Why did Qin Shi Huang order walls between former Chinese states to be removed?

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Great Wall of China Great Wall of China, near Beijing.

After unifying China in 221 BCE, Qin Shi Huang ordered the removal of the various fortifications that had been built between the former independent states. He took this action because those internal walls served only as obstacles to the administration and movement of people within his newly unified empire.1

By dismantling these internal barriers, the emperor aimed to facilitate centralized control and integrate the previously divided territories into a single, cohesive state. Following this, he redirected resources toward securing the northern frontier by linking existing wall segments into a unified defense system, known as the Great Wall, to protect the empire against nomadic incursions.123