GB Times - Qin Shihuang, the founder of the Qin dynasty, is until this day best remembered as the person who gave China a face. His marvelous construction of the Great Wall and the famous Terracotta Army are both known to everyone in the world. He was one of the most significant Chinese emperors, shaping the country's history and culture.

Qin Shihuang was a bold visionary who, for the first time in the history of China, united the country by sword and diplomacy and established a feudal state with a central government. This ended the more than 250 year period of the Warring States.

Born to be Ruler

Qin Shihuang's original name was Ying Zheng. He was born as the son of the king of the State of Qin in 259 BCE. Although he was the prince, he spent his childhood years in harsh circumstances as a hostage of the rival State of Zhao. His father rose to power with help of the Merchant Lü Buwei, who in exchange was appointed as Prime Minister of the State of Qin.

Following his father's death, Ying Zheng inherited the throne at the age of 13. In practice, however, control remained in the hands of Lü and the king's widow for another 9 years, before Ying Zheng deprived both of them of all political power.

From early on the young and ambitious Ying Zheng had experienced the misery of war. What he had seen and gone through led him to the decision to end all ongoing wars between the states. He succeeded in conquering them, which made it possible for him to establish a centrally governed and unified state that would last for generations of emperors.

Ying Zheng had an eye for talent, which helped him choose adept people to lead the army and fill the state administration. He introduced many significant reforms not only in China's military system, but also in its agriculture. Using his military and diplomatic skills, by 221 BCE. Ying Zheng had realized all of his plans and made an impossible dream come true. The Qin Dynasty was born.

A Great Reformer

In Ying Zheng's political thinking, there was no room for division and the coexistence of many different states, because in his view that would lead only to war and misery. The idea of a unified country has survived throughout the remainder of China's history, and its effects on Chinese thinking and policy-making are seen even today.

Although at times Chinese society saw unrest and riots, preserving the integrity of the united kingdom was always the ultimate goal, and disputes arose mainly about who would lead the empire, not the principle of unity.

In Ying Zheng's eyes , combining the warring states into one nation was such a great achievement, it surpassed the deeds of the two legendary emperors, San Huang and Wu Di. He combined their names into one single word, Huangdi, which meant emperor. The first emperor of the Qin Dynasty was known as Qin Huangdi and Qin Shi Huangdi, both meaning literally “the first emperor.”

Qin Shihuang strenghtened his power primarily by introducing reforms and improving efficiency within the state administration. He replaced the hereditary vassal system with a new administrative arrangement. He divided his kingdom into 36 prefectures, which were further divided into smaller units. This form of administration remained in use for the next 2,000 years of imperial rule in China.

The central government had 12 ministers, who were directly responsible to the emperor. Most of the top army officers and senior administration officers were also appointed by the emperor, and they could be replaced at any time by him. With this system, Qin Shihuang secured control over both military and civilian administration.

Qin Shihuang helped move Chinese culture and social development forward. He unified the different measurement systems, currencies, and writing systems and alphabets as well. In his view, agriculture and trade were the key elements in the process of development, therefore he paid careful attention to developing them hand-in-hand. The Emperor also connected the roads of different states, and the new road system gave an additional boost to economic and cultural development.

A Brutal Dictator

Despite his marvelous achievements, Qin Shihuang was not at all a benevolent ruler, but rather a cruel tyrant. He drew his guiding principles from legalism, which is based on the thoughts of Xun Zi, the third great scholar of Confucianism.

According to Xun Zi, human beings are born evil. However, he did not see evil as necessary, and thought that people could be corrected through education. This thinking was inconsistent with the philosophy of Confucius and Mencius, who argued that man was inherently good and noble-minded.

With the help of two legalist theorists, Qin Shihuang applied legalism to develop a totalitarian society, in which opposing the government was a crime punishable by death. Dissent was severely suppressed and punished, and many scholars and dissidents were killed, usually along with their families.

For example, in Xian Yang the guards of Qin Shihuang's court executed 460 Confucianists by burying them alive. Dissident literature was attacked too, and book-burnings were part of normal everyday life. As a punishment, opponents of the system were often exiled to China's far-flung corners.

The Hidden Tomb

Under Qin Shihuang's rule, China's population was suffering because of his grandiose construction projects. He built the Great Wall of China to defend the empire against nomadic tribes attacking from the north. Hundreds of thousands were working on the construction, which claimed lives at the rate of seven out of ten.

Qin Shihuang longed for immortality. The construction of his mausoleum was commenced as early as his ascension to the throne at the age of 13. Just like the Great Wall project, this one was a demanding and long-lasting construction as well.

Those few who survived the hard labor had the honor of being buried with the Emperor, because the location of the mausoleum was to be kept secret to avoid tomb-raiders. Likewise, each of his wives who failed to give birth to a boy was buried with him.

Evidently, the secret was well kept because the tomb was found only by accident in 1974. The entrance to the mausoleum has still not been found. In fact, some historians doubt that the construction was meant to be Qin Shihuang's eternal resting place. According to historical records, the tomb of the Emperor is filled with mercury, which makes opening it very dangerous.

In Pursuit of Immortality

According to legend, in his search for eternal life Qin Shihuang sent one of his servants to find the secret of immortality. The servant, Xu Fudong set sail eastward with thousands of young boys and girls. They never returned to China, perhaps because they feared punishment for failing the mission. Legend says that they found and populated the island we now know as Japan.

Qin Shihuang left this world at the age of 50 in 210 BCE. He died of a quick and lethal disease. His tomb was just completed to the extent that he could be buried there. His son and heir  Er Shi later finished the construction. However, Qin Shihuang's dream of a long-lasting dynasty did not come true. Soon after his death riots broke out and terror reigned over the country.

Local officials did not have the courage to report the events to the central government; they feared that the statement would be interpreted as criticism of the administration, which would have then resulted in their execution.

The upheavals and revolts escalated so widely that Er Shi was no longer able to keep the situation under control. Shortly thereafter the Qin Dynasty collapsed in 206 BCE. Despite his short life, Qin Shihuang's impact on China's development has been indelible.