Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi

Unified China

• Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi ruled China from 259-210 BCE.

• Emperor Shi Huang inherited the throne from his father when he was 13. He assumed full power at 22.

• He is known as the Emperor who unified the city-states of China.

The Great Wall• As the first emperor of a unified China,

Emperor Shi Huangdi did several things to keep the peace.

• China faced many invasions from the nomads to the north (Mongols). Shi Huangdi ordered the largest construction project in Chinese history—the construction of the Great Wall of China.

Great Wall of China• To build the Wall, Shi Huangdi ordered famers

to leave their fields and merchants leave their stores to form an army of 300,000 workers.

• When complete, the wall stretched 1,400 miles (distance from Washington, DC to Denver, CO).

Rebellion Control• Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi needed

to put down rebellion within China as well.

• He put thousands of farmers to work building a road and canal system across the country.

• The new roads helped the emperor move his armies to the scene of any uprising.

• Anyone who opposed his rule were put in prison or executed.

Other Achievements• Shi Huangdi divided China up into areas

called districts. Each district had a government run by the emperor’s most trusted officials.

• Emperor Shi Huangdi ordered that one currency (money) be used throughout China. This made it easier for one part of China to trade with another.

Dark Side• Emperor Shi Huangdi also tried to

control the thoughts of his people.• He outlawed the ideas of Confucius and

other thinkers. • He commanded that all books in China

be burned except those about medicine, technology and farming.

• Hundreds of scholars protested the order and Shi Huangdi had them all killed.

Death of an Emperor• Emperor Shi Huangdi was obsessed with

finding the elixir of immortality. • The ancient Chinese believed “quicksilver” or

mercury was an ingredient in the elixir and the Emperor died after drinking it.

What kind of Leader?• What philosophy do you believe Emperor Qin

Shi Huangdi is—Taoist, Legalist or Confucian?• Emperor Shi Huangdi was a Legalist!

Tomb Discussion• https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=aePjTYVKHuA

For Fun• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5atoe51

Ylo

• Lady Ga Ga Parody