How did the Great Qin forge its "Wolf-Warrior" Army?（Warring State 14）
Volume 3 - The Reforms of Shang Yang IV
Previous Chapter ：A Land Reform in Ancient China that Continues to Influence the Present(Warring State 13)
History of Warring States Period(Catalog)
Let’s talk about the Military Reform of Shang Yang
The First Task of Military Reform: Standardizing Rewards and Punishments, Establishing a Rank System with Twenty Tiers of Military Nobility.
This twenty-tier military nobility system was exclusive in its criteria—there was only one way to earn it: killing enemies.
From then on, on the battlefield, for every enemy slain, soldiers had to bring back the head as proof. Nothing else was accepted. Each head meant one rank promotion.
Future military achievements would be rewarded with land, slaves, and other prizes—all clearly quantifiable, no room for deception. "Bring a head, get a reward."
As a result, Qin soldiers no longer felt fear in battle—only excitement.
"Your head is my treasure—today, I will kill you."
Nobility ranks were hard to obtain, with only one path: the battlefield.
"No matter how noble your ancestry, it means nothing now."
"Only those strong enough to chop off heads rule here."
This severely weakened entrenched elites.
"Our family’s nobility lasted generations—now you force us to kill? You know damn well I can’t fight!"
The old aristocracy loathed Shang Yang for this.
The military rank system erased the gap between commoners and nobles—anyone could change their fate through slaughter.
"All else is inferior; only head-taking brings glory."
The Second Task of Military Reform: Perfecting the Conscription System
First, leveraging the achievements of land reform, the newly established household registration system extended conscription to wider regions and deeper into the lower classes.
The nation’s military capacity expanded instantly, with all data now documented.
How many men were available?
How many could be mobilized?
How many reserves existed?
The ruler could see everything at a glance.
In that era, having precise numbers was the greatest military advantage.
Second, a detailed conscription system was formalized:
At age 20, the state allocated land to a man, requiring him to farm for three years.
By age 23, he was expected to have saved one year’s worth of grain, after which he would report for duty with his provisions.
Active service lasted two years:
Year 1: Combat deployment on the front lines.
Year 2: Guard duty at the royal court.
After completing service, if still alive, he returned to civilian life but remained subject to future call-ups during emergencies—though with strict rotation policies to prevent overexploitation ("no repeatedly shearing the same sheep").
If, against all odds, he survived to age 56, he was permanently exempt from conscription.
I suspect Shang Yang conducted demographic surveys—he knew most Qin citizens didn’t live past 55.
The military ranks earned through bloodshed came with the following benefits:
Commutation of Punishment: If you committed a crime in the future, your rank could be used to reduce or exempt penalties.
Exclusive Privileges: State-provided housing, clothing, and other perks were strictly tiered—not just for the wealthy, but only for those with the proper rank.
"Want status? Fine clothes? A grand house? Only military merit gets you there—no shortcuts for vanity."