First Emperor of China

chiny24.com 1 year ago

One of the fewer but most accurate sources of information about the First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, are the chronicles of Sim Qian, the first Chinese historian, written about 100 years after the Emperor's death.

Qin Shi Huang himself gave himself a name, which in literal translation means the First advanced God of Qin. He considered himself not only a divine figure, the boy of Heaven, but besides the creator and protoplast of the House, who took over “all under Heaven” (P.B. Ebrey). The first Emperor ruled in 221 B.C.E. to 210 B.C.E., before he sat on the imperial throne, Qin was only 1 of the 7 kingdoms that for over half a century had fought bloody battles over primacy in a thriving Chinese empire.

It is referred to as a ruthless despot, a cruel megalomaniac, but is most frequently associated with 1 who, by conquering successively the remaining six Chinese states, ended the Fighting Kingdom Period (448 BC). – 221 BC) and united the country into 1 Chinese Empire.

The Qin Empire operated on the basis of 3 fundamental ideas – Confucianism, Legism and Taoism.

It was then that specified a form of government was born for China and inactive alive – a centralised bureaucratic machine.

Qin Shi Huang has in just a decade consolidated and unified his country in terms of the measuring strategy and scales, writings and means of payment. The borders of the old states were removed, their aristocracy and families moved to the then capital of Xianyangau (today around Xi’an), and the country was divided into hundreds of counties managed by the subordinate local administration, regularly visited and controlled by it (!). The Chancellors were subject to many ministries, including the ministry of the imperial court, war, courts, penalties, finances and rituals.

The First Emperor had a large deal of credit, but he was besides remembered as a violent and cruel man. For example, with constant fear, both his life and his attempts to overthrow the government, he tried to destruct any criticism of himself or his government. Burning down all historical texts and those challenging the infallibility of the ruler and his advisors is 1 example of destroying China's heritage in the name of its own interests. The first Emperor without blinking an eye murdered not only his political and military enemies, but besides members of his family.

He was expected to give orders to bury all the soldiers and officers of 1 of his defeated armies, numbering respective twelve soldiers (!).

Because under Qin's regulation the bloody battles between the kingdoms ended, soldiers were released to their homes, a powerful labour force. utilizing this circumstance, the Emperor decided to defend the country from the constant invasions of nomadic peoples from the north. Thus, in 215 B.C., work began on the largest construction task of the period of antiquity – the large Wall. During the reign of Qin, about 5,000 kilometres (5,000 km) of fortifications were built today.

Qin Shi Huang's dreams reached further than temporal times. He dreamed not only of immortality, but besides of a tomb worthy of the first divine ruler of united China. And so, in the vicinity of the present-day Xi’an state of Shaanxi, a immense necropolis was created, where in 1974 a celebrated Terracotta Army (about which in subsequent Tales) was found, most likely the largest of the archaeological discoveries of the erstwhile century.

On the another hand, as to the obsession of immortality, which possessed the First Emperor – as the legend says, it led to his faster death. Having listened to the advice of his court physicians, in order to prolong his life he began to take a mysterious mercury pill, which at that time was considered a cure with miraculous properties, capable of dissolving even gold.

The effects of this treatment can only be guessed. The death of Qin Shi Huang is simply a period of rebellion and chaos towards the current strategy of governments, a confusion from which another dynasty of China – Han emerged.

Source: