During the Eastern Zhou dynasty (c. 771 – 256 BC), local varieties of Chinese character forms had developed across the country, producing the 'scripts of the six states' (六國文字)—which were later collectively referred to as large seal script.

[1] This variance was considered unacceptable by the nascent Qin dynasty (221–206 BC), who saw it as a hindrance to timely communication, trade, taxation, and transportation, as well as being a potential vector for fomenting political dissent.

[2] Around 220 BC, Qin Shi Huang ordered a systematic standardization of the country's weights, measures, and currency, as well as its writing system.

[3] The standardized use of small seal characters was promulgated via the Cangjiepian primer compiled by Qin Shi Huang's ministers—namely his chancellor Li Si.

[citation needed] The small seal script was initially proposed for inclusion in Unicode in 2015.