In the long history of China, Qin Shi Huang is known as an outstanding statesman and military strategist, he ended the chaos of the Warring States period and created the first centralized feudal state in Chinese history. However, his reign was not only a brilliant political achievement, but also accompanied by a series of controversies and **. Let's take a look at the far-reaching political, military, and cultural influences left by the policies of Qin Shi Huang's reign.
Qin Shi Huang, formerly known as Ying Zheng, was born in Handan during the Warring States Period and was the son of King Xiang of Qin Zhuang. His political career began at the age of 13, when he succeeded to the throne of Qin, but in practice the power was controlled by the male favorites of Prime Minister Lü Buwei and Empress Dowager Xuan. After Ying Zheng became pro-government, he faced many internal and external challenges. He succeeded in crushing the rebellion of Miu Poison and achieving stability in the regime.
After Ying Zheng became pro-government, he adopted the strategy of Li Si and others, and through money and discord tactics, he successively destroyed the six kingdoms of Han, Wei, Chu, Yan, Zhao, and Qi. This put an end to the centuries-long situation of secession and chaos, and created the first unified feudal centralized state in Chinese history. This magnificent unification laid the foundation for the later feudal system.
After unifying the world, Yingzheng carried out a series of political reforms and laid the foundation of the feudal system. He created the honorific title of "Emperor" and consolidated the centralization of power. The ruling of government affairs and the appointment and dismissal of officials were all concentrated in the hands of the emperor. Ying Zheng also abolished the feudal system since the Shang and Zhou dynasties, implemented the county system, and unified the laws and formulated a series of regulations. This kind of centralized political structure had a profound impact on later Chinese history.
On the economic front, Ying Zheng adopted a policy of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing business, and promoted the development of private ownership of feudal land. He strengthened his control over the economy through land expropriation, the standardization of weights and measures, and the unification of the monetary system. In order to promote the country's water and land transportation, he built gallop roads and straight roads, and dug spiritual canals, creating conditions for the country's economic prosperity.
In terms of culture, Ying Zheng formulated a small seal and promulgated the unification of the national script, laying the foundation for later cultural inheritance. However, he also implemented the highly controversial policy of burning books and pit Confucianism. He ordered the burning of almost all books, banned private learning, and restricted the expression of people's thoughts. This measure had a serious impact on ancient Chinese culture and was criticized by later generations as a cultural blockade.
In terms of military affairs, Ying Zheng implemented the strategy of conquering Baiyue in the south and attacking the Xiongnu in the north. He built the Great Wall and strengthened the country's border defenses. However, after unifying the world, his overextended military activities led to a heavy burden on the people. He conscripted a large number of soldiers, built the luxurious Afang Palace and the Lishan Mausoleum, and carried out several lavish parades. This saddled the people with heavy forced labor and taxes, which caused social discontent.
In his later years, due to extreme rules and tremendous pressure, small peasant uprisings began to appear in the country. He fell ill on his last cruise, became more ill on the way back, and eventually died in the dunes. His death was concealed by Zhao Gao, who performed a hypocritical return to Xianyang, causing the body to rot and stink. This event marked the political upheaval of the Qin Shi Huang period.
During the reign of Qin Shi Huang, the foundation of China's feudal system was established, the long-term war situation was ended, and a unified centralized state was created. However, his policies were also accompanied by issues such as book burning and Confucianism, and forced labor, which had a profound impact on ancient Chinese culture and society. His parade extravagance and arrogant style of rule also caused social discontent. Qin Shi Huang left a glorious mark in history, but at the same time triggered a deep reflection on his way of rule.