Qin Shi Huang: The First Emperor of China

Summary

This video explores the life and reign of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor to unify China under one imperial rule. It delves into his conquests during the Warring States period, the establishment of the Qin Dynasty, and his administrative reforms. The video also covers his ambitious construction projects like the Great Wall of China and the Terracotta Army, his pursuit of immortality, and the dynasty's eventual fall after his death. Sponsored by CuriosityStream, the video offers a comprehensive look at one of China's most significant historical figures.

Takeaways

• 🌏 CuriosityStream is a subscription streaming service offering a vast library of documentaries and non-fiction content for $2.99 a month.
• 🤴 Qin Shi Huang, also known as Chiang Shi Huang or Shi Huangdi, is a pivotal figure in Chinese history as the founder of the Qin Dynasty.
• 🏰 The Qin Dynasty, though short-lived (lasting only 15 years), had a profound impact on China as it was the first to rule over a united imperial China.
• 🛡 Qin Shi Huang's reign was marked by ambitious construction projects, including the Great Wall of China and the Terracotta Army, which continue to be significant cultural symbols.
• 🏹 Before unifying China, Qin Shi Huang was known as King Ying Zheng of the Qin state and emerged victorious during the Warring States period against neighboring kingdoms.
• 👑 Qin Shi Huang's parentage is a subject of controversy, with historical accounts suggesting his real father might have been a merchant named Lu Buwei, not King Zhuangxiang of Qin.
• 🗡 Qin Shi Huang's reign was also characterized by the introduction of new administrative policies that marked a departure from the feudal system, aiming to prevent future power struggles.
• 📚 During his rule, Qin Shi Huang undertook a campaign to burn books and suppress intellectuals, particularly Confucian scholars, in an effort to consolidate his power and erase historical records prior to his reign.
• 🧙‍♂️ In his later years, Qin Shi Huang became obsessed with immortality, seeking an elixir of life and consulting with alchemists, which ultimately led to his death in 210 BC.
• 🏙️ The fall of the Qin Dynasty was swift, with rebellions erupting shortly after Qin Shi Huang's death, leading to its collapse and the rise of the Han Dynasty.

Q & A

What is the significance of Qin Shi Huang in Chinese history?

Qin Shi Huang is significant as he was the founder of the Qin Dynasty and the first emperor to rule over a united imperial China, marking a major shift from the Warring States period.

What was the Warring States period in China?

The Warring States period was a time of intense conflict and warfare among various states in China, which lasted for around 250 years from the 5th century BC until 221 BC, when Qin Shi Huang unified China.

What was the Zhao Dynasty's role in the history leading up to the Qin Dynasty?

The Zhao Dynasty was a powerful dynasty that ruled over a large territory but lost its power as local military leaders and noblemen asserted their authority, leading to the splintering of the territory into hundreds of small states and the eventual Warring States period.

What was the controversy surrounding Qin Shi Huang's parentage?

The controversy lies in the claim by the historian Sima Qian that Qin Shi Huang's mother, Lady Zhao, was already pregnant with the child of the merchant Lu Buwei when she married King Zhuangxiang, suggesting that Lu Buwei, not the king, might have been Qin Shi Huang's biological father.

What was the significance of the general Li Mu in the Zhao State?

Li Mu was a renowned general who played a crucial role in defending the Zhao State against Qin's invasions. His military prowess was a significant factor in the Zhao State's ability to resist Qin for an extended period.

How did Qin Shi Huang's strategy differ from previous Chinese rulers in maintaining control over his empire?

Qin Shi Huang introduced new administrative policies that centralized power, including the establishment of a central government, the division of the empire into administrative divisions called 'jun', and the forced relocation of aristocratic families to the capital to prevent the rise of local powers.

What was the purpose of Qin Shi Huang's construction projects, such as the Great Wall of China?

The construction projects, including the Great Wall, were aimed at unifying and safeguarding the empire against both internal rebellions and external threats, such as the nomadic Xiongnu people.

What was the 'burning of books and burying of scholars' incident associated with Qin Shi Huang?

This was a campaign where Qin Shi Huang ordered the burning of books unrelated to medicine, agriculture, divination, or the history of the Qin state and the execution of scholars, particularly Confucianists, to eliminate dissent and control the narrative of history.

What were the circumstances of Qin Shi Huang's death?

Qin Shi Huang died at the age of 49 during a trip in 210 BC. His exact cause of death is unknown, but it is speculated that he may have been poisoned by an elixir containing mercury, which he consumed in his quest for immortality.

What was the fate of the Qin Dynasty after Qin Shi Huang's death?

The Qin Dynasty fell apart shortly after Qin Shi Huang's death due to internal rebellions and external threats. It was replaced by the Han Dynasty, which took advantage of the chaos to seize power.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 The Rise of Qin Shi Huang and the Unification of China

The first paragraph introduces the historical significance of Qin Shi Huang, the founder of the Qin Dynasty, who unified China for the first time. It discusses his various names, the short-lived yet impactful Qin Dynasty, and his role in ending the Warring States period by conquering neighboring kingdoms. His introduction of new administrative policies marked a significant departure from the past, and his ambitious construction projects, including the Great Wall of China and the Terracotta Army, are highlighted. The paragraph also mentions his pursuit of immortality and the controversies surrounding his parentage and early life.

05:01

🛡️ The Military Campaigns and Political Maneuvering of Qin Shi Huang

This paragraph delves into the military campaigns of Qin Shi Huang, detailing his strategy and the conquest of the Han and Zhao states. It highlights the challenges he faced, including the formidable General Li Mu of Zhao, and the political tactics he employed, such as sowing discord in enemy courts. The paragraph also discusses the assassination attempts against Qin Shi Huang and the intrigue involving his mother, the Dowager Queen Zhao, and the merchant Lu Buwei.

10:02

🗡️ The Conquest of the Warring States and the Expansion of the Qin Empire

The third paragraph continues the narrative of Qin Shi Huang's military conquests, focusing on the annexation of the states of Yan, Wei, Chu, and Qi. It describes the strategies used, including the use of deception and the employment of skilled generals like Wang Jian and his son Wang Ben. The paragraph also touches on the assassination attempt by Jin Ke and the subsequent invasion of Yan, leading to the completion of Qin Shi Huang's ambition to unify China under his rule.

15:04

🛕 The Administrative Reforms, Cultural Suppression, and the Legacy of Qin Shi Huang

The final paragraph examines the administrative reforms implemented by Qin Shi Huang to strengthen central governance and prevent the rise of feudal power. It discusses his standardization efforts, construction of the Great Wall, and the infamous 'Burning of Books and Burying of Scholars' incident. The paragraph also explores Qin Shi Huang's obsession with immortality, his death, and the subsequent fall of the Qin Dynasty. The legacy of Qin Shi Huang and the Qin Dynasty's impact on Chinese history is emphasized.

Keywords

💡Qin Shi Huang

Qin Shi Huang, also known as Ying Zheng, was the founder of the Qin Dynasty and the first emperor to unify China. His reign marked a significant shift from the Warring States period to a centralized imperial system. In the script, he is depicted as a key figure who implemented administrative reforms and initiated ambitious construction projects, such as the Great Wall of China and the Terracotta Army, which are still revered today.

💡Warring States Period

The Warring States Period refers to a time of conflict and political fragmentation in ancient China, which lasted from the 5th century BC until 221 BC. It was characterized by the struggle for supremacy among seven major states. The script describes this period as a tumultuous time that ultimately led to the rise of Qin Shi Huang and the unification of China under his rule.

💡Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is an iconic fortification made of stone, brick, and other materials, built to protect the Chinese states against raids and invasions from various nomadic groups. In the script, it is mentioned as one of the ambitious construction projects initiated by Qin Shi Huang, symbolizing his efforts to secure and unify the empire.

💡Terracotta Army

The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, which were buried with him to protect him in his afterlife. The script highlights the Terracotta Army as a testament to the emperor's power and the craftsmanship of the era, still guarding his mausoleum to this day.

💡Zhao Dynasty

The Zhao Dynasty is mentioned in the script as a powerful entity that once ruled over a large territory in ancient China. The dynasty's decline and eventual fall set the stage for the rise of the Qin state and the unification of China under Qin Shi Huang.

💡Central Government

The establishment of a central government by Qin Shi Huang is a key aspect of his reign, as it marked a departure from the feudal system and aimed to prevent the rise of powerful noble families that could challenge the emperor's authority. The script describes how this centralization was part of Qin Shi Huang's strategy to maintain control over a unified China.

💡Burning of Books and Burying of Scholars

The script refers to Qin Shi Huang's campaign to burn books and bury Confucian scholars alive as an extreme measure to eliminate dissent and control the narrative of history. This event is often cited as an example of his tyranny and his efforts to suppress intellectual opposition.

💡Elixir of Life

The Elixir of Life is a mythical substance believed to grant immortality. In the script, Qin Shi Huang's obsession with finding such an elixir is depicted as a manifestation of his fear of death and desire to maintain his rule indefinitely, which ultimately contributed to his demise.

💡Xiongnu

The Xiongnu were a confederation of nomadic tribes that posed a significant threat to the Qin Dynasty. The script mentions Qin Shi Huang's preemptive military campaigns against the Xiongnu to secure the northern borders of his empire.

💡CuriosityStream

CuriosityStream is a subscription streaming service that offers a wide range of documentaries and non-fiction content. In the script, it is mentioned as the sponsor of the video, highlighting its commitment to educational content and offering a promo code for the viewers.

Highlights

Curiosity Stream is a subscription streaming service offering thousands of documentaries and non-fiction titles for just $2.99 a month.

Qin Shi Huang, also known as Chiang Shi Huang or Zhao Zhang, is one of the most important figures in Chinese history as the founder of the Qin Dynasty.

The Qin Dynasty, though short-lived at 15 years, had a significant impact as the first to rule over a united imperial China.

Before becoming emperor, Qin Shi Huang was king of the Qin state and emerged victorious during the Warring States Period, conquering neighboring kingdoms.

Qin Shi Huang introduced new administrative policies that marked a departure from centuries-old practices, aiming to prevent another Warring States Period.

The Great Wall of China and the Terracotta Army are among the ambitious construction projects initiated by Qin Shi Huang.

Qin Shi Huang spent his last years in a pursuit of the elixir of life, aiming to achieve immortality.

The Zhao Dynasty, which preceded the Qin, lasted almost 800 years but began to diminish in power as early as the 8th century BC.

The Warring States Period was a time of violence and turbulence, with seven kingdoms fighting for supremacy.

Qin Shi Huang's parentage is controversial, with rumors suggesting his real father might have been a merchant named Lu Buwei.

Lu Buwei was stripped of his powers and banished following a failed rebellion by a man named Lao Ai, who had an affair with the queen dowager.

Qin Shi Huang assumed full power as king of Qin at the age of 21, with a goal to conquer the other warring states.

Qin Shi Huang's military campaigns included the conquest of the Han state, which was the weakest of the seven kingdoms.

The Zhao state was conquered after Qin Shi Huang used deception to remove their skilled general, Li Mu.

The Yan state was annexed after an assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang by Jin Ke, who became a folk hero in China.

Qin Shi Huang's conquest of Wei and Chu was aided by the military strategies of generals Wang Jian and Wang Ben.

The last state to be conquered was Qi, which was achieved with little resistance due to internal corruption.

After unifying China, Qin Shi Huang faced rebellions and external threats, including from the nomadic Xiongnu people.

Qin Shi Huang's administration included centralizing power, standardizing measures, and improving infrastructure.

His reign saw the construction of the Great Wall and the creation of the Terracotta Army to guard his mausoleum.

Qin Shi Huang's later years were marked by tyranny and paranoia, particularly towards intellectuals and Confucian scholars.

The emperor's obsession with immortality led to the search for an elixir of life and the execution of many who failed to provide it.

Qin Shi Huang's death in 210 BC may have been caused by mercury poisoning from an elixir he consumed in pursuit of immortality.

The fall of the Qin Dynasty was swift, with rebellions and external threats leading to its collapse a few years after the emperor's death.

Transcripts

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sometimes he is called chian shi huang

and sometimes

she huan di sometimes he is called yin

zhang and

other times zhao zhang they all refer to

the same person

regardless of the moniker the man behind

the name represents one of the most

important

figures in the history of china he was

the founder of the qian dynasty it was

short-lived

only lasting 15 years but it had a great

impact on the country that is because

the qian dynasty was the first to rule

over a united imperial china

before becoming emperor chiang shi huang

was king of the qian state and

during an explosive time known as the

warring states period he emerged

victorious in a battle for supremacy

against his neighboring kingdoms

conquering them all and bringing them

under his dominion

this would have been enough to earn qian

xi huang a place in the history books

but the new administrative policies that

he introduced also represented a stark

departure from

the way things had been done for

centuries trying to ensure that

china would never have a warring states

period again

then there were the ambitious

construction projects chief among them

the famed great wall of china

and the thousands of terracotta warriors

that still guard the emperor's mausoleum

to this day

qin shi huang spent the last years of

his life in a bizarre pursuit

of the elixir of life so that he could

live forever things might not have

worked out exactly as he would have

wanted in the end but his actions

certainly immortalized him as one of

china's greatest rulers

before we examine the life of chiang shi

huang we should take a look at the state

of china itself prior to it being

reunified under his reign there was a

powerful dynasty called the zhao which

ruled over a large territory but not

quite

all of what is traditionally considered

the core chinese mainland

they were led by a king who had the

mandate of heaven he was

recognized as the son of heaven and he

possessed the divine right to be ruler

technically the zhao dynasty lasted for

almost 800 years from the 11th century

bc until the middle of the 3rd

century bc however as early as the 8th

century bc the power of the king started

to diminish as local military leaders

and noblemen began to assert their

authority the king simply didn't have

the power to keep all these ambitious

upstarts in line and at the same time

fight off the neighboring powers that

were trying to invade consequently the

territory splintered into hundreds of

small states

on paper they were all still loyal to

the king but in reality

each one of them wanted to assert their

sovereignty of course simply being

autonomous wasn't good enough so

pretty soon the states started fighting

with each other in order to grow their

hedge money this

led to some of these states becoming

large and powerful enough that

they declared independence breaking off

from the zhao dynasty completely

and even going to war against them the

tail end of the zhao dynasty was a

particularly violent

and turbulent time known as the warring

states period which lasted for around

250 years from the 5th century bc until

221 bc

there was a fight for supremacy between

seven kingdoms the qi

the qien the chu the han the zhao

the way and the yan you'll notice that

the show is not among them as by this

point the power that the king of zhou

still had was

merely symbolic he managed to hang on

thanks to alliances and conspiracies

with

other more powerful rulers who wanted to

legitimize their own authority with

approval from the son of heaven but of

course not even this could last forever

and the zhao dynasty finally ended in

256 bc

when the qin state captured the city of

chengzhou and

killed king nan

was born circa 259 bc as his moniker

implies

in the qian state he is usually known as

qian

xi huang or xi huang di but both were in

fact

titles his actual name was yin zheng

sometimes

also called zhao zheng however once he

had conquered all the other states in

unified china he gave himself the new

title

of huang di or emperor and assumed the

regnal names of

xi hong-di which meant first emperor and

chin shi huang his parentage is somewhat

controversial thanks to an ancient

historian named

sima jiang who indicated that ying's

father might not have actually been his

real father

ostensibly ying-jiang was the eldest son

of king

joao jigyang of chin and lady zhao

according to the historian the king and

his future queen met back when he was

still known

as prince yurin he was being held

hostage in zhao another one of the

warring states in order to ensure

peace between their two kingdoms however

the prince was liberated with the help

of a wealthy and influential merchant

named

lu buway who also introduced him to his

future wife

known at the time as xiaoji but what

prince yiran never found out was that

zhao was one of lou's

former concubines and might already been

pregnant with his child when the two

married and therefore

yin zhiang would have actually have been

the son of lou bouwee

and not king zhua zhang of course there

is

no way to verify this it's also possible

the historian invented this to slander

the former emperor but either way

this is a rumor that has persisted for

millennia regardless

xiaojiang only ruled for three years as

king of ching before

dying in 246 bc and being succeeded by

yin zhang his son however was only 13

years old at the time so

lubue stepped in again to serve as his

regent again we're going strictly on the

word of sima

chiang but it seems that once the king

was out of the picture

liu resumed his affair with the queen

dowager zhao

or maybe it never really ended in the

first place who knows

anyway as the years went on and yin

zhang was getting closer to assuming

control of the kingdom

lou was becoming more concerned with the

possible consequences of his illicit

relationship with the young king's

mother

therefore he tried to distance himself

from queen zhao

she was not too thrilled with this idea

not necessarily because of her affection

for lou but because she still wanted

someone to satisfy her desires the two

compromised and

lou found a good substitute who would

have been more than capable of

rising to the occasion his name was

lao-i and he was allegedly so well

endowed that he could spin

a wheel on his erect member of course

the queen wouldn't have been allowed

publicly to have a boy toy so lau-et was

always shaved and dressed to look like a

eunuch queen zhao was

very happy with this arrangement and lao

eye quickly became her core favorite she

gave him titles wealth and power and the

couple

might have even had two children

together but all of this went to his

head and soon enough he started to get

ideas about

overthrowing yin zhang and installing

one of his own sons as the new king

around 238 bc

ying jiang found out the truth after a

drunken lao eye foolishly boasted that

he was the king's stepfather

our aged he decided that it was time to

execute a whole bunch of people

so lao i left with nothing to lose tried

to stage revolt he couldn't get many

people to rally to his cause though and

the rebellion was easily crushed laui

was killed by being torn apart by horses

while three generations of his family

were also executed including his two

sons with the queen of course

as for zhao she was not killed but

condemned to live under house arrest for

the rest of her days for his role in the

affair

lu buway was also punished by being

stripped of his powers and

banished to a remote part of the kingdom

he committed suicide by

drinking poison a few years later many

modern historians put this entire

chapter of qin

shi huang's life under a big question

mark and even argue that

lao eye might not have existed at all

however whether or not it happened the

end result was the same

yin zhang assumed full power as the king

of ching

and was able to dedicate himself towards

his true goal which was conquering

the six other warring states and before

we continue with today's video let me

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let us get back to ancient china

[Music]

right from the start ying jing had an

advantage over his adversaries because

the kingdom he inherited was the largest

and most powerful of the warring state

and also had a good position at the

western edge of the chinese territory

the first of all

was han which did not prove to be overly

difficult

as it was the weakest of the seven

kingdoms it was located

in the middle of ancient china so ever

since it declared independence in the

late 4th century bc

it had always been surrounded by bigger

more powerful states and it could never

expand

unlike its neighbors the main reason why

it had survived thus far was

because whenever one state tried to

invade it another one usually came to

its defense out of self-interest in

order to prevent its enemy from growing

too powerful but this mattered little to

ying since he intended to attack

everyone anyway in 230 bc he marched his

army into han and

the state was conquered that same year

afterwards came a much bigger foe the

zhao state again a lot of the hard work

had been done before yin zheng even

ascended to the throne the two states

had already had a war a few decades

prior it culminated in the battle of

chiang ping in 260 bc

and ended in a decisive victory for

chien therefore the

zhao state that yin zheng faced was a

much weaker one than it used to be

even so this would prove to be the

king's longest military campaign one

that saw him face many setbacks

and even defeats zhao had one big ace up

his sleeve

his name was lee moo and he is

considered one of the greatest generals

of ancient china

he was one of the main reasons why zhao

was not overrun immediately even when

xiang gained territory

li mu defeated them in combat several

times especially

at the battle of fey in 233 bc as long

as he was still

standing the enemy found it difficult to

make any permanent headway in zhao if he

could not achieve

his goal through war yin zhang resulted

to deception

the details were a bit unclear but he

used spies and bribes in order to sow

discord in the zhao court specifically

he got the king of zhao

yomi to distrust li mu and relieve him

of his position the former general died

around 229 bc after being either

executed or forced to commit suicide

afterwards ying found it much easier to

defeat zhao he captured han dan the

state's capital in 228 bc

and executed king yumuy in essence the

xiao state had been conquered and

eliminated as a threat but

one of the king's sons prince jia

managed to flee to the northern region

of the kingdom called

dai proclaimed it a new independent

state and named himself king he lasted

for another six years also before being

ultimately vanquished thus

completing the total annexation of the

zhao state

next up zhen set his sight on the

kingdom of yan the crown prince dan

realized that there would be no match

against qin

in battle so instead he dispatched an

assassin named jin ki to eliminate yin

jing

in 227 bc jinki approached the qin court

posing as a yan nobleman ready to betray

his homeland

he said that he was in possession of

valuable maps of the territory ahead

this was always intended as a suicide

mission armed with a poison dagger

jin ki's deception was only meant to get

him close enough to the king to kill him

as

afterwards he would have surely been

struck down by the guards unfortunately

for him he failed in his assassination

attempt which

also provided ying with a great excuse

to invade yan not that he really needed

one bizarrely enough jingki became

somewhat of a folk hero in china and

during the han dynasty he was

immortalized in poetry

songs and stories later he had a

mountain in a town named after him and

even in modern times he has been the

subject of movies and television shows

the war went decidedly

in ching's favor ying zheng invaded yan

in 226 bc

and soon enough he captured the capital

of ji sheng in a desperate attempt king

shi of yan even executed his own son

crown prince dan and

sent his head to yin zhang as a way of

apologizing for the assassination

attempt this sort of worked as

ying delayed his conquest for a few

years but came back in 222 bc to finish

the job in reality this was a clear sign

to the king of qin that he could focus

his attention on the next target as yan

was no longer a threat and could be

annexed at any time

yin jiang began his conquest of the

saints of wei and chu

around the same time mainly because he

believed that otherwise one of them

might attack his flanks while he was

waging war against the other fortunately

for ying he also had one of the most

skilled generals of that era in his

retinue his name was wang jiang

and his son wang ben became a successful

commander in his own right

in 225 bc ben marched an army and away

while his father took on the more

difficult task of conquering chu

a state that almost rivaled qian in size

and power the kingdom of way proved to

be an easy target

after wang man employed a clever

strategy to redirect the waters of the

yellow river in order to flood the

capital of way the king had no choice

but to surrender chu turned out to be

much more resilient

in fact the first qian invasion which

was not led by wang jiang was

successfully repelled it wasn't until

224 bc that yin jiang sent another army

three times as big

this time led by his skilled general to

conquer chew and permanently add it to

his growing empire

even so it took almost two years before

wang jiang was ultimately successful

only one state was still left to conquer

chi and it turned out to be a bit of a

pushover yin zhang invaded the kingdom

in 221 bc and conquered it later that

same year

encountering very little resistance some

say this was because prior to this he

had

bribed many officials from chi including

the chancellor ho

shang in order to ensure that the

opposing army was poorly organized and

equipped in 221 bc yin zheng had

fulfilled his ambition he had conquered

the warring states and united ancient

china under his rule

from now on he was qian shi huang

founder

of the new qian dynasty

just because qian xi huang conquered all

the other chinese states did not mean

that he was done fighting he had to deal

with a lot of rebellions from small

armies that refused to recognize his

authority

but there were also external threats to

contend with of them all the most

dangerous was the nomadic

zhiong new people who claim dominion

over a vast territory in the eurasian

steppe

the origins of the xiongnu is one giant

mystery since as a confederation of

nomadic tribes they didn't really bother

writing things down or settling cities

or doing anything that would leave

behind some kind of historical record

in fact the first mentions we have of

them come from the chinese and

it has been speculated that the xiongnu

were the ancestors of the huns who were

also a nomadic people who emerged from

the same area a few centuries later

anyway the chinese and xiongnu

had long lasting conflicts that

eventually erupted into a full-blown war

but this happened about 80 years after

qin shi huang's death during his time

the situation was not quite as tense but

the emperor still recognized the

possible threat posed by the

nomadic tribes gathering near his

northern border therefore he sent his

general miang tiang to launch a

victorious preemptive strike against the

xiongnu

in 215 bc inside his empire chiang xi

huang

narrowly avoided another assassination

attempt this one came courtesy of zhiang

liang an official from the former

han state who wanted to avenge the

conquest of his kingdom his plan was to

organize an ambush on the imperial

convoy and destroy the emperor's

carriage

unfortunately for him he picked the

wrong one as qian

shi huang travelled with two identical

carriages for this very reason

zhiang yang might have failed but

ultimately he had the last laugh as he

proved to be instrumental in the fall of

the qian dynasty after xi

huangdi's death for most of his reign

the emperor was concerned with the

administration of his empire he wanted

to distance himself from the feudal

approach that had been present in china

for most of the previous thousand years

because he knew that

as time passed that would lead to the

noble families gaining more

and more power which would ultimately

result in another situation like the

warring states therefore he established

a central government in the capital of

zhiang yang he divided his empire into

36

administrative divisions called jun and

forced all the important aristocratic

families

to live in the capital instead of each

one ruling over their own stretch of

land far away from the government

qian xi huang enacted reforms such as

issuing state coinage

introducing universal standardization

and improving the empire's road and wall

network

in order to safeguard it against

barbarians his most famous construction

project was the great wall of china

although we should mention that some

sections of the wall had existed for

hundreds of years

by that point dating as far back as the

7th century bc

if you want to learn more about this

iconic landmark then good news we did a

whole video on it on our sister channel

geographics

so why not check that out after this one

as the years went on qian xi huang

became more tyrannical than paranoid the

main targets of his oppression were

intellectuals especially those who

followed confucianism he undertook a

large-scale campaign to burn

most books that didn't have anything to

do with medicine agriculture divination

or

the history of the chiang state

basically he didn't want the history of

china to exist before his reign

in his most infamous act qian xi huang

reportedly arrested 460 confucian

scholars and buried them alive

although he certainly punished and even

executed those he perceived as

subversive to his totalitarian regime

whether or not

this specific event actually happened is

a matter of debate among historians

their biggest concern

is that the only source of information

comes to us from the han dynasty

the one that took power after the qin

dynasty fell not only were they enemies

but the hand were followers of

confucianism and this could have been an

attempt to slander their former

oppressor

in his final years the emperor became

quite obsessed with the concept of

immortality i suppose that multiple

assassination attempts might do that to

you he dedicated vast resources to the

search for an elixir of life that would

allow him to live forever and he

traveled throughout his entire empire to

meet with alchemists healers and

magicians who could have provided him

with what he desired

of course none of them could and

consequently most of them were put to

death for being charlatans

it was during one of these trips in 210

bc that

jian xi huang fell ill and died at the

age of 49.

his exact cause of death is unknown but

it may have been incredibly ironic as

the emperor may have inadvertently

poisoned himself by drinking an

immortality elixir

that contained mercury he was buried in

a giant mausoleum that he had built for

himself surrounded by

thousands of sculpted soldiers

cavalrymen horses

chariots acrobats and musicians better

known as the terracotta army

tian shi huang was the jian dynasty

it was not strong enough to survive

without him there was an attempt to turn

one of his sons into the new emperor but

the qian states many enemies quickly

took advantage and

rebellions erupted throughout the empire

just a few years later the qian dynasty

was no more but its legacy

became an inseparable part of chinese

history

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