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.
My campaign of unification
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. Tell me, how is a farmer supposed to concentrate on raising food if he lives in constant fear of being dragged off to fight in another war? Under my rule, farmers didn't have to constantly fear that. (True there were other projects, besides war, that required a lot of people...and yes, some of them- OK, many of them- did die. But at least they didn't die in endless, senseless wars!)
My army had at least 400,000 men in it- yes, Qin was prosperous enough to supply, and keep supplied, an army of that size. With so many men, I could afford to leave a sizable occupation force in each land that I conquered without diluting, too much, the fighting strength of my army. No other single state could match the strength of my armies. They were many, and well-fed and armed with the very best of weapons. How could we not win?
The states fell to my advance quickly. 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 endless inter-state wars. My lands were much greater than any ruled by my forefathers so it hardly seemed proper to continue to call myself "King". So I created a new title, one by which I would ever after be known- Shihuangdi.
Qin Shihuangdi
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.
In 221 BC, I became the first Emperor of Qin.
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.)
In honor of my great accomplishments, I erected stone tablets at sacred places, tablets upon which were carved my many accomplishments. 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- mine. 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, so to speak. (De Bary & Bloom, pp 227)
I created a unified land, and the unity established was mine. I determined which set of weights and measures would be used. Punishment for refusing to use my measures was swift and sure- it was treason to hold to the old measures and those guilty of treason paid a high price. It is said there were as many as nineteen different ways to write the word "sword" before me. After I took charge, there was only one. The penalty for failing to use the proper script was the same as failing to use the proper measure.
I even standardized the length of wagon axles. Why, you may ask, did I even standardize the axle of wagons? With all wagons having the same width of axles, I could build standardized roads. If each person who used them paid me, just a bit, for the upkeep of the roads, I would have a guaranteed source of income and the country would have good, stone roads. Standardizing the axle lengths was easy- I ordered roads built to my standard and only those wagons with the proper length of axles could use them.
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 (to represent the heavens),with a square hole, (to represent 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.
My death
I established an Empire meant to last forever. But it was not to be so. I died before my work was done in 210 BC. My ministers conspired to replace the son I had chosen to be my successor with one they thought they could control better. They showed my heir a paper, supposedly written by me, telling him that he should die with me. He believed it and killed himself.
The son they crowned as my replacement was weak. Fighting between the ministers resulted in death and disunity. In 208 BC, my son killed his chief minister. In 207 BC the new minister assassinated my son and so on. As the "leaders" of my empire fought for power, the peasants, and others, rebelled. By 202 BC, just 8 years after my death, my great dynasty was over and the one you know as the Han dynasty began.
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.
I am the first, and the only, Shi Huangdi- The great Emperor of Qin.
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