was popular, novels in the vernacular developed substantially, and jingxi (Peking opera) developed. Qing porcelain, textiles, tea, paper, sugar, and steel were exported to all parts of the world. Military cam¬ paigns in the latter part of the 18th century depleted government finances, and corruption grew. These conditions, combined with population pres¬ sures and natural disasters, led to the Opium Wars and the Taiping and Nian rebellions, which in turn so weakened the dynasty that it was unable to rebuff the demands of foreign powers. The dynasty ended with the repub¬ lican revolution of 1911 and the abdication of the last emperor in 1912.
Qinghai DrCh'ing-hai conventional Tsinghal Province (pop., 2000 est.: 5,180,000), west-central China. It is bordered by Gansu and Sichuan provinces and the Tibet and Xinjiang autonomous regions.With an area of 278,400 sq mi (721,000 sq km), it is the largest Chinese province. The capi¬ tal is Xining. Located in a remote region west of the historic provinces of China proper, it forms the northeastern part of the Plateau of Tibet, mostly above 10,000 ft (3,048 m) in elevation. The source of the Huang He (Yellow River) is in one of its mountain ranges. Parts of Qinghai came under Chi¬ nese control in the 3rd century bc. For centuries it was sparsely occupied by nomadic herdsmen, chiefly Tibetans and Mongols, and a few Chinese farmers. The Chinese population increased over the years. Qinghai was made a Chinese province in 1928. Economic activities today include farm¬ ing, herding, mining, lumbering, and manufacturing. It possesses some of China’s best pasturelands and is noted for its horse breeding.
Qinghai Hu See Koko Nor
Qishon River or Kishon Vkl-,shan\ River River, northern Israel. It rises near Mount Gilboa and flows northwest for about 25 mi (40 km) through the Plain of Esdraelon to the Mediterranean Sea just north of Haifa. It was the scene of biblical events, including the Israelite victory of Deborah over the Canaanite general Sisera and of Elijah’s slaying of the prophets of Baal. In modem times, the river’s mouth has been developed as part of Haifa’s port complex. It is the main base of Israel’s fishing fleet.
Qiu Chuji or Ch'iu Ch'u-chi Vjyu-'ju-'jeX orig. Changchun Vchaq-'chimX (b. 1148, Qixia, Dengzhou, China—d. 1227, Beijing) Dao¬ ist monk and alchemist. His disciple Li Zhichang chronicled Qiu’s jour¬ ney to meet Genghis Khan (who wished to learn from Qiu) in The Travels of an Alchemist, which describes the land and people between the Great Wall and Kabul and between the Yellow and Aral seas. Qiu Chuji was a member of a sect known for its extreme asceticism and for the doctrine of xingming, which held that humanity’s lost natural state could be recov¬ ered through prescribed practices.
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Qizilqum ► Quantrill I 1573
Qizilqum See Kyzylkum
Qo'qon \k9-'kon\ or Quqon or Kokand \ko-'kant\ Region, eastern Uzbekistan. A powerful khanate by the 18th century, it was conquered by Russia in 1876 and was made a province of Turkistan under its ancient name, Fergana. It became part of the new Uzbek S.S.R. in 1924 and of independent Uzbekistan in 1991. Its chief city, also called Qo'qon (pop., 1999 est.: 192,500), was founded in 1732, though its settlement dates to the 10th century.
Qu Yuan or Ch'u Yuan Vchui-'ywenX (b. c. 339, Quyi, China—d. 278 bc, Hunan) Chinese poet. Bom into the ruling house of Chu, in youth Qu Yuan was a favourite of the region’s ruler. Later he was banished and wandered in despair, writing and observing folk customs, which would influence his works. He eventually drowned himself. His most famous poem is the melancholy Lisao (“On Encountering Sorrow”). One of the greatest poets of ancient China, he exerted enormous influence on later poets with his highly original verse.
quack grass See couch grass
quadrangle Rectangular open space completely or partially enclosed by buildings of an academic or civic character. The grounds of a quad¬ rangle are often grassy or landscaped. Such an area, intended as an envi¬ ronment for contemplation, study, or relaxation, was a feature of monastic establishments and the colleges that evolved from them. The quadrangu¬ lar layout at New College in Oxford University (completed 1386), with its partially connected buildings, was enormously influential in subse¬ quent collegiate building.