The History Post
30th September 2021
By: Isabella Laws
Qin Shi Huangdi Brutal Reign
Q
in Shi Huangdi the first Emperor of
China was known for his viciousness
and brutality during his reign. (????)
Qin Shi was labelled as Fenshu Kengru which
translates to “he burned the books and buried
the Confucian scholars”
Qin Shi Huangdi’s most trusted advisor Li Si
was as vicious and brutal as Qin Shi Huangdi.
Li Si brought the idea to Qin Shi Huangdi to
destroy all literature that opposed Qin Shi
Huangdi his new way of ruling which was far
more ruthless than predecessors. However
not all the books were burned. Books on
pharmacy, medicine, agriculture, divination
and the records of the state of Qin Shi
Huangdi were spared.
A great deal of controversy came to light due
to his extreme display of control causing the
citizens to view the Qin Shi Huangdi Dynasty
in a negative way.
It is believed that Qin Shi Huangdi and Li Si
decided to destroy all the books because they
didn’t want present and future historians to
compare his way of ruling to the past or
future.
Qin Shi Huangdi and Li Si discovered a year
later after burning all the books that 460 or
scholars or more were secretly keeping
copies of all the books ordered to be
destroyed this enraged Qin Shi Huangdi and
his advisor Li Si so much that they order all
the scholars to be buried alive. It is believed
that a large number of those buried alive,
believed that the future can be improved by
learning from the past, this is the reason the
scholars disapproved of the actions of Qin Shi
Huangdi and Li
Si. It is since
believe that
more than 700
scholars we
also buried
alive ordered
by Qin Shi
Huangdi in the
2nd century.
One of Qin Shi Huangdi sons was against his
father’s idea of burning the books. Qin Shi
Huangdi son thought his father was a
hypocrite as he kept a copy of the books he
had destroyed in his private library.
Qin Shi Huangdi reign ended in 221 BC, Qin
Shi Huangdi had one of the shortest rules in
Chinas history, However the Qin Dynasty
latest for 15 years and had a cultural impact
on dynasties to follow.