005398116
English 106B
Professor: Elisa
2/21/2017
First Emperor of Qin
In the earth this historical stage, a lot of person had appeared in five thousand years. Qin shihuang was in this historical stage left a heavy footsteps. He
inherited from his father: king Qin Zhuangxiang, he became the first person to unified the six countries, hard struggle, at last, an unprecedented unity of the Qin
empire was established.Qin shihuang in China, the establishment of the first unified multi-ethnic absolutism centralized feudal state, during the long historical
development in our country, set up a new milestone, its achievement was great. However, Qin shihuang was cupidity, farmers were forced to two-thirds of the harvest to
hand in taxes, the heavy burden of more remote service, be levied to fix Epang Palace, tomb, built the Great Wall is more than 2 million people. Qin shihuang’s
tyranny, was the consequences why Qin dynasty collapse.(“Qin Shihuang life”)
China is a 5000 – year – old civilization，The seven wonders of the world, China has two, one is the Great Wall, the other one is the Qin shihuang terracotta
warriors. Both miracle originated in first emperor of Qin. Monster is different with normal people, they can do a lot of things that people can not do. Qin is really
like a monster, that he did a lot of things in 2200 ago, and we could not do now.
“Qin shihuang is a famous statesman, strategist, reformer in history of China.”(Qian) He was the first emperor to complete unified China. 13 years old, he ascended the
throne, 39 unified the six countries, claim to be the emperor. During his reign, his generals greatly expanded the size of the Chinese state: campaigns south
of Chu permanently added the Yue lands of Hunan and Guangdong to the Chinese cultural orbit; campaigns in Central Asia conquered the Ordos Loop from the nomad Xiongnu,
although eventually it would also lead to their confederation under Modu Chanyu. Qin Shi Huang also worked with his minister Li Si to enact major economic and
political reforms aimed at the standardization of the diverse practices of the earlier Chinese states. He is traditionally said to have banned and burned many books
and executed scholars. His public works projects included the unification of diverse state walls into a single Great Wall of China and a massive new national road
system, as well as the city-sized mausoleum guarded by the life-sized Terracotta Army. He ruled until his death in 210 BC after a futile search for an elixir of
immortality.(“Qin shihuang”)
13 years old, what were you doing, he was already a king in Qin. Like a monster that do somethings people can not do when he was young. When I was 13 years old, I
just known how to play game,and just want to known how to finish the homework today. It was super easy and simple question for me everyday, I did not need to do a lot
of work, and never worried about my family or my life, Just thought about my food what I ate, or who help me do the homework, However, Qin shihuang is totally
different form us.
When he was 39 years old, he was the first emperor in China. Qin shihuang was the famous emperor in China. He use 26 years to complete unified China, before this
time, there are 6 different country, and many different nationality in China. In fact, it not called China before Qin Shihuang unified. So I think he is the top one
emperor in China . Once Unified the six countries, Qin shihuang thought his venerable and merits were beyond three huang, and five emperors, he called himself the
first emperor, meaning from his start, since then, China’s state were called the emperor, the later said ii, iii, the spread of the infinite. He pushed for the whole
set of reform measures to maintain the unified feudal empire, for the unity and development of China’s politics, economy and culture has played a huge role.(Wood)
Qin shihuang think that must be held by the emperor to national regime, no longer like the western zhou dynasty herod, the last emperor, independently of the
central control, which led to the chaos. When Qin shihuang unified China, He implementation of new policy. The system of prefectures and counties policy still use
today. He is the first person to use it, it is useful and helpful to strengthen the administrative management for the central government. And the system of three
Councils and six Boards is he create.
Qin shihuang is also the notoriously tyrants in history. The first one , heavy taxes. In order to maintain a large military spending and engineering construction,
satisfy the luxury life, the emperor at imposed a heavy tax on people. According to historical records, each person must submit their labor income two-thirds to the
state. Therefore, common people do not have enough food to eat, and there is not enough cloth to make clothes. It is so hard live in Qin dynasty.
The second, misuse of the labor, Qin shihuang pushed the building which took several years to build. Disregard for battle, , Epang Palace, near the capital by
civilian workers have more than seven hundred thousand people.(Zhao) It was estimated that at that time, the number of military service more than two million, more
than a third of mature man. So heavily slavery, not the people can bear. In order to build Epang Palace and mount li’s tomb, emperor Qin shihuang from all over the
country more than seventy migrant workers, that spent countless money supplies, thus encountered opposition from the people throughout the country. By 211 BC, in the
east county a cursed Qin shihuang’s serious incident had taken place. That year, a meteorite falls to the east county. Because someone hated Qin shihuang, secretly
engraved on it in seven words: “the emperor’s death in the beginning to divide land “. It spread to the capital, the emperor Qin shihuang qi was broken. He immediately
sent to the ancient east county, who is tracking the inscription on the meteorite. Of the track there for many days, never found a little clue. The emperor was very
angry, just ordered the meteorites and killed by all the people of nearby.
The third, Before the Qin dynasty unified, Qin shihuang opinion of talent can be said to be quite seriously. But these were in order to achieve the supreme unity
of target and its violent side temporarily hidden. Now had achieved, his violent character wound not have to hide. So someone dares to criticize him, a challenge to
his authority, Qin shihuang cannot tolerate. At that time many people resentment of qin shi huang tyranny , against him all over the world. All over the country, which
flew into a rage, Qin sent suggestion and tracking, finally caught more than four hundred and sixty people, the emperor ordered they to the valley of Mount li, buried
alive. Because most of these people is a Confucian scholar, was called “pit of Confucianism”.(Chinese Dictionary)
The fourth about the laws, there are many ruthless laws in Qin dynasty. The penalty system is follow the pre-Qin penal system. On the basis, some new
development and improvement. The most prominent characteristic, is the body punishment scope begins to shrink, the use of labor and property enlarge. Death of
punishment is the death penalty to life. Its execution way is non-standard, about more than ten ways, and they are brutal, with a typical such as: (1) The five sense
organs punishments, cut the toe, such as corporal punishment, reoccupy beaten down the rod, and then be condemned to the public, and the bones chop meat; With slander
abuse behavior, and cut off the tongue. (2) the dismemberment, use five horse head, limbs and torn body, and makes the body become five parts. (3) top chisel, namely
gouge head way of execution. (4) the smoke bone, namely extraction frame mode of execution. (5) hot wok, which uses the hot cauldron cook to death. Physical punishment
which destroyed the corporal punishment of offenders body organs, is only second to the death penalty of torture.(Jane) Hard punishment that restrictions on freedom
of criminal imprisonment and force engaged in hard labor. Widespread use hard punishment of the Qin dynasty, built the Great Wall, built in the palace and the
mausoleum, and many other civil engineering construction, there are a large number of labor punishment . When hard punishment, various basic formed a set of hard
punishment system from heavy to light. Qin shihuang like a vampire, squeezing the working people.
Qin shihuang, reuse talent, unified the six countries, ending long division governors regime, established the first in the history of our country united multi-
ethnic feudal state, complied with the tide of history, conforms to the common aspiration of people of all ethnic groups. He took a series of policy measures to
strengthen centralized, the maintenance of the unification of the feudal state, is conducive to the further development of feudal economy and culture, has a far-
reaching effect on later generations. Therefore, he deserves to be a outstanding statesman in ancient China. Bur Qin shihuang also had some faults in the history, His
domineering, and he build luxurious palace (Epang Palace, etc.), the mausoleum (emperor Qinshihuang), and the Great Wall, took a huge financial and material resources,
deepen the suffering of the people. He kill for wei (such as: “burying Confucian”), is extremely cruel. So he is rare in the history of the tyrant.
Qin shihuang had a dream that he could live forever like a monster .In 219 BC, Qin shihuang was sitting on the boat around the Shandong peninsula, where he has
stayed here for three months, where he heard that there are three Angle mountain in bohai bay, called Penglai, the Abbot, Yingzhou. On the three town inhabited by
three fairy, elixir in their hand. Tell the emperor the magical story by the person Xu Hu, he is a local alchemist, heard that he once saw the three Angle mountain.
Qin shihuang was listened to that news very happy, so he sent Xu Hu led thousands of virgins into the sea to find elixir. Xu Hu lead set off on a massive fleet, he was
floating on the sea for a long time but could not find what he called fairmount,and did not find the elixir. The emperor was a tyrant, Xu Hu didn’t finish the task,
after return in qin shi huang, he known he would be killed, he took the thousands of virgins to Japan.(“Elixir in the world”). At last, Qin shihuang died when he was
50 years old.
Works cited
“Qin Shihuang”. Wikipedia, 2017, Feb 27, 2017, <https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/qin shihuang>
Frances W, (2014) “Qin shihuang”, The berkshire dictionary of Chinese biography.
“Qin shihuang life”, baidu.com, 2016. Feb 28 2017, <https://baidu.con/Qin shihuang>
“Historical figures” Baike.com, 2013. Feb 27, 2017. < www.azg168.cn >
Zhao XY, “ The emperor in China”, China date Newspaper, Nov 21 2007 p3 “Elixir in the world”, Baidu.com, 2012. Feb 29, 2017,
<https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/333826523.html>
Sima Qian, <Records of the Grand Historian>, Basic Annals of Qin, Feb 11,2003 p43
Jane Portal and Qingbo Duan, The First Emperor: China’s Terracotta Arm, British Museum Press, 2007, p. 207.
”Chinese Dictionary”. “Me”. Accessed 26 December 2013.
