Qin Shi Huang was born in the state of Qin in 259BCE as heir to the throne and when he was thirteen, his father died, leaving him to be declared emperor of the state. Having planned on restoring peace and order in his country and organising and strengthening the new empire, he was driven mad by power. Qin Shi Huang is now known to be infamous and a cruel and heartless tyrant who was unjust to the people of Ancient China and obsessed with his death. This Case study will discuss the negative choices that Emperor Qin made and their outcomes including: Ordering the books and writings of Confucius to be burned, beginning construction on the Great Wall of China and the fact that he forced many of those under his rule to work tirelessly on his accomplishments. Qin Shi Huang died in 210BCE from mercury poisoning.
Despite his many positive achievements, Qin Shi Huang was a harsh autocrat who used his power to rule China in a relentless way. An example of his cruel and heartless behaviour is the banning of Confucius and its teachings. Along with banning Confucianism, he also created laws against books containing the teachings of Confucius and forced them each to be burned. Qin Shi Huang believed that history should begin with his rule and the Qin dynasty. ‘He readily killed …show more content…
He is known to have begun construction on China’s Great Wall, built new road systems and established many buildings. Although these instalments are beneficial in China today, he had made it vital for slaves and the servants in his kingdom to work tirelessly on these project. Compulsory work details were extended and taxes increased significantly. Working on the wall for more than 10 years, it was ‘built to guard the northern frontier from armies of opposing provinces’. (Source 3) Those who died in the process of construction of the wall were often suppressed underneath, with some of the workers being buried
Despite his many positive achievements, Qin Shi Huang was a harsh autocrat who used his power to rule China in a relentless way. An example of his cruel and heartless behaviour is the banning of Confucius and its teachings. Along with banning Confucianism, he also created laws against books containing the teachings of Confucius and forced them each to be burned. Qin Shi Huang believed that history should begin with his rule and the Qin dynasty. ‘He readily killed …show more content…
He is known to have begun construction on China’s Great Wall, built new road systems and established many buildings. Although these instalments are beneficial in China today, he had made it vital for slaves and the servants in his kingdom to work tirelessly on these project. Compulsory work details were extended and taxes increased significantly. Working on the wall for more than 10 years, it was ‘built to guard the northern frontier from armies of opposing provinces’. (Source 3) Those who died in the process of construction of the wall were often suppressed underneath, with some of the workers being buried