SHI HUANGDI
Name: Qin Shi Huang
Born: 259 BCE
Died: 10 September 210 BCE
The monarch known now as Qin Shi Huang (259 BCE - September 10, 210 BCE), personal
name YÃng Zhèng, was king of the Chinese State of Qin from 247 BCE to 221 BCE (officially
still under the Zhou Dynasty), and then the first emperor of a unified China
from 221 BCE to 210 BCE, ruling under the name the First Emperor. As the ruler of the Great Qin,
he was known for the introduction of Legalism and also for unifying China.
Qin Shi Huang remains a controversial figure in Chinese history. Having unified
China, he and his chief adviser Li Si passed a series of major reforms aimed at
cementing unification, and they undertook some gigantic projects, most notably
the precursor version of the current Great Wall of China, a city-sized mausoleum
guarded by a life-sized Terracotta Army, and a massive national road system, at
the expense of numerous human lives. To ensure stability, he outlawed
Confucianism and buried many of its scholars alive, banning and burning all
books other than those officially decreed.
For all the tyranny of his autocratic rule, Qin Shi Huang is still regarded by
many today as a pivotal figure in Chinese history whose unification of China has
endured for more than two millennia.
Name: Qin Shi Huang
Born: 259 BCE
Died: 10 September 210 BCE
The monarch known now as Qin Shi Huang (259 BCE - September 10, 210 BCE), personal
name YÃng Zhèng, was king of the Chinese State of Qin from 247 BCE to 221 BCE (officially
still under the Zhou Dynasty), and then the first emperor of a unified China
from 221 BCE to 210 BCE, ruling under the name the First Emperor. As the ruler of the Great Qin,
he was known for the introduction of Legalism and also for unifying China.
Qin Shi Huang remains a controversial figure in Chinese history. Having unified
China, he and his chief adviser Li Si passed a series of major reforms aimed at
cementing unification, and they undertook some gigantic projects, most notably
the precursor version of the current Great Wall of China, a city-sized mausoleum
guarded by a life-sized Terracotta Army, and a massive national road system, at
the expense of numerous human lives. To ensure stability, he outlawed
Confucianism and buried many of its scholars alive, banning and burning all
books other than those officially decreed.
For all the tyranny of his autocratic rule, Qin Shi Huang is still regarded by
many today as a pivotal figure in Chinese history whose unification of China has
endured for more than two millennia.