The Ancient Law That Made Short People Immune to Arrest
Discover the bizarre Qin Dynasty law where your height literally determined if you could be sent to adult prison.
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Discover the bizarre Qin Dynasty law where your height literally determined if you could be sent to adult prison.
Full transcript of The Ancient Law That Made Short People Immune to Arrest
In ancient China, being short literally made you immune to arrest. During the Qin Dynasty around two hundred BC, birth certificates didn't dictate adulthood. Your height did. The legal benchmark was six chi—roughly four feet six inches. If you measured below that line, the government legally considered you a child. You were completely exempt from adult prison, taxes, and the military draft. So if you planned on breaking the law, you'd better hope you were a late bloomer.