Qin Shihuangdi
They call me brutal, a Tyrant, a mass murderer. Some men have cursed my name for more than two thousand years; others have blessed it. I was the First, and the greatest, Emperor of Qin. Without me, there would be no China as you know it today. Brutal? Tyrant? I think NOT!
A new age is inaugurated by the Emperor; Rules and measures are rectified, The myriad things set in order, Human affairs are made clear And there is harmony between fathers and sons. The Emperor in his sagacity, benevolence and justice Has made all laws and principles manifest... Great are the Emperor's achievements, Men attend diligently to basic tasks, Farming is encouraged, secondary pursue discouraged, All the common people prosper; All men under the sky Toil with a single purpose; Tools and measures are made uniform, The written script is standardized; Wherever the sun and moon shine... He works day and night without rest; He defines the laws, leaving nothing in doubt, Making known what is forbidden. The local officials have their duties, Administration is smoothly carried out, All is done correctly, all according to plan... No evil or impropriety is allowed, All strive to be good men and true, And exert themselves in tasks great and small; None dares to idle or ignore his duties... Great is the virtue of our Emperor Who pacifies ail four corners of the earth, Who punishes traitors, roots out evil men, And with profitable measures brings prosperity. Tasks are done at the proper season, All things flourish and grow; The common people know peace And have laid aside weapons and armor... Men delight in his rule, All understanding the law and discipline. The universe entire Is our Emperor's realm... Wherever human life is found, All acknowledge his suzerainty, His achievements surpass those of the Five Emperors, His kindness reaches even the beasts of the field; All creatures benefit from his virtue, All live in peace at home. (Andrea and Overfield 97-100)
Beginnings
I was born in the year 259 BC in Handan, the capital of Zhao. In the beginning, my mother was a concubine of Lu Buwei, who would eventually become Prime Minister under my father. My father was so struck by this concubine that he eventually took her as his own. From that union I came to be. I was given the name Ying Zheng to honor my ancestors, and Zhao Zheng to honor my family. Zheng was my personal name. (Qian 35) My father was KIng Zhuangxiang of Qin. He became king in 250 BC but his reign only lasted until 247 BC when he died. I took his place at thirteen years old. I became King Zheng of Qin. As I was not of age and thus not fit to rule, Lu Buwei, my Prime Minister helped me rule. Li Si was one of his retainers. One of the first commands I gave was to begin construction on my tomb, a wise decision as it turns out, for, as all men are mortal, I was not destined to live long after the completion of my great work. Not for me, the peace I strove for. I was born to strife and conflict and such a life was all I knew. (UNESCO)
Controversy over Birth
According to Grand Historian Sima Qian, my father was not King Zhuangxiang. Sima Qian claimed that my actual father was Lu Buwei. The Grand Historian claimed that my mother was already pregnant when King Zhuangxiang took her as his concubine. Lu Buwei was outraged when KIng Zhuangxiang took the concubine (my mother) as his own. Lu Buwei let King Zhuangxiang have my mother as his concubine because he hoped he would get something in return someday. He eventually was made Prime Minister by KIng Zhuangxiang. (Qian 161-162) I respected Lu Buwei highly and referred to him as Uncle but I never wondered if he was my father. If Sima Qian's allegations were true, then that would have made me an illegitimate ruler. Contemporary Commentator I think one must not forget that the Grand Historian Sima Qian wrote his records during the Han Dynasty. He essentially wrote the history of the Qin to fit the Han worldview. This alleged controversy over the birth of Qin Shihuangdi could have been entirely fabricated by the Grand Historian as an attempt to discredit the Qin Dynasty. The possibility of the First Emperor's birth being illegitimate paints the Qin Dynasty in an unfavorable light as well as tarnishes the legacy of Qin Shihuangdi. This mechanism could have been used by the Grand Historian to reduce the importance of the Qin Dynasty while at the same time promoting the superiority of the Han Dynasty. In the study of history it is important to be objective and unfortunately there seems to be a Han bias to the writings of Sima Qian.
The State of Qin
My nation, Qin, was one of many states in existence at the end of the Zhou Dynasty. In 361 BC, following the advice of Shang Yang, or Lord Shang as he was widely known, my nation began to be ruled according to the tenants of Legalism. At the time I ascended to the throne, Qin was strong, peaceful and prosperous. The people were law-abiding citizens and paid taxes to the state. In 264 BC, shortly before I was born, our nation was visited by a follower of the man called Confucius. His name was Xunzi. He reported that our people "stood in deep awe" of the officials. The officials he described as "serious and sincere". Where, I ask, is the evidence of tyranny later ascribed to my state? Our people were well cared for; what other nation, at that same time, could say as much? (Ebrey 49-52,60)
The Teachings of Lord Shang
Lord Shang arrived in Qin state in 361 BC. As Chief Minister he instituted many reforms that transformed Qin into a more efficient and powerful state congruent with Legalism. He rejected the Confucian virtues of humanity and rightness saying they have no practical use in political life. Rather he advocated strengthening the power of the ruler. War was seen as a necessary means to achieve territorial expansion and to make the people strong, disciplined, and submissive. He advocated the destruction of the old feudal order replacing it instead with a strong central government headed by an absolute ruler. Shang saw the rule of law as an important tool of promoting discipline administered by an impartial bureaucracy. Severe punishments would discourage the breaking of these laws while people were generously rewarded for reporting those that did. Agriculture was the basis of the economy. Shang said that the state depended on the agriculture and war for its peace. The officials must be consistent in their conduct, if the officials are consistent then the state is well governed. Single-mindedness is something that should be strived for. The people were to live frugal and obedient lives devoted to the interests of the state in peace and war. (Bary and Bloom 191-195)
My Rule of Qin
My rule of Qin was marked by constant warfare between Qin and the other warring states. Since I was too young to rule when I ascended to the throne I entrusted the affairs of the state to my chief ministers. My chief ministers consisted of my Prime Minister Lu Buwei, his retainer Li Si; and my generals, Meng Ao, Wang Ji, and Lord Biao. In the first year of my rule, General Meng Ao crushed a revolt. The next nine years would be characterized by a struggle for territory between Qin and the other states. Generals Wang Ji and Meng Ao would die in this period. In the year 238 BC at the age of 21 I received the cap of manhood and received my sword and girdle. I was now able to rule my Kingdom on my own. (Qian 36-37)
Attempted Coup d'etat
In the same year I turned twenty-one there was a revolt in my Kingdom by a "eunuch" in my household, Lao Ai. Lao Ai was not really a eunuch. He was part of a bigger plot to instigate a revolt and overthrow me. In the years since my father King Zhuangxiang died, my mother continued a secret relationship with my prime minister Lu Buwei. Lu Buwei realized that if he continued this relationship, he would risk the chance of a scandal. So he set out to find a replacement. He found a suitable replacement in Lao Ai. The queen dowager requested he be smuggled into her chambers. Lu Buwei suggested Lao Ai be subjected to a mock castration. If Lao Ai was seen as a eunuch, he would have closer access to the queen dowager. The queen dowager bribed an official into pretending to carry out the castration. Lao Ai and the queen dowager then began a relationship that bore two sons. Lao Ai and the queen dowager suggested that if I died, one of these sons would succeed me on the throne. Through his connection with the queen dowager, Lao Ai built up a following of ambitious men looking for government office. In the year 238 BC Lao Ai planned a revolt, he forged my seal and the seal of the queen dowager and called out district troops and prepared to move on the palace. I sent out my army and crushed his rebellion. I seized Lao Ai and his supporters and made an example of them. I beheaded his followers and I had Lao Ai torn in half by two carriages. I had his whole family killed along with his two sons. I found out Lu Buwei was involved in this plot so I had him removed from his post. He later committed suicide in shame. ( Qian 37-38, 163-165)
The Qin Military
As a result of Lord Shang's legalists policies, we, in Qin, developed an aggressive military. Scholars estimate that Qin's population was about 5 or 6 million. Of this population anywhere between 8 percent to 20 percent of the population is estimated to have served in the army. This gave me a grand army that varied anywhere from 500,000 to 1 million strong. My army was very strong and very capable. The army was capable of equipping 1 million armored infantry, 1000 chariots, and 10,000 horses. My army had access to the best weapons available. Iron swords, crossbows, chariots and the best armors. As a result of the strong central government and institutions in Qin, my army was well trained and disciplined. The strong agriculture society in Qin made sure my army was well fed and supplied. With these military capabilities I would be able to wage war effectively against the other states. Since my army was capable of a massive amount of armored infantry, they did the majority of the fighting. Light infantry was used as shock troops and were sent in first followed by the main force of armored infantry. The calvary and chariots would bring up the rear attack the enemy's flanks and charging the weakened lines. This strategy enabled my troops to overwhelm the enemy. (Kiser and Cai 521-522)
My Campaign of Unification
Initial Campaigns
After the removal of Lu Buwei as prime minister, I appointed Li Si as my chief minister. Li Si urged me to take over Han to strike fear in the other states.because in doing so I would terrify the other states.With my kingdom firmly under my control, I could turn my attentions toward...pacification... of my warring neighbors. For over two hundred years they fought with each other. Countless lives were lost.
On Li Si's urging I moved on Han first. Han fell relatively quickly. My army seized the King of Han and took over all of his territory in 230 BC. The following year my army prepared to move on Zhao. By the year 228 BC my army had captured Handan and the king of Zhao and had control over Zhao territory. I traveled to Handan where I had all the enemies of my mother's family killed. In the year 226 BC my army attacked the Yan capital of Ji. My forces succeeded in capturing Ji and defeating the army of Crown Prince Dan of Yan. I had the Crown Prince beheaded for his attempt on my life. The King of Yan escaped to the region of Laiodong where he seized control and made himself king of that region. (Qian 38-41)
Assassination Attempt
The year before in 227 BC, Crown Prince Dan was fearful of the possibility of my troops moving on Yan. In desperation he sent an assassin, Jing Ke to kill me. Jing Ke planned to get close to me by posing as an envoy to the King of Yan. In order to get an audience with me he would bring me the severed head of my former general, Fan Yuqi. I had a bounty out for his head. Jing Ke convinced Fan Yuqi to kill himself so the Jing Ke could put his severed head in a box. Then he acquired the sharpest dagger he could find and coated the tip in poison. Jing Ke wrapped the dagger in a map to be presented to me. I received Jing Ke in my palace and welcomed him warmly. I was pleased by the severed head of Fan Yuqi. When I asked him to bring me the map, he unveiled it to reveal a dagger! He aimed it at my chest and I lunged back and tried to draw my sword. Qin law forbade any weapons to be carried by the people who waited on me. I could not draw my sword so I ran away from Jing Ke until my doctor managed to knock Jing Ke with his medicine bag. I finally managed to draw my sword and a slashed at Jing Ke wounding him eight times. Defeated he told me about his failure to kill me for the Crown Prince of Yan. As punishment I had Jing Ke torn limb from limb. After this incident I ordered more troops to Zhao and then ordered the commander in Zhao to attack Yan. When I found Crown Prince Dan, I had him beheaded. (Qian 172-176)
The Final Campaigns
Following the fall of the capital of Yan, my army moved on the capital of Wei, Daliang in 225 BC. My forces diverted water from the Yellow river and flooded the capital causing the walls to collapse. The king of Wei capitulated and I took over his territory. This was a largely uneventful campaign. I then conquered Chu (Jing) in 223 BC. The Chu army was crushed and the king killed. The following year I called up large amounts of troops and moved to attack the Yan region of Liaodong. I finally succeeded in capturing the king of Yan, King Xi. In 221 BC I marched my army south from Yan into Qi where I seized King Jian of Qi. With this victory I acheived unification of China and I brought the states under my rule. (Qian 41-42)
Here is the order in which the major states fell:
- Han in 230 BC
- Zhao 228 BC
- Wei 225 BC
- Chu 223 BC
- Yan 222 BC
- Qi 221 BC
(Ebrey pp40,60) In just nine years I succeeded in ending the period of warring states. I proclaimed myself emperor and established the Qin Dynasty. From this day forth I was known as Qin Shihuangdi. The first emperor.
Qin Shihuangdi
First Emperor
This is what my new name meant.
- ‘First’ because I fully expected my Empire to last for 10,000 years, if not forever. This was a name each of my descendants would share. I was Shi haungdi, my son would be Ershi huangdi, his son Sanshi huangdi and so forth.
- ‘August and Divine’ as I was now at least equal to a god.
Together, they meant ‘Emperor’. I was fully the equal of the mythical emperors of our past.
Naming Debate
Perhaps there are some of you who wonder why I am sometimes called Qin Shihuangdi and sometimes Qin Shihuang. Originally, I chose the name Shihuangdi, for the reasons I just explained. In later years, the historians felt a need to connect me with my kingdom and they added the "Qin" to the front of my name, where the family name would usually go. This made me Qin Shihuangdi. Even later, it was decided that my name should only have the same number of syllables that any average, ordinary person had- 3. So, they dropped the last syllable "di" (the one that meant "divine") and I became known as Qin Shihuang. (If your name is still known two thousand years from now, perhaps you will find it changed as well.)
My Rule as Emperor
One of the first things I did as Emperor was carry out sweeping changes in order to unify and stabilize the Empire. With the help of my prime minister Li Si and my ministers I divided the empire into 36 commanderies that answered to the central court. Each province was administered by a governor and a military commander. I abolished all feudal ranks and privileges. In an effort to protect against armed insurrection I disarmed the population and made it illegal to possess any weapon of any kind. The rich and powerful families of the empire, 120,000 in all, were moved to the capital so I could better monitor them. I made the legalist ideas of Lord Shang, Han Fei, and Li Si state philosophy. Justice for people who dared break the law was swift and fierce. Punishments were severe and often resulted in execution or forced labor on the many projects in my empire. I used forced labor to connect the many parts of the Great Wall, and to build my magnificent palace and tomb. I also improved the roads in the empire.(Ebrey 60-63)
The Burning of Books
Criticism was not tolerated in my empire. In an effort to control knowledge I had to act. The records of the past could be used to criticize myself and the government. In 213 BC I ordered any books and records of historians other than the state of Qin burned. The Classic of Documents and the Classic of Odes were to be burned as well. Anyone caught in the marketplace discussing either the Documents or the Odes would be put to death. I ordered 460 scholars put to death to eliminate any and all opposition to my rule. See also: Book burning in Qin Dynasty
Standardization
In an effort to unify my empire I standardized the weights and measures, the gauge of wagon wheels, and developed a uniform system of writing. I ordered new coins for my reign as well. They were round, with a square hole in the middle. The shape was suggestive of eternity, round which represented heaven, and a square hole which represented the world. The hole also made it easy smooth out the edges. Many coins could be stacked on a square rod and the edges filed smooth at one time.
In 220 BC I took a tour of inspection of my empire. In honor of my great accomplishments, I erected stone tablets carved with everything I achieved. The quote at the beginning of this page is from a tablet I erected at Mt. Langya. If you examine the quote, you will notice a common theme- all my accomplishments brought peace and/or order to my troubled realm.
Under my rule, for the first time the entire country was ruled by one powerful centralized administration. My government wielded more power than any before. In might and magnificence, I was greater than all prior governments. My people were awed, and yes, afraid of my magnificence. For the next two thousand years (more or less) my pattern of centralized control would be the government of choice for China. If the country was not ruled by descendents of my body, it was at least ruled by descendents of my style of rule, descendents of spirit. (De Bary & Bloom, pp 227)
My Death
After many assassination attempts I became obsessed with reaching immortality. I became obsessed with locating the mythical land of Peng Lai. Herbs brought from this place could grant me immortality. I spent large sums of money sending magicians to locate this mythical land. I dreamed of an ocean God in the shape of a giant fish that was blocking my efforts to locate Peng Lai. I ordered all my ships to carry equipment to seize a giant fish. I myself carried a crossbow just in case I happened across this giant fish. (Qian 61-62) I established an Empire meant to last forever. But it was not to be. I died before my work was done in 210 BC. from illness. Only eight years after my death, the Qin dynasty was no more.
My Tomb
When I first ascended to the throne, I started work on my tomb at Mt. Li. After I became emperor I moved 700,000 men from all over the empire and ordered them to finish it. Replicas of palaces, scenic towers and the hundred officials were brought from around the empire to fill the tomb. Mercury was used to build imitations the hundred rivers, and the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, and the oceans and were built in a way that it seem to flow(Qian 63) I was buried with a full sized army of terra cotta warriors to protect me in the afterlife. These warriors were equipped with real weapons and real chariots. No two of these magnificent warriors was identical, they were all unique. (Ebrey 63) See also: Terra Cotta Army
My Legacy
The Qin Dynasty was marked by aggressive rule and legalist ideals. But the institutions I created such as a centralized government, the standardization of weights and measures, and the unified writing sustem endure to this day. I reigned as Emperor for only 11 years. My "dynasty" didn't even last 10 years past my death. And yet, the land I unified still bears the name of my state. The unity I forged, the Empire I created, this has endured throughout the ages. In time the Han would fall and so too the dynasty that replaced them and the one that would replace them and so down to your day. True, my dynasty did not endure but my legacy, MY legacy remains.
References
- Andrea, Alfred J. and Overfield, James H. "The Human Record: Sources of Global History", Vol 1. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994,2d. ed. pp. 97-100
- De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, Volume 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.
- Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.
- Kiser, Edward, and Yong Kai. “War and Bureaucratization in Qin China: Exploring an Anomalous Case.” American Sociological Review, Vol. 68, No. 4, (August 2003), p. 511 – 539.
- Qian, Sima. Records of the Grand Historian: Qin Dynasty. Translated by Burton Watson. Hong Kong: Columbia University Press, 1993.
- World Heritage Site. UNESCO. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/441