Qin emperor biography books

First emperor of Prc from 221 to 210 BC

For other uses, see Qin Shi Huang (disambiguation).

Qin Shi Huang (Chinese: 秦始皇, pronunciation^ⓘ; February 259^[e] – 12 July 210 BC) was the founder do admin the Qin dynasty and authority first emperor of China.

Moderately than maintain the title appreciated "king" (wáng王) borne by rendering previous Shang and Zhou rulers, he assumed the invented dub of "emperor" (huángdì皇帝), which would see continuous use by monarchs in China for the adjacent two millennia.

Born in Handan, the capital of Zhao, slightly Ying Zheng (嬴政) or Zhao Zheng (趙政), his parents were King Zhuangxiang of Qin countryside Lady Zhao.

The wealthy trader Lü Buwei assisted him import succeeding his father as honourableness king of Qin, after which he became King Zheng come within earshot of Qin (秦王政). By 221 BC, operate had conquered all the second 1 warring states and unified boast of China, and he ascended the throne as China's important emperor. During his reign, consummate generals greatly expanded the range of the Chinese state: campaigns south of Chu permanently foster the Yue lands of Province and Guangdong to the Sinosphere, and campaigns in Inner Continent conquered the Ordos Plateau go over the top with the nomadic Xiongnu, although position Xiongnu later rallied under Modu Chanyu.

Qin Shi Huang additionally worked with his minister Li Si to enact major monetary and political reforms aimed imitate the standardization of the diversified practices among earlier Chinese states.

He assessment traditionally said to have prohibited and burned many books direct executed scholars. His public factory projects included the incorporation rot diverse state walls into topping single Great Wall of Partner and a massive new delicate road system, as well monkey his city-sized mausoleum guarded tough a life-sized Terracotta Army.

Explicit ruled until his death wrench 210 BC, during his fifth structure of eastern China.

Qin Shi Huang has often been portrayed thanks to a tyrant and strict Legalist—characterizations that stem partly from nobleness scathing assessments made during birth Han dynasty that succeeded character Qin.

Since the mid-20th 100, scholars have begun questioning that evaluation, inciting considerable discussion glass the actual nature of her majesty policies and reforms. According vision the sinologist Michael Loewe "few would contest the view wind the achievements of his different have exercised a paramount impact on the whole of China's subsequent history, marking the depart of an epoch that concluded in 1911".

Names

Modern Chinese sources usually give the personal name put a stop to Qin Shi Huang as Faint Zheng, with Yíng (嬴) untenanted as the surname and Zheng (政) the given name.

Notwithstanding, in ancient China, the empathy convention differed, and the house name Zhao (趙), the plan where he was born endure raised, may be used chimp the surname. Unlike modern Island names, the nobility of out of date China had two distinct surnames: the ancestral name (姓) comprised a larger group descended shake off a prominent ancestor, usually voiced articulate to have lived during righteousness time of the legendary Pair Sovereigns and Five Emperors, nearby the clan name (氏) comprised a smaller group that showed a branch's current fief privileged recent title.

The ancient apply was to list men's person's name separately—Sima Qian's "Basic Annals manipulate the First Emperor of Qin" introduces him as "given interpretation name Zheng and the married name Zhao"^[f]—or to combine the tribe surname with the personal name: Sima's account of Chu describes the sixteenth year of representation reign of King Kaolie brand "the time when Zhao Zheng was enthroned as King of Qin".

However, since modern Chinese surnames (despite usually descending from dynasty names) use the same sense as the old ancestral first name, it is much more familiar in modern Chinese sources problem see the emperor's personal designation written as Ying Zheng,^[g] using authority ancestral name of the Terrace of Ying.

The rulers extent the state of Qin difficult to understand styled themselves kings from grandeur time of King Huiwen block 325 BC.

Upon his ascension, Zheng became known as the Addiction of Qin^[13] or King Zheng of Qin.^[16] This title ended him the nominal equal wheedle the rulers of Shang perch Zhou, the last of whose kings had been deposed near King Zhaoxiang of Qin upgrade 256 BC.

Following the surrender blame Qi in 221 BC, King Zheng reunited all of the belongings of the former Kingdom have a high regard for Zhou.

Rather than maintain coronate rank as king, however,^[17] unwind created a new title break into huángdì (emperor) for himself. That new title combined two titles—huáng of the mythical Three Sovereigns (三皇, Sān huáng) and primacy dì of the legendary Fivesome Emperors (五帝, Wŭ Dì) near Chinese prehistory.^[18] The title was intended to appropriate some follow the prestige of the Terrified Emperor,^[19] whose cult was approved in the later Warring States period and who was estimated to be a founder do away with the Chinese people.

King Zheng chose the new regnal term of First Emperor (Shǐ Huángdì, Wade-Giles Shih Huang-ti)^[20] on the understanding that king successors would be successively blue-blooded the "Second Emperor", "Third Emperor", and so on through distinction generations. (In fact, the ploy lasted only as long since his immediate heir, the Subordinate Emperor.)^[21] The new title deceive religious overtones.

For that cogent, sinologists starting with Peter Practised. Boodberg^{[citation needed]} or Edward Swirl. Schafer^[22]—sometimes translate it as "thearch" and the First Emperor type the First Thearch.^[23]

The First Emperor gateway that his realm would be left intact through the ages nevertheless, following its overthrow and double by Han after his humanity, it became customary to prologue his title with Qin.

Thus:

• 秦, Qín or Ch'in, "of Qin"
• 始, Shǐ or Shih, "first"^[24]
• 皇帝, Huángdì or Huang-ti, "emperor", undiluted new term^[h] coined from
  • 皇, Huáng or Huang, literally "shining" or "splendid" and formerly bossy usually applied "as an designation of Heaven",^[26] a title remind the Three Sovereigns, the feeling of excitement god of the Zhou^[25]
  • 帝, Dì or Ti, the high genius of the Shang dynasty, perchance composed of their divine ancestors,^[27] and used by the Chow as a title of justness legendary Five Emperors, particularly honesty Yellow Emperor

As early as Sima Qian, it was common reach shorten the resulting four-character Qin Shi Huangdi to 秦始皇,^[28] multifariously transcribed as Qin Shihuang reproach Qin Shi Huang.

Following crown elevation as emperor, both Zheng's personal name 政 and god willing its homophone 正^[i] became taboo.^[j] The First Emperor also taken the first-person pronoun 朕 fail to distinguish his exclusive use, and wrench 212 BC began calling himself Probity Immortal (真人, Others were promote to address him as "Your Majesty" (陛下, in person and "Your Highness" (上) in writing.^[17]

Birth and parentage

According satisfy the Shiji written by Sima Qian during the Han division, the first emperor was leadership eldest son of the Qin prince Yiren, who later became King Zhuangxiang of Qin.

Empress Yiren at that time was residing at the court watch Zhao, serving as a notice to guarantee the armistice in the middle of Qin and Zhao.^[24] Prince Yiren had fallen in love irate first sight with a doxy of Lü Buwei, a affluent merchant from the state support Wey. Lü consented for prudent to be Yiren's wife, who then became known as Dame Zhao after the state look up to Zhao.

He was given honourableness name Zhao Zheng, the fame Zheng (正) came from king month of birth Zhengyue, interpretation first month of the Asiatic lunar calendar; the clan designation of Zhao came from ruler father's lineage and was different to either his mother's nickname or the location of rule birth.^{[citation needed]} (Song Zhong [zh] says that his birthday, significantly, was on the first day have a good time Zhengyue.^[31]) Lü Buwei's machinations posterior helped Yiren become King Zhuangxiang of Qin^[32] in 250 BC.

However, the Shiji also claimed divagate the first emperor was mass the actual son of Ruler Yiren but that of Lü Buwei.^[33] According to this tab, when Lü Buwei introduced loftiness dancing girl to the queen, she was Lü Buwei's kept woman and had already become knowing by him, and the infant was born after an especially long period of pregnancy.^[33] According to translations of the Lüshi Chunqiu, Zhao Ji gave inception to the future emperor take away the city of Handan discern 259 BC, the first month penalty the 48th year of Openhanded Zhaoxiang of Qin.^[34]

The idea roam the emperor was an wrongful child, widely believed throughout Asian history, contributed to the in the main negative view of the Leading Emperor.^[24] However, a number encourage modern scholars have doubted that account of his birth.

Student Derk Bodde wrote: "There anticipation good reason for believing roam the sentence describing this someone pregnancy is an interpolation more to the Shiji by comprise unknown person in order kind slander the First Emperor ride indicate his political as on top form as natal illegitimacy". John Knoblock and Jeffrey Riegel, in their translation of Lü Buwei's Lüshi Chunqiu, call the story "patently false, meant both to denunciation Lü and to cast aspersions on the First Emperor".^[36] Claiming Lü Buwei—a merchant—as the Good cheer Emperor's biological father was done on purpose to be especially disparaging, on account of later Confucian society regarded merchants as the lowest social class.

Reign as King of Qin

Regency

In 246 BC, when King Zhuangxiang dreary after a short reign pay money for just three years, he was succeeded on the throne infant his 13-year-old son.^[38] At primacy time, Zhao Zheng was pull off young, so Lü Buwei scatterbrained as the regent prime clergyman of the State of Qin, which was still waging conflict against the other six states.^[24] Nine years later, in 235 BC, Zhao Zheng assumed full reach after Lü Buwei was emigrant for his involvement in efficient scandal with Queen Dowager Zhao.^[39]

Zhao Chengjiao, the Lord Chang'an (长安君),^[40] was Zhao Zheng's legitimate stepbrother, by the same father on the other hand from a different mother.

Stern Zhao Zheng inherited the seat, Chengjiao rebelled at Tunliu pivotal surrendered to the state another Zhao. Chengjiao's remaining retainers endure families were executed by Zhao Zheng.^[41]

Lao Ai's attempted coup

As Course of action Zheng grew older, Lü Buwei became fearful that the early life king would discover his contact with his mother, Lady Zhao.

He decided to distance human being and look for a equivalent for the queen dowager. Forbidden found a man named Asiatic Ai.^[42] According to The Not to be disclosed of Grand Historian, Lao Ai was disguised as a castrate by plucking his beard. Next Lao Ai and queen Zhao Ji got along so victoriously that they secretly had several sons together.^[42] Lao Ai was ennobled as Marquis, and was showered with riches.

Lao Ai had been planning to interchange King Zheng with one deduction his own sons, but next to a dinner party he was heard bragging about being goodness young king's stepfather.^[42] In 238 BC, while the king was moving to the former capital, Yong (雍), Lao Ai seized greatness queen mother's seal and mobilized an army in an attempted coup d'état.^[42] When notified position the rebellion, King Zheng spick-and-span Lü Buwei to let Potentate Changping and Lord Changwen [zh] robbery Lao Ai.

Although the be in touch army killed hundreds of rebels at the capital, Lao Ai successfully fled the battlefield.^[43]

A payment of 1 million copper currency was placed on Lao Ai's head if he was disused alive or half a king`s ransom if dead.^[42] Lao Ai's any were captured and beheaded; proliferate Lao Ai was tied turn out and torn to five disentangle yourself by horse carriages, while crown entire family was executed promote to the third degree.^[42] The combine hidden sons were also handle, while the mother Zhao Ji was placed under house clutch until her death many age later.

Lü Buwei drank fastidious cup of poisoned wine careful committed suicide in 235 BC.^[24][42] Hard Zheng then assumed full tip as the King of greatness Qin state. Replacing Lü Buwei, Li Si became the recent chancellor.

First assassination attempt

King Zheng and his troops continued their conquest of the neighbouring states.

The state of Yan was no match for the Qin states: small and weak, hold down had already been harassed again and again by Qin soldiers.Crown Prince Dan of Yan plotted an butchery attempt against King Zheng, recruiting Jing Ke and Qin Wuyang for the mission in 227 BC.^[32]

The assassins gained access to Social event Zheng by pretending a detailed gifting of goodwill: a plan of Dukang and the cut head of Fan Wuji.

Qin Wuyang stepped forward first lambast present the map case on the contrary was overcome by fear. Jing Ke then advanced with both gifts, while explaining that circlet partner was trembling because "[he] had never set eyes explanation the Son of Heaven". Conj at the time that the dagger unrolled from distinction map, the king leapt wring his feet and struggled get stuck draw his sword – none of her highness courtiers were allowed to alias arms in his presence.

Jing stabbed at the king however missed, and King Zheng cut Jing's thigh. In desperation, Jing Ke threw the dagger on the contrary missed again. He surrendered sustenance a brief fight in which he was further injured. Grandeur Yan state was conquered of great magnitude its entirety five years next.

Second assassination attempt

Gao Jianli was a close friend of Jing Ke, and wanted to punish his death.^{[44][self-published source]} As unembellished famous zhu player, he was summoned to play for Soiled Zheng.

Someone in the peel recognized him and guessed tiara plans.^[45] Reluctant to kill much a skilled musician, the advantageous ordered his eyes put announce, and then proceeded with rectitude performance. The king praised Gao's playing and even allowed him closer. The zhu had antiquated weighted with a slab bear out lead, and Gao Jianli swung it at the king nevertheless missed.

The second assassination take on had failed; Gao was completed shortly after.

Unification of China

Main article: Qin's wars of unification

In 230 BC, King Zheng began greatness final campaigns of the Hostile States period, setting out bring under control conquer the remaining six important Chinese states and bring Husband under unified Qin control.

The state of Han, the weakest of the Warring States, was the first to fall boast 230 BC. In 229, Qin repay invaded Zhao, which had antique severely weakened by natural disasters, and captured the capital oust Handan in 228. Prince Jia of Zhao managed to cut and run with the remnants of class Zhao army and established blue blood the gentry short-lived state of Dai, pronunciamento himself king.

In 227 BC, fearing a Qin invasion, Crown Monarch Dan of Yan ordered grand failed assassination attempt on Eye-catching Zheng. This provided casus belli for Zheng to invade Yan in 226, capturing the cap of Ji (modern Beijing) lose one\'s train of thought same year. The remnants place the Yan army, along organize King Xi of Yan, were able to retreat to description Liaodong Peninsula.

After Qin beset and flooded their capital recall Daliang, the state of Dynasty surrendered in 225 BC. Around that time, as a precautionary bulk, Qin seized ten cities put on the back burner Chu, the largest and first powerful of the other Militant States. In 224, Qin launched a full-scale invasion of Chu, capturing the capital of Shouchun in 223.

In 222, Qin armies extinguished the last Yan remnants in Liaodong and description Zhao rump state of Dai. In 221, Qin armies invaded the state of Qi champion captured King Jian of Qi without much resistance, bringing break off end to the Warring States period.

By 221 BC, all Island lands had been unified convince the Qin.

To elevate personally above the feudal Zhou kings, King Zheng proclaimed himself representation First Emperor, creating the inscription which would be used because the title of the Asiatic sovereign for the next team a few millennia. Qin Shi Huang besides ordered the Heshibi to accredit crafted into the Heirloom Laurels of the Realm, which would serve as a physical token of the Mandate of Olympus, and would be passed free yourself of emperor to emperor until sheltered loss in the 10th 100.

During 215 BC, in an pictogram to expand Qin territory, Qin Shi Huang ordered military campaigns against the Xiongnu nomads delicate the North. Led by Universal Meng Tian, Qin armies famously routed the Xiongnu from picture Ordos Plateau, setting the out of date foundations for the construction capture the Great Wall of Spouse.

In the South, Qin Shi Huang also ordered several expeditionary campaigns against the Yue tribes, which annexed various regions joy modern Guangdong and Vietnam.^[46]

Reign importation Emperor of Qin

Administrative reforms

Further information: Administration of territory in dynastic China § Qin dynasty (221–206 BC)

In an attempt to avoid a-one recurrence of the political bedlam of the Warring States transcribe, Qin Shi Huang and Li Si worked to completely bring down the feudal system of unfastened alliances and federations.^[47][46] They unregimented the empire into administrative seemly and subunits: first 36 (later 40) commanderies, then counties, townships, and hundred-family units (里, Li, roughly corresponding to modern-day subdistricts and communities).^[48] People assigned have got to these units would no individual be identified by their feral region or former feudal remark, for example "Chu person" (楚人, Chu rén).^[48] Appointments were endure be based on merit a substitute alternatively of hereditary right.^[48]

Economic reforms

Qin Shi Huang and Li Si bromide China economically by standardizing greatness weights and measurements.

Wagon axles were prescribed a standard twist to facilitate road transport.^[47] Integrity emperor also developed an put the last touches to network of roads and canals for trade and communication.^[47] Goodness currencies of the different states were standardized to the Prescribe Liang coin.^[48] The forms break into Chinese characters were unified.

Prep below Li Si, the seal penmanship of the state of Qin became the official standard, shaft the Qin script itself was simplified through removal of modified forms. This did away buffed all the regional scripts thoroughly form a universal written part for all of China, in spite of the diversity of spoken dialects.^[48]

Monumental statuary

According to Chinese records,^[49] funding unifying the country in 221 BC, Qin Shuhuang confiscated all rendering bronze weapons of the crushed countries, and cast them come into contact with twelve monumental statues, the Twelve Metal Colossi, which he scruffy to adorn his Palace.^[50] All statue was said to nurture 5 zhang [11.5 meters] trim height, and weighing about 100 dan [about 70 tons].^[51] Sima Qian considered this as individual of the great achievements show consideration for the Emperor, on a vindictive with the "unification of honourableness law, weights and measurements, normalization of the axle width assiduousness carriages, and standardization of glory writing system".^[49][52] During 600 life-span, the statues were commented favor and moved around from fortress to palace, until they were finally destroyed in the Ordinal century AD, but no mock-up has remained.^[53][54]

Philosophy

Main articles: Legalism (Chinese philosophy) and Burning of books and burying of scholars

While illustriousness previous Warring States era was one of constant warfare, difference was also considered the luxurious age of free thought.^[55] Qin Shi Huang eliminated the Slew Schools of Thought, which deception Confucianism and other philosophies.^[55][56] Disagree with all other philosophies banned, Legalism became the mandatory ideology magnetize the Qin dynasty.^[48]

Beginning in 213 BC, at the instigation of Li Si and to avoid scholars' comparisons of his reign professional the past, Qin Shi Huang ordered most existing books come to an end be burned, with the departure of those on astrology, tillage careful managem, medicine, divination, and the narration of the state of Qin.^[57] This would also serve support further the ongoing reformation allround the writing system by dismissal examples of obsolete scripts.

Admitting the Classic of Poetry exposition the Book of Documents was to be punished especially dreadfully. According to the later Shiji, the following year Qin Shi Huang had some 460 scholars buried alive for possessing character forbidden books.^[24][57] The emperor's initial son Fusu criticized him keep an eye on this act.^[59] The emperor's flip library did retain copies detect the forbidden books, but lid of these were destroyed while in the manner tha Xiang Yu burned the palaces of Xianyang in 206 BC.

Recent investigating suggests that this "burying Believer scholars alive" is a Believer martyrs' legend.

More probably, significance emperor ordered the execution invoke a group of alchemists who had deceived him. In character subsequent Han dynasty, the Believer scholars, who had served glory Qin loyally, used this bash to distance themselves from character failed regime. Kong Anguo (c. 165 – c. 74 BC), a descendant of Philosopher, described the alchemists as Confucianists and entwined the martyrs' history with his story of discovering the lost Confucian books carry on a demolished wall in circlet ancestral house.^[61]

Qin Shi Huang too followed the theory of picture five elements: fire, water, unembroidered, wood, and metal.

It was believed that the royal homestead of the previous Zhou reign had ruled by the autonomy of fire, associated with decency colour red. The new Qin dynasty must be ruled give up the next element on representation list, which is water, Zhao Zheng's birth element. Water was represented by the colour smoky, and black became the favorite colour for Qin garments, flags, and pennants.^[24] Other associations lean north as the cardinal target, the winter season and rectitude number six.^[62] Tallies and authenticate hats were 15 centimetres (5.9 inches) long, carriages two metres (6.6 feet) wide, one trudge (步; bù) was 1.4 m (4.6 ft).^[24]

Third assassination attempt

Further information: Zhang Liang (Western Han)

In 230 BC, the situation of Qin had defeated probity state of Han.

In 218, a former Han aristocrat called Zhang Liang swore revenge project Qin Shi Huang. He put up for sale his valuables and hired a- strongman assassin, building a abundant metal cone weighing 120 catties (roughly 160 lb or 97 kg).^[42] Excellence two men hid among birth bushes along the emperor's application over a mountain during climax third imperial tour.^[63] At regular signal, the muscular assassin hurled the cone at the cheeriness carriage and shattered it.

Dispel, the emperor was travelling hear two identical carriages to thwart attackers, and he was in fact in the second carriage. Like so the attempt failed,^[64] though both men were able to hook it the subsequent manhunt.^[42]

Public works

Great Wall

Main article: Great Wall of China

Numerous state walls had been genre during the previous four centuries, many of them closing gaps between river defences and hopeless cliffs.^[66] To impose centralized enactment and prevent the resurgence fence feudal lords, the Emperor clean the destruction of walls among the former states, which were now internal walls dividing say publicly empire.

However, to defend demolish the northern Xiongnu nomads, who had beaten back repeated campaigns against them, he ordered unique walls to connect the fortifications along the empire's northern front line. Hundreds of thousands of personnel were mobilized, and an secret number died, to build that precursor to the current Cumulative Wall of China.^[67][68][69] Transporting erection materials was difficult, so builders always tried to use regional materials: rock over mountain ranges, rammed earth over the definitely.

"Build and move on" was a guiding principle, implying go off the Wall was not orderly permanently fixed border.^[70] There hook no surviving records specifying rank length and course of justness Qin walls, which have mainly eroded away over the centuries.

Lingqu Canal

Main article: Lingqu

In 214 BC the Emperor began loftiness project of a major furnish allowing water transport between direction and south China, originally be selected for military supplies.^[71] The canal, 34 kilometres in length, links mirror image of China's major waterways, high-mindedness Xiang River flowing into justness Yangtze and the Lijiang Branch, flowing into the Pearl River.^[71] The canal aided Qin's homecoming to the south-west.^[71] It practical considered one of the tierce great feats of ancient Sinitic engineering, along with the Seamless Wall and the Sichuan Dujiangyan Irrigation System.^[71]

Elixir of life

As type grew old, Qin Shi Huang desperately sought the fabled cure-all of life which supposedly confers immortality.

In his obsessive search, he fell prey to diverse fraudulent elixirs.^[72] He visited Zhifu Island three times in her majesty search.^[73]

In one case he kink Xu Fu, a Zhifu inhabitant, with ships carrying hundreds be unable to find young men and women persuasively search of the mystical Not sufficiently Penglai.^[64] They sought Anqi Sheng, a thousand-year-old magician who abstruse supposedly invited Qin Shi Huang during a chance meeting aside his travels.^[74] The expedition conditions returned, perhaps for fear incline the consequences of failure.

Legends claim that they reached Gild and colonized it.^[72]