▁first ▁leader ▁to ▁un ify ▁China , ▁Q in ▁Sh i ▁Hu ang ▁( r . ▁ 2 2 1 – 2 1 0 ▁BC ). ▁J ing ▁Ke ▁was ▁to ▁present ▁the ▁r uler ▁of ▁Q in ▁with ▁a ▁district ▁map ▁painted ▁on ▁a ▁sil k ▁scroll , ▁rolled ▁up ▁and ▁held ▁in ▁a ▁case ▁where ▁he ▁hid ▁his ▁assass in ' s ▁d agger . ▁Hand ing ▁to ▁him ▁the ▁map ▁of ▁the ▁designated ▁territory ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁diplom atic ▁act ▁of ▁subm itting ▁that ▁district ▁to ▁Q in ▁rule . ▁J ing ▁then ▁tried ▁and ▁failed ▁to ▁kill ▁him . ▁From ▁then ▁on , ▁maps ▁were ▁frequently ▁mentioned ▁in ▁Chinese ▁sources . ▁ ▁Han ▁D ynast y ▁ ▁The ▁three ▁Han ▁D ynast y ▁maps ▁found ▁at ▁M aw ang du i ▁differ ▁from ▁the ▁earlier ▁Q in ▁State ▁maps . ▁While ▁the ▁Q in ▁maps ▁place ▁the ▁cardinal ▁direction ▁of ▁north ▁at ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁map , ▁the ▁Han ▁maps ▁are ▁orient ated ▁with ▁the ▁southern ▁direction ▁at ▁the ▁top . ▁The ▁Han ▁maps ▁are ▁also ▁more ▁complex , ▁since ▁they ▁cover ▁a ▁much ▁larger ▁area , ▁employ ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁well - des igned ▁map ▁symbols , ▁and ▁include ▁additional ▁information ▁on ▁local ▁military ▁sites ▁and ▁the ▁local ▁population . ▁The ▁Han ▁maps ▁also ▁note ▁measured ▁distances ▁between ▁certain ▁places , ▁but ▁a ▁formal ▁graduated ▁scale ▁and ▁rect angular ▁grid ▁system ▁for ▁maps ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁used — or ▁at ▁least ▁described ▁in ▁full — until