QIN SHI HUANG QIN SHI HUANG DIDI

ANCIENT CHINAANCIENT CHINA

Mrs. WalterMrs. Walter

WORLD HISTORYWORLD HISTORY

AS A CHILD…AS A CHILD…

QinQin’’s given name was Ying Jien.s given name was Ying Jien. He became the King of the Qin He became the King of the Qin

Dynasty at the age of 13, when his Dynasty at the age of 13, when his father died.father died.

The The WarringWarring States States

Qin took over during the period of warring states. Qin took over during the period of warring states. At the time, 7 different states were competing for At the time, 7 different states were competing for power throughout china.power throughout china.

The seven states: Qi, Yan, Zhao, Wei, Qin, Chu & The seven states: Qi, Yan, Zhao, Wei, Qin, Chu & Han.Han.

As time passed, The state of Qin grew in power. It As time passed, The state of Qin grew in power. It began by attacking the state of Zhao. Shortly after began by attacking the state of Zhao. Shortly after the attack, the entire Zhao Army surrendered. Ying the attack, the entire Zhao Army surrendered. Ying had all 400,000 Zhao soldiers buried alive!!!had all 400,000 Zhao soldiers buried alive!!!

By 223 BCE, YIng had unified all of the warring By 223 BCE, YIng had unified all of the warring states, using tactics of fear and torture.states, using tactics of fear and torture.

ChinaChina’’s first emperors first emperor

At the age of 34, in the At the age of 34, in the year 223 bce, ying had year 223 bce, ying had unified all of china.unified all of china.

At that time, he declared At that time, he declared himself chinahimself china’’s first s first emperor and changed his emperor and changed his name to qin shi huang name to qin shi huang di, which means di, which means ““ the first the first divine god of the qin.divine god of the qin.””

LEGALISMLEGALISM

As Qin Shi huang di was taking over the As Qin Shi huang di was taking over the other chinese states he implemented a other chinese states he implemented a political philosophy of legalism.political philosophy of legalism.

This philosophy was extremely strict.This philosophy was extremely strict. According to the ancient chinese historian, According to the ancient chinese historian,

sima qian, legalism caused an sima qian, legalism caused an ““attack on attack on ethical and old-fashioned cultural values, ethical and old-fashioned cultural values, where the relentless rule of law is meant to where the relentless rule of law is meant to prevail over confucian thought and family prevail over confucian thought and family values.values.””

accomplishmentsaccomplishments

Unification of chinaUnification of china Builder of the great Builder of the great

wallwall Standardized money, Standardized money,

weights & measuresweights & measures Military geniusMilitary genius Census of landsCensus of lands Established official Established official

method of writingmethod of writing Built roads and Built roads and

demolished walls.demolished walls.

Unification & standardizationUnification & standardization

Under qinUnder qin’’s rule, forty provinces were s rule, forty provinces were organized under a central unified organized under a central unified government.government.

Coins, weights & measures conformed to a Coins, weights & measures conformed to a single standard, making trade much easier.single standard, making trade much easier.

Highways & the great wallHighways & the great wall

Wide highways were Wide highways were constructed, all leading constructed, all leading to the capital. The to the capital. The highways promoted highways promoted trade within china.trade within china.

The great wall was The great wall was constructed to keep out constructed to keep out invading tribes from the invading tribes from the north.north.

A common written languageA common written language

Under his rule, 100Under his rule, 100’’s of s of extra characters were extra characters were eliminated, making the eliminated, making the language much easier to language much easier to read and learn.read and learn.

He also established an He also established an official method of official method of writing.writing.

tyrannytyranny

Despite his many accomplishments, his Despite his many accomplishments, his dynasty was destroyed because of his dynasty was destroyed because of his tyranny.tyranny.

Hundreds of thousands of convict-labourers Hundreds of thousands of convict-labourers were forced to work on the great wall, many were forced to work on the great wall, many of which died while working and were buried of which died while working and were buried within the wall.within the wall.

Thousands of scholars and philosophers Thousands of scholars and philosophers were executed under his rule.were executed under his rule.

Book burningBook burning In 213 bce, Qin ordered that all history and In 213 bce, Qin ordered that all history and

philosophy books be burnt. Only legal, philosophy books be burnt. Only legal, medical and agricultural texts remained.medical and agricultural texts remained.

According to sima qian, the books were According to sima qian, the books were burnt to make sure that burnt to make sure that ““in all under heaven in all under heaven there should be no rejection of the present there should be no rejection of the present by using the past.by using the past.””

Anyone who was thought Anyone who was thought to save, read or discuss to save, read or discuss the forbidden texts would the forbidden texts would be executed. be executed.

Plots to kill qin shi huang diPlots to kill qin shi huang di

Sima qian writes of a possible plot to Sima qian writes of a possible plot to kill Shi by his own mother. When he kill Shi by his own mother. When he heard about this, he had her banished, heard about this, he had her banished, executed her lover, and murdered her executed her lover, and murdered her two children. two children.

Shi believed that the young boys Shi believed that the young boys would be a threat to the throne, so he would be a threat to the throne, so he had them murdered.had them murdered.

An assassination attemptAn assassination attempt Before shi had unified all of china, two men Before shi had unified all of china, two men

from the state of yan attempted to from the state of yan attempted to assassinate him. They tried to trick shi by assassinate him. They tried to trick shi by bringing him the head of an enemy, but bringing him the head of an enemy, but when they arrived, they charged at him with when they arrived, they charged at him with knives. Shi was nearly assassinated knives. Shi was nearly assassinated because no one in his court could protect because no one in his court could protect him. According to shihim. According to shi’’s law s law ““ all of the all of the officials who served at the top hall could not officials who served at the top hall could not carry weapons. Shi, on the other hand, did carry weapons. Shi, on the other hand, did have a weapon and was barely able to have a weapon and was barely able to defend himself. The assassins were defend himself. The assassins were executed.executed.

A quest for immortalityA quest for immortality

The assassination attempts made shi The assassination attempts made shi more and more paranoid. more and more paranoid.

At that point, he began searching for At that point, he began searching for the secret to immortality.the secret to immortality.

He sent thousands of young boys and He sent thousands of young boys and girls out to sea to search for the drug girls out to sea to search for the drug of immortality.of immortality.

Unfortunately, for shi, the elixir was Unfortunately, for shi, the elixir was never discovered.never discovered.

Mercury Mercury Around 215 bce, shi began Around 215 bce, shi began

taking lethal doses of mercury.taking lethal doses of mercury. He believed the mercury would He believed the mercury would

help him live longer, but in help him live longer, but in reality it only poisoned his body reality it only poisoned his body and mind, leaving him more and mind, leaving him more paranoid than before.paranoid than before.

At the age of 50, in 210 BCE, shi At the age of 50, in 210 BCE, shi died, most likely of kidney died, most likely of kidney failure, caused by the mercury.failure, caused by the mercury.

The royal tombThe royal tomb

Shi was buried in a tomb that measured Shi was buried in a tomb that measured 20,000 square metres. (That is more 20,000 square metres. (That is more than 200 football fields!!!)than 200 football fields!!!)

The Tomb took 700,000 convict-The Tomb took 700,000 convict-labourers, 38 years to build.labourers, 38 years to build.

Discovery of the tombDiscovery of the tomb

Qin shi Huang DiQin shi Huang Di’’s tomb s tomb was discovered in 1974, by was discovered in 1974, by workers digging a well.workers digging a well.

Although archaeologists Although archaeologists have unearthed 180 tombs, have unearthed 180 tombs, they are still not done they are still not done discovering everything discovering everything within. within.

ShiShi’’s main tomb, where his s main tomb, where his body has been placed has body has been placed has not yet been opened.not yet been opened.

Terracotta armyTerracotta army

3 of the discovered pits contain a 3 of the discovered pits contain a terracotta army of over 8000 soldiers. terracotta army of over 8000 soldiers.

Each soldier was modeled as an Each soldier was modeled as an individual and was hand-crafted. No individual and was hand-crafted. No molds were used.molds were used.

Each soldier stood about 61/2 feet tall.Each soldier stood about 61/2 feet tall.

Inside of the tombInside of the tomb

Also found inside of the tomb: Imperial Also found inside of the tomb: Imperial chariots, terracotta acrobats, stone armor chariots, terracotta acrobats, stone armor pits and hundreds of human remains.pits and hundreds of human remains.

ShiShi’’s son ordered that all of the emperors s son ordered that all of the emperors concubines be placed in the tomb, along concubines be placed in the tomb, along with the workers, engineers and craftsmen with the workers, engineers and craftsmen who had constructed the mechanical who had constructed the mechanical devises and would know about the buried devises and would know about the buried treasures.treasures.

The legacy of qinThe legacy of qin Shi Huang di believed his Shi Huang di believed his

dynasty would last for 10,000 dynasty would last for 10,000 years.years.

But the chinese people quickly But the chinese people quickly rebelled after his death.rebelled after his death.

By 206 bce, after 15 years, the By 206 bce, after 15 years, the qin dynasty fell and the han qin dynasty fell and the han dynasty took power.dynasty took power.

People who live in china today People who live in china today are unwilling to call themselves are unwilling to call themselves qin because qin is synonymous qin because qin is synonymous with tyranny. Instead, they call with tyranny. Instead, they call themselves the men of han.themselves the men of han.