Qin Shi Huang Ti is the first Chinese emperor, founder of the Qin dynasty, and unifier of China. His real name is Ying Zheng. Below is his brief biography.
Birth and childhood
At birth, Ying Zheng had no rights to the throne. His mother was a simple concubine – moreover, evil tongues said that she was taken to the palace of Emperor Chuangxiang-wang already pregnant. Because of this, Shi Huang had many enemies afterward who slandered him. According to another legend, however, the mother of the future emperor was from the last surviving noble family.
Regency period
After the death of Emperor Chuangxiang-wang, his son, Anguo Chuangxiang-wang, took over the reins. He was on the throne for three years only, after which Ying Zheng took his place. The boy was only 13 years old, so he was appointed regent – Lu Buwei. Some sources say that Lu Buwei was Ying Zheng’s mother’s lover. There were also rumors that the woman was in a relationship with Lao Ai, a eunuch presented to her as an offering. They were the ones who made decisions while Ying Zheng stayed on the sidelines – and, of course, he did not like it. Historians think that Lao was not a eunuch and even fathered two children.
However, he could change something only when he came of age. By law, Lü Buwei ceased to be the regent of the emperor – to retain power, he planned to wage a war against the young emperor and had already persuaded several officials to do so. The only battle of the civil war took place near Sanyang – Lao was executed, and Lü was exiled (he committed suicide on the way). The mother was also sent away but returned several years later.
Empire Unification and Reformation
During their reign, Li Si, who later became prime minister, had a tremendous influence on Shi Huang’s policy. There is a theory that his supplement to the unification of China is much more serious than the emperor himself. Together, Qin Shi Huang Ti and Li Si sought to unite the Empire once and for all to end the bloody wars between the clans.
When the Emperor was 39 years old, all of China was conquered, and the Empire was united. Shi Huangdi himself took part in the battles, as he skillfully wielded a sword and more than once killed enemies who dared to attempt him. It was then that Ying Zheng became Qing Shi Huang, thereby establishing a new dynasty. Sanyang became the capital of the Empire and the imperial residence, to which all governing bodies were immediately transferred – all officials also moved there. The empire was divided into 36 military districts, each headed by an official and a manager – this was Li Si’s idea. The heads of the districts did not have a kinship with the emperor, as it was before.
Immediately after the birth of the Empire, Shi Huang ordered to erect of a tomb for him, in the construction of which more than a million people took part. Several roads were laid between settlements, and the Great Wall of China was built, which protected the country from foreign invaders.
Death and burial
As he got older, Shihuangdi began to look more and more paranoid. After declassifying three plots, he stopped trusting advisers and began to look for ways to consolidate his power. One of these ways for him was the search for the source of immortality, having gone after which, he died along the way.
The tomb of the first Chinese emperor was discovered relatively recently and quite by accident, in 1974. Once inside, chroniclers saw a unique architectural memorial – a thousand terracotta warriors guarding the sleep of their ruler. Before Shih Huang, traditions demanded that the emperor’s most devoted warriors be buried with him, but he radically nipped this tradition, because he had a lot of devoted warriors. Obviously, instead of burying them, he ordered them to create their statues – and the sculptors did their best, giving each monument a unique look.
Qin Shi Huang was looking for immortality – but it is not a fact that he expected this. Many secrets of his reign, including the creation of the terracotta warriors, have not yet been revealed – and as long as this remains, the unifier of China will remain immortal in the memory of the Chinese.
