Absolute Power DBQ

Time and time again throughout history mankind has fought for control, for power. As a child, everyone dreamed to be able to single-handedly run the world, to have absolute power. Absolutism, or an autocracy, is when the ability to rule a nation or empire is only given to a single person, with all decisions and actions affecting the country done with the order or consent from them. Autocratic rulers often limited the power of nobles and religious authorities, used military force to expand their nation’s borders, created laws, and distributed justice as it was seen fit (Document 1). Lord Acton, an English historian, had once said “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely.” (Acton Institute: Lord Acton). Shi Huangdi, …show more content…
By the age of 22, he had fully taken control of China after killing his former regent, Premier Lü Buwei (Emperor Qin Shi Huang). He forced all aristocrats and nobility to move to the capital, where he would be able to keep an eye on them. Shi Huangdi divided China into military districts and kept order with military and civil administrators, preventing rebellion against him. “The area was divided up in 36 commanderies which were then subdivided into counties. These commanderies had a civil governor, a military commander, and an imperial inspector.” (Document 2). By centralizing the power in his country, Shi Huangdi was able to establish himself as the absolute monarch of China under a legalist …show more content…
In trying to start a new era of Chinese history, he suppressed many people who did not agree with his ruling style and punished them severely, either torturing them to death or forcing them to work on The Great Wall (Class Notes). Numerous books were destroyed. “All historical records but those of Qin [were] burned...the only books which need not be destroyed are those dealing with medicine, divination and agriculture.” (Document 3b). Many scholars who possessed illegal books and refused to destroy them would be marked with a tattoo on their face and made to labour on the Wall. Those who quoted old literatures were to be publicly executed (Document 3b). In preparation for his death Ying Zheng had terracotta warriors made to protect him in the afterlife. “Great care was taken to ensure that no two soldiers were identical and each was moulded with the precise insignia and hairstyle appropriate to his rank.” (Pollard 203). After they were created, he had the artisans that were involved executed so they could never tell anyone about the warriors as well as never be able to create something so marvelous ever again (Class Notes). His temper and iron fist made his rule almost tyrannical. He was the backbone of his empire, and in his death, the Qin dynasty quickly deteriorated. No other dynasty afterwards used a legalist government (Pollard