Kings and Emperors Legendary emperors in prehistoric times: Yao, Shun, Yu (Xia): the idealized Three Dynasties The “Golden Age” in Confucius’s view Yu.

Kings and Emperors

Legendary emperors in prehistoric times: Yao, Shun, Yu (Xia): the idealized Three Dynasties

The “Golden Age” in Confucius’s view Yu became the “founder of China’s first dynasty,” the

Xia Dynasty The existence of Yu remains a moot point

Archaeologists have proved the existence of the Xia Kingdom or Xia Dynasty

Exact size, magnitude, civilization remain pretty much a mystery

Unification and the First Emperor

Unification of ChinaAnnexed six other

statesImportant figures:

Ying Zheng Lü Buwei

Ying Zheng: China’s First Unifier the First Emperor of China

Image of the First Emperor

negative image: cruel, tyrannical, bloodthirsty, a despot, built luxurious palace, tomb, buried scholars alive, burnt books, totalitarian rule…

positive image: unified writing system, standardized units and measurements, built roads, laid the foundation of Chinese bureaucratic system

Important figures: Li Si, Zhao Gao, Meng Tian

The Map of the Warring States:

•Seven states:

•Han

•Zhao

•Wei

•Qi

•Chu

•Yan

•Qin

The Seven States:

•Han:

•Zhao: (Land of Late Coming)

•Wei:

•Qi: (Land of Devout)

•Chu: (Land of Immaculate)

•Yan: (Land of Swallows)

•Qin

Facts: Qin StateThe State of Qin

Ying Zheng’s Ancestors:• Qin Xiaogong (the Educated Duke, r.361-338 BCE)

– Lord Shang (Shang Yang): exemplary architect of statecraft and a legalist scholar and minister

• Builder of Qin law: rigid, brutal, fair• Passionate reformer: enrich the state and strengthen

the military

• Qin Huiwen Wang (the Graceful Duke, r. 337-311 BCE)

– Lord Shang killed– Zhang Yi became minister

Suspect stories

Untold and suspect stories/accounts inspired fiction, play, drama, TV series…

Revolve around Ying Zheng, Yiren, Zhaoji, Lü Buwei, Gaojianli, Prince Yan, Jing Ke Ying Zheng’s birth and his real father Lao Ai’s affair with Zhaoji Jing Ke’s assassination of the king of Qin?

After becoming the emperor Burning books and buried 460 scholars alive Sent Xu Fu and 500 boys and girls to the Penglai

Island

Facts

Unified China by coercion and forceForced his minister to commit suicideConstructed Qin wall (not the Great Wall)Built roads and other public worksBuilt his own mausoleumWavered between superstition and rational

thinking Elements of importance: color (black), number

(six), five phases (water)Attempted to have Qin history written

Consolidating the unified realm

• Confiscated weapons– Melted down iron to cast

bell hangers– Melted down bronze

objects and turned them into a dozen massive statues in capital

• Monopolized salt, iron, and alcohol

• Standardized Qin coinage and unit of gold (along with other weights and measures)

• Unified scripts—”Small Seal” script

Qin Law

• Archaeological excavations of bamboo strips help us understand Qin Law– Thousands of bamboo strips unearthed in 1975,

1979, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1993

• 1975 excavation of Judge Xi’s grave saw 1155 bamboo strips which consists of– Qin laws– interrogation documents– Legal cases

Samples of bamboo strips unearthed in 1975 at the site of Judge Xi’s grave

Emperor and history

• Emperor manipulated historical writing– “All six kings have been chastised as they

deserved”

• Powerful minister and eunuch would do the same– Li Si– Zhao Gao

A Bad Ruler and a bad minister?

• Negative image resulted in Ying Zheng – being perceived and labled as a “bad ruler” – Li Si being a “bad minister”

• Even a bad ruler has good qualities– Appreciated Han Fei’s talent

• “If only I could once catch sight of this man and meet with him, I should die without regret.”

• Han Fei, unfortunately, was poisoned by Li Si

– Promoted domestic (interstate) trade

Emperor’s Family

• Facts remain unknown:– Wives and concubines?

• Fusu

• Huhai

Qin Penal Codes and Wall Building• Qin penal codes laid down the foundations for Chinese

penal codes throughout history• Harsh capital punishments were used:

• Mutilations,• lightest of it is tattooing

• Hacking off a convict’s nose

• Removal of one or both feet or of the toes and front part of the foot

• Decapitation

• Hacking in half at the waist

• Body torn asunder by five horses or four horse-drawn chariots

• castration followed by execution

• Labor—build wall

Wall Building• Origin of wall building• Dikes, dams, levees

• Reasons for wall building other than defense• Farming• Communications

• Who joined wall building?• Convicts• Pardoned criminals• War captives• Peasant Corvée labors• Slaves of all sorts

Remains of Qin Wall

Qin Wall and Qin Wall and FolkloreFolklore

New legend developed: New legend developed: Méng Tian’s invention Méng Tian’s invention of the writing brushof the writing brush

Old legend retold: Mèng Old legend retold: Mèng JiangnJiangnü, widow of a wall-ü, widow of a wall-builder, screamed and a builder, screamed and a section of the wall section of the wall crumbledcrumbled The tale morphed into full-The tale morphed into full-

fledged fiction, novel, play, fledged fiction, novel, play, and turned into literary and turned into literary works, including poetry, works, including poetry, temple historytemple history

The Great The Great Wall MythWall Myth

The myth: The The myth: The Qin built the Qin built the Great WallGreat Wall The lack of The lack of

evidence evidence Notion of The Notion of The

Great Wall is Great Wall is based on charts based on charts provided by provided by three Jesuit three Jesuit fathers in the fathers in the early 18early 18thth centurycentury

• Earliest textual reference to Wall:

•A wall built by the state of Chu (Land of Immaculate) in the 7th Century BCE

• Qi, Wei, Yan, and Zhao followed suit

•They built walls in 5th C. BCE (Qi) and , 4th C. BCE (Yan, Wei, Zhao (see picture)

Journey to Mount Tai (Taishan)

• On Mount Tai

•Performed required ceremonies on Mount Tai, only to be interrupted by a storm

• Erected a stone tablet that showed the emperor’s achievements and greatness

Mount Tai

Facts or Legends?Facts or Legends?

Quest for immortality:Quest for immortality:Search for the Isles of the ImmortalsSearch for the Isles of the Immortals

Xu Fu led 500 virgin girls and boys to Penglai Xu Fu led 500 virgin girls and boys to Penglai in Eastern Sea to look for immortality pills, in Eastern Sea to look for immortality pills, elixirs, or longevity potion…elixirs, or longevity potion…

More assassins:More assassins:Zhang Liang and Can Hai GongZhang Liang and Can Hai Gong

Inspection Tours--Increasing Inspection Tours--Increasing Hubris Hubris

Journey to Mount LangyaJourney to Mount Langya A memorial carved into a monument praised his A memorial carved into a monument praised his

imperial grace brought happiness to his peopleimperial grace brought happiness to his people Journey to PengchengJourney to Pengcheng

Claimed his achievement was greater than that Claimed his achievement was greater than that of the demi-gods of oldof the demi-gods of old

His government was better than all other His government was better than all other governmentsgovernments

At JieshiAt Jieshi A monument was erected to boast that he had A monument was erected to boast that he had

“exempted the innocent from taxation”“exempted the innocent from taxation”

Ying Zheng’s DeathYing Zheng’s DeathDespite many assassination attempts, Despite many assassination attempts,

the First Emperor died at the height of the First Emperor died at the height of summer in his carriage while returning summer in his carriage while returning to Xianyang from his inspection tourto Xianyang from his inspection tourHis corpse rot within the carriage and His corpse rot within the carriage and

began to smellbegan to smellZhao Gao arranged a fish cart to be Zhao Gao arranged a fish cart to be

placed close to the First Emperor’s placed close to the First Emperor’s carriagecarriage

Ying Zheng’s body was laid to rest in a Ying Zheng’s body was laid to rest in a mausoleum beneath Mount Li mausoleum beneath Mount Li His tomb was surrounded by graves of his His tomb was surrounded by graves of his

sons and officials…. sons and officials….

Ying Zheng’s SuccessorZhao Gao and Li Si co-oped to make Huhai

Ying Zheng’s successor Prince Fusu was ordered (by Zhao Gao) to take

his own life Other princes and princesses were executed for

no reason Zhao Gao removed all his enemies Huhai was installed as the Second Emperor of the

Qin• He also journeyed to Mount Tai to offer his respects to

heaven• Zhao Gao made himself the sole “adviser” to the new

emperor by getting rid of Li Si

The Fall of the QinHuhai continued his father’s project

New venture Apang Hall, which was never completed, was one of the architectural wonders

• 144 square kilometers• Could house 10,000 people

Massive public works resulted in social unrest Revolt broke out Zhao Gao killed the Second Emperor in the third

year of his reignZhao Gao made Ziying King of the Qin but was

stabbed to death five days laterZiying was Qin King for 46 days

Rebels entered Xian Yang. Ziying was killed by Xiang Yu.

The First Emperor’s Tomb UNESCO: “No doubt thousands of statues still

remain to be unearthed at this archaeological site, which was not discovered until 1974. Qin [Shihuang] (d. 210 B.C.), the first unifier of China, is buried, surrounded by the famous terracotta warriors, at the centre of a complex designed to mirror the urban plan of the capital, Xianyan. The small figures are all different; with their horses, chariots and weapons, they are masterpieces of realism and also of great historical interest. “

The Eighth Wonder of the WorldThe Eighth Wonder of the World

Pits 1, 2, &3: 8,000 Pits 1, 2, &3: 8,000 terracotta soldiersterracotta soldiers Pit 1: 6,000Pit 1: 6,000 87 sculptors’ 87 sculptors’

names have been names have been discovereddiscovered

They were probably They were probably masters, masters,

If each of them had If each of them had 10 disciples, there 10 disciples, there would be 870 would be 870 sculptors at the sculptors at the leastleast

Bronze swords in their hands remain Bronze swords in their hands remain sharp and shinning after 2,000 years, sharp and shinning after 2,000 years, fashioned out of a rare alloy of fashioned out of a rare alloy of thirteen metalsthirteen metalsSome argue that the same technique was Some argue that the same technique was

not available in Germany until 1937, nor not available in Germany until 1937, nor was it available in the US until 1950 was it available in the US until 1950

Each chariot consists of 3,000 parts, Each chariot consists of 3,000 parts, indicating the complexity of the structureindicating the complexity of the structure

2005--discovered numerous Qin coins 2005--discovered numerous Qin coins in the tombin the tomb