📖 Meaning
This idiom expresses the strategic goal of making a nation prosperous and its military formidable. It encapsulates the Legalist philosophy that a state's survival and dominance depend on economic self-sufficiency and martial strength, both pursued relentlessly.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the 'Book of Lord Shang' (商君书·壹言), written by Shang Yang, the great Legalist reformer who served the Qin state during the Warring States period (circa 4th century BCE). Shang Yang argued that a ruler must concentrate all state resources on agriculture (to enrich the nation) and warfare (to strengthen the army), treating all other pursuits as distractions. His radical reforms deprioritized the aristocracy and dismantled old privileges, transforming Qin from a frontier backwater into the most powerful of the seven warring states. This foundation ultimately enabled Qin Shi Huang to unify China in 221 BCE. The phrase later appeared in Feng Menglong's Ming-dynasty historical novel 'Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms' (东周列国志).
💡 Example Usage
秦国推行商鞅变法，实现了富国强兵的目标。
The Qin state implemented Shang Yang's reforms and achieved the goal of making the country rich and its military strong.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 富国强兵
- Pinyin: fù guó qiáng bīng
- Literal Translation: rich, country, strong, troops
- Category: Power
- Characters: 4