Prince Zheng of Qin who had unified the Chinese states with brute force took immediately the title Emperor of China. Prince Zheng made a new title for himself. This title, Huang Di, signifies in his own words, that "the holder is equal to the Three Divine Rulers in virtue and the Five Emperors in achievements." He decreed that thenceforth he was to be known as Shi Huang Di, or First Emperor, his immediate successor, Eh Shih, or Second Emperor, and so on even down to the ten-thousandth generation. This system was retained by his successors down to the last of the Manchus, and has been rendered "emperor" in English. Emperor Zheng had high thoughts about himself and his empire.
As regards the name of his dynasty, he decreed that it be known under the old name of his state, "Qin". "It is interesting to note," says the author of "A Sketch of Chinese History," "that the name China is probably derived from this name", Qin (pronounced Ch'in), for the first westerners who knew anything about the Chinese, spoke of them as the people of the land of Ch'in, which afterwards became the word China.