The Emperor of China (Chinese: 皇帝; pinyin: Huángì) refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning since the founding of the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC until the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912. When referred to as the Son of Heaven (天子), a title created in the late Shang dynasty, the Emperor was recognized as the ruler of "All under heaven" (i.e., the world). In practice not every Emperor was the holder of the highest power of his land, though this was largely the case.