First Emperor: Qin Shi Huang

Born Ying Zheng in 259 BC, Emperor Qin Shi Huang was the son of the king of the Qin state. A formidable and ambitious young man, he succeeded his father's regality at the age of 13 and assumed full power at 22 by ridding himself of the premier Lu Buwei, who acted as regent while he was a minor. His vision to unify and subjugate states like Han, Wai, Chu Zhao, Yan and Qi by the political, economic and military strength of the Qin state was realised 221 BC when he established the first ever centralised empire in Chinese history. This was the birth of the Qin Dynasty (221 - 206 BC), and as its first emperor, Ying Zheng proclaimed himself "Qin Shi Huang" - 'Huang' meaning emperor and 'Shi' meaning first.

In a bid to consolidate and stabilise the nascent empire, Qin Shu Huang brought in a raft of reforms, including autocratic control of the regions, bypassing the lower echelons of government. In economy he prioritised agriculture and commerce and introduced tax reforms. In his cultural overhaul he unified the Chinese characters in writing in order to promote the development of the Chinese culture.

Qin Shi Huang was determined to live for as long as possible, and sent his ministers on quests for an elixir of immortality. Nevertheless, he died whilst travelling in 210 BC, at the not so ripe old age of 49.

Interesting sites

The Great Wall

,

Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor

,

Related articles

What's Inside Qin Shi Huang's Tomb?

 

by MalcolmJ

Qin Shi Huang - the First Emperor of the 3rd century BC Qin Dynasty - is rumoured to have been buried surrounded by precious stones and rivers of mercury. Since his tomb has never been opened, how much do we know about what's really inside?

Battle Strategies of the Qin

 

by janice

The Qin Dynasty established a sophisticated army of troops, changing the face of ancient Chinese warfare and putting a sharp end to the Warring States period.

Qin Shi Huang's Terracotta Army

 

by wadders

The discovery in the 1970's of Qin Shi Huang's incredible army of terracotta warriors was perhaps the most important and popular archaeological find since the evcavation of King Tut's tomb. But why did they stop there?

Related artefacts

Bronze Chariot, Terracotta Warriors, Terracotta charioteer and horse, Unarmoured Terracotta foot soldier, Terracotta Dog, Terracotta Horse, Coinage of the Qin Dynasty, Qin State Gold Bridle Fitting, Duke of Qin's Jade Pendant, Han Dynasty Eaves Tiles, Head of Bodhisattva., Winged Angel, Head of Buddha, Stone bass-relief., Clay seal

Alternative names

qin shi huang, first emperor, first qin emperor

Interesting Publications

The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens and the Search for the Good Life

Jonathan Cape Ltd (8 Oct 2010)

by Bettany Hughes

The Management of Cultural Heritage in China

Egea (2008)

by Yinqiang Guo, Luca Zan, Shuguang Liu

The First Emperor: Selections from the Historical Records

Oxford University Press (12 Jul 2007)

by Sima Qian, Raymond Dawson, K. E. Brashier