Qin Shi Huang | Biography, Accomplishments, Family, United China, Tomb, & Facts

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[{"p":1,"t":540412},{"p":1,"t":111681},{"p":1,"t":588125},{"p":1,"t":334895},{"p":15,"t":112079},{"p":1,"t":112846},{"p":1,"t":111785},{"p":1,"t":547040},{"p":1,"t":114678},{"p":1,"t":273743}], "sequence": 1, "topics": {} }); </script> <article class="article-content container-lg qa-content px-0 pt-0 pb-40 py-lg-20 content md-expanded" data-topic-id="540412"> <div class="grid gx-0"> <div class="col-auto"> <div class="topic-left-rail md-article-drawer position-relative d-flex border-right-sm border-left-sm open"> <div class="drawer d-flex flex-column open"> <div class="left-rail-section-content"> <div class="topic-left-rail-header text-truncate bg-gray-50 position-relative text-right d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="tlr-title px-20 py-15 text-left"> <em class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Qin-Shi-Huang">Qin Shi Huang</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/biography/Qin-Shi-Huang">Introduction & Top Questions</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref6622"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/Qin-Shi-Huang#ref6622">Early years</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref6623"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/Qin-Shi-Huang#ref6623">Emperor of China</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Qin-Shi-Huang/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/Qin-Shi-Huang">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Qin-Shi-Huang/images-videos">Images</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex overflow-hidden text-nowrap ml-15"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/24/102324-050-FB31F53A/illustration-Shihuangdi-album-Korean-British-Library.jpg" data-href="/media/1/540412/110252" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/24/102324-004-91E0F06A/illustration-Shihuangdi-album-Korean-British-Library.jpg" alt="Qin Shi Huang (Shihuangdi)" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/54/122154-050-4DA0F697/Great-Wall-of-China.jpg" data-href="/media/1/540412/188786" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/54/122154-120-52D686FF/Great-Wall-of-China.jpg" alt="Great Wall of China" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/30/153530-050-9A8F7D46/Xian-soldiers-horses-tomb-Qin-emperor-Shihuangdi.jpg" data-href="/media/1/540412/162822" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/30/153530-004-D54B625C/Xian-soldiers-horses-tomb-Qin-emperor-Shihuangdi.jpg" alt="terra-cotta soldiers and horses" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/153528-050-250EA620/Xian-Terra-cotta-soldiers-tomb-Qin-China-Shaanxi.jpg" data-href="/media/1/540412/162823" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/153528-004-E14B08AE/Xian-Terra-cotta-soldiers-tomb-Qin-China-Shaanxi.jpg" alt="terra-cotta soldiers" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/42/125342-004-19DDC09B/Statue-Xian-tomb-Qin-emperor-Shihuangdi-China.jpg" data-href="/media/1/540412/119465" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/42/125342-004-19DDC09B/Statue-Xian-tomb-Qin-emperor-Shihuangdi-China.jpg" alt="Qin Shi Huang" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/42/140442-050-0604F5DB/Detail-tomb-terra-cotta-soldier-emperor-Shihuangdi-Qin.jpg" data-href="/media/1/540412/143295" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/42/140442-004-293EECB5/Detail-tomb-terra-cotta-soldier-emperor-Shihuangdi-Qin.jpg" alt="terra-cotta soldier" height="50" /> </a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span> </button> <button disabled class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Next"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span> </button> </div> </div> <div class="mb-30 tlr-student-links"> <div class="text-gray-900 p-5 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-10 mb-10"> For Students </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/summary/Qin-Shi-Huang"> <img 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Author of <i>Untersuchungen zum Erdalter she im China der Chou- und Han-Zeit.</i></div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> Claudius Cornelius Müller</span></div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2025-02-10T00:00:00CST" >Feb 10, 2025</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Qin-Shi-Huang/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn btn-sm border-2 btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 module-spacing js-inline-ai-ask-button p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Also called: </dt> <dd>Shihuangdi</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Wade-Giles romanization: </dt> <dd>Shih-huang-ti</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Personal name (xingming): </dt> <dd>Zhao Zheng or Ying Zheng</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Born: </dt> <dd>c. 259 <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>, Qin state, northwestern China</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Died: </dt> <dd>210 <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>, Hebei</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Title / Office: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/king-monarch">king (246BC-221BC)</a>, <a href="/place/Qin-feudal-state-China">Qin</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/emperor-title">emperor (221BC-210BC)</a>, <a href="/place/China">China</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>House / Dynasty: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/Qin-dynasty">Qin dynasty</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Qin-Shi-Huang"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> <button class="facts-list-show-more-btn mt-15 p-0 mx-auto btn font-14 d-block font-weight-normal"> <span class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></span> <span class="show-more-label">Show More</span> </button> </div><script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div>What is Shihuangdi best known for?<\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Shihuangdi was emperor of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Qin-dynasty\">Qin dynasty<\/a> (221\u2013210 BCE) and the creator of the first unified Chinese empire. He is also known for his interest in immortality, his huge funerary compound that contains some 8,000 life-sized terra-cotta soldiers, and for his contribution to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Great-Wall-of-China\">Great Wall of China<\/a>." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div>Who were Shihuangdi\u2019s parents?<\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Shihuangdi was the son of Zhuangxiang, who later became king of the state of Qin in northwestern <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/China\">China<\/a>." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div>Where was Shihuangdi buried?<\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Shihuangdi was buried in a 20-square-mile (50-square-km) funerary compound now known as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Qin-tomb\">Qin tomb<\/a>, near <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Xian-China\">Xi\u2019an<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/China\">China<\/a>. It contains some 8,000 life-sized terra-cotta soldiers and horse figures that formed an army to defend Shihuangdi\u2019s tomb." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div>What was Shihuangdi\u2019s legacy?<\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Shihuangdi created the first unified Chinese empire. The bureaucratic and administrative structure that he institutionalized as emperor remained the basis of all subsequent dynasties in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/China\">China<\/a>." } } ] } </script> <div class="top-questions qa-accordion d-flex flex-column module-spacing"><div class="font-weight-bold font-14 mb-5"> Top Questions </div><div id="intent-accordion" class="md-intent-accordion"><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="1"><h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>What is Shihuangdi best known for?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3><div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Shihuangdi was emperor of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Qin-dynasty" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Qin dynasty</a> (221–210 BCE) and the creator of the first unified Chinese empire. He is also known for his interest in immortality, his huge funerary compound that contains some 8,000 life-sized terra-cotta soldiers, and for his contribution to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Great-Wall-of-China" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Great Wall of China</a>.</p></div></div></div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="2"><h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>Who were Shihuangdi’s parents?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3><div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Shihuangdi was the son of Zhuangxiang, who later became king of the state of Qin in northwestern <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/China" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">China</a>.</p></div></div></div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="3"><h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>Where was Shihuangdi buried?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3><div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Shihuangdi was buried in a 20-square-mile (50-square-km) funerary compound now known as the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Qin-tomb" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Qin tomb</a>, near <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Xian-China" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Xi’an</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/China" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">China</a>. It contains some 8,000 life-sized terra-cotta soldiers and horse figures that formed an army to defend Shihuangdi’s tomb.</p></div></div></div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="4"><h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>What was Shihuangdi’s legacy?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3><div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Shihuangdi created the first unified Chinese empire. The bureaucratic and administrative structure that he institutionalized as emperor remained the basis of all subsequent dynasties in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/China" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">China</a>.</p></div></div></div><button class="show-more-button js-toggle-top-questions btn btn-unstyled font-14 d-flex pr-10 rounded-sm"><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></button></div></div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref162879"></span>Qin Shi Huang</strong> (born c. 259 <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>, Qin state, northwestern China—died 210 <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>, Hebei) was the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/emperor-title" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">emperor</a> (reigned 221–210 <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>) of the <span id="ref162880"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Qin-dynasty" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Qin dynasty</a> (221–207 <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>) and creator of the first unified <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/China" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Chinese</a> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/empire-political-science" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">empire</a> (which collapsed, however, less than four years after his death).</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker h2"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref6622"> <h2 class="h1">Early years</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Zhao Zheng was born the son of <span id="ref162881"></span>Zhuangxiang (who later became <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/king-monarch" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">king</a> of the state of Qin in northwestern China) while his father was held hostage in the state of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Zhao" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Zhao</a>. His mother was a former <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="concubine" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/concubine" data-type="EB">concubine</a> of a rich merchant, <span id="ref162882"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lu-Buwei" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lü Buwei</a>, who, guided by financial interests, managed to install Zhuangxiang on the throne, even though he had not originally been designated as successor. The tradition, once widely accepted, that Zheng was actually Lü Buwei’s natural son is probably a slanderous invention.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">When Zheng, at age 13, formally ascended the throne in 246 <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>, Qin already was the most powerful state and was likely to unite the rest of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/China" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">China</a> under its rule. The central states had considered Qin to be a barbarous <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/nation-state" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">country</a>, but by that time its strong position on the mountainous western <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="periphery" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/periphery" data-type="MW">periphery</a> (with its centre in the modern province of Shaanxi) enabled Qin to develop a strong <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="bureaucratic" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bureaucratic" data-type="MW">bureaucratic</a> government and military organization as the basis of the totalitarian state philosophy known as <span id="ref162884"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Legalism" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">legalism</a>.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/emperors-and-empresses-from-around-the-non-roman-world-quiz" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/21/212121-131-06D0C471/Napoleon-Crossing-Alps-Jacques-Louis-David-1800.jpg" alt=""Napoleon Crossing the Alps" oil on canvas by Jacques-Louis David, 1800; in the collection of Musee national du chateau de Malmaison." class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Emperors and Empresses from Around the (Non-Roman) World Quiz</div> </div> </a><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Until Zheng was officially declared of age in 238, his government was headed by Lü Buwei. Zheng’s first act as king was to execute his mother’s lover, who had joined the opposition, and to exile Lü, who had been involved in the affair. A decree ordering the expulsion of all aliens, which would have deprived the king of his most competent advisers, was annulled at the urging of <span id="ref162885"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Li-Si" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Li Si</a>, later grand councillor. By 221, with the help of espionage, extensive bribery, and the ruthlessly effective leadership of gifted generals, Zheng had eliminated one by one the remaining six rival states that <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="constituted" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constituted" data-type="MW">constituted</a> China at that time, and the annexation of the last enemy state, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Qi-ancient-state-China-771-221-BCE" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Qi</a>, in 221 marked his final triumph: for the first time China was united, under the supreme rule of the Qin.</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="marker h3"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref6623"> <h2 class="h1">Emperor of China</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">To herald his achievement, Zheng assumed the sacred titles of legendary rulers and proclaimed himself Qin Shi Huang (“First <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="Sovereign" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Sovereign" data-type="MW">Sovereign</a> Emperor”). With unbounded confidence, he claimed that his <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="dynasty" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dynasty" data-type="MW">dynasty</a> would last “10,000 generations.”</p><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="188786" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/54/122154-050-4DA0F697/Great-Wall-of-China.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/540412/188786"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/54/122154-050-4DA0F697/Great-Wall-of-China.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/54/122154-050-4DA0F697/Great-Wall-of-China.jpg?w=300" alt="Great Wall of China" data-width="1600" data-height="1071" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/54/122154-050-4DA0F697/Great-Wall-of-China.jpg" data-href="/media/1/540412/188786">Great Wall of China</a><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">As emperor he initiated a series of reforms aimed at establishing a fully centralized administration, thus avoiding the rise of independent satrapies. Following the example of Qin and at the suggestion of Li Si, he abolished territorial feudal power in the empire, forced the wealthy aristocratic families to live in the capital, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Xianyang" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Xianyang</a>, and divided the country into 36 military districts, each with its own military and civil administrator. He also issued orders for almost universal standardization—from weights, measures, and the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/axle" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">axle</a> lengths of carts to the written language and the laws. Construction of a network of roads and canals was begun, and <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="fortresses" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/fortresses" data-type="EB">fortresses</a> erected for defense against <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/barbarian-invasions" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">barbarian invasions</a> from the north were linked to form the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Great-Wall-of-China" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Great Wall</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD7 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">In 220 Qin Shi Huang undertook the first of a series of imperial inspection tours that marked the remaining 10 years of his reign. While supervising the consolidation and organization of the empire, he did not neglect to perform sacrifices in various sacred places, announcing to the gods that he had finally united the empire, and he erected stone tablets with ritual inscriptions to extol his achievements.</p><div class="module-spacing"> <DIV class="marketing-INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION marketing-content" data-marketing-id="INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION"><style> .student-promo-banner-wrapper { container-type: inline-size; margin-bottom: 15px; } @container (min-width: 475px) { .student-promo-banner { flex-direction: row; } .student-promo-banner-img-wrapper { margin-bottom: 0; margin-right: 10px; justify-content: flex-start; } .student-promo-banner-text-wrapper { text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px; } .student-promo-banner-button-wrapper { margin-right: 0; } }</style> <div class="student-promo-banner-wrapper"> <div class="student-promo-banner d-flex flex-column align-items-center bg-blue rounded p-20"> <div class="student-promo-banner-img-wrapper mb-20 mr-0 d-flex justify-content-center"> <img class="rounded" style="max-width: 100px; min-width: 80px" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/BlueThistle.webp" /> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-text-wrapper ml-0 mb-10 text-center text-white"> <div class="h2 mb-10">Get Unlimited Access</div> <div class="h4 font-weight-semi-bold">Try Britannica Premium for free and discover more.</div> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-button-wrapper d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center ml-auto mr-auto"> <a class="btn btn-m btn-orange" href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=august-2024">Subscribe</a> </div> </div> </div> </DIV></div><span class="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD8 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Another motive for Qin Shi Huang’s travels was his interest in magic and <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="alchemy" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/alchemy" data-type="EB">alchemy</a> and his search for masters in these arts who could provide him with the elixir of immortality. After the failure of such an expedition to the islands in the Eastern Sea—possibly Japan—in 219, the emperor repeatedly summoned magicians to his court. Confucian scholars strongly condemned the step as charlatanry, and it is said that 460 of them were executed for their opposition. The continuous controversy between the emperor and Confucian scholars who advocated a return to the old feudal order culminated in the famous <span id="ref162886"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/burning-of-the-books" class="md-crosslink ">burning of the books</a> of 213, when, at Li Si’s suggestion, all books not dealing with agriculture, medicine, or prognostication were burned, except historical records of Qin and books in the imperial library.</p><span class="marker MOD8 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD9 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="162822" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/30/153530-050-9A8F7D46/Xian-soldiers-horses-tomb-Qin-emperor-Shihuangdi.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/540412/162822"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/30/153530-050-9A8F7D46/Xian-soldiers-horses-tomb-Qin-emperor-Shihuangdi.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/30/153530-050-9A8F7D46/Xian-soldiers-horses-tomb-Qin-emperor-Shihuangdi.jpg?w=300" alt="terra-cotta soldiers and horses" data-width="1600" data-height="1274" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">1 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/30/153530-050-9A8F7D46/Xian-soldiers-horses-tomb-Qin-emperor-Shihuangdi.jpg" data-href="/media/1/540412/162822">terra-cotta soldiers and horses</a><span>Terra-cotta soldiers and horses in the tomb of the Qin emperor Shihuangdi, near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="162823" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/153528-050-250EA620/Xian-Terra-cotta-soldiers-tomb-Qin-China-Shaanxi.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/540412/162823"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/153528-050-250EA620/Xian-Terra-cotta-soldiers-tomb-Qin-China-Shaanxi.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/153528-050-250EA620/Xian-Terra-cotta-soldiers-tomb-Qin-China-Shaanxi.jpg?w=300" alt="terra-cotta soldiers" data-width="1600" data-height="1067" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">2 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/153528-050-250EA620/Xian-Terra-cotta-soldiers-tomb-Qin-China-Shaanxi.jpg" data-href="/media/1/540412/162823">terra-cotta soldiers</a><span>Terra-cotta soldiers in the Qin tomb, near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph">The last years of Qin Shi Huang’s life were dominated by an ever-growing distrust of his entourage—at least three <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/assassination" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">assassination</a> attempts nearly succeeded—and his increasing isolation from the common people. Almost inaccessible in his huge palaces, the emperor led the life of a semidivine being. In 210 Qin Shi Huang died during an inspection tour. He was buried in a gigantic funerary <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="compound" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compound" data-type="MW">compound</a> hewn out of a mountain and shaped in conformity with the symbolic patterns of the cosmos. (Excavation of this enormous complex of some 20 square miles [50 square km]—now known as the <span id="ref1272037"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Qin-tomb" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Qin tomb</a>—began in 1974, and the complex was designated a UNESCO <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/World-Heritage-site" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">World Heritage site</a> in 1987. Among the findings at the site were some 8,000 life-sized <span id="ref162887"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/terra-cotta-army" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">terra-cotta soldier and horse figures</a> forming an “army” for the dead king.) The disappearance of Qin Shi Huang’s forceful personality immediately led to the outbreak of fighting among supporters of the old feudal factions that ended in the collapse of the Qin dynasty and the extermination of the entire imperial clan by 206.</p><span class="marker MOD9 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD10 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Most of the information about Qin Shi Huang’s life derives from the successor <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Han-dynasty" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Han dynasty</a>, which prized Confucian scholarship and thus had an interest in <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="disparaging" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disparaging" data-type="MW">disparaging</a> the Qin period. The report that Qin Shi Huang was an <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="illegitimate" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illegitimate" data-type="MW">illegitimate</a> son of Lü Buwei is possibly an invention of that epoch. Further, stories describing his excessive cruelty and the general defamation of his character must be viewed in the light of the distaste felt by the ultimately victorious Confucians for legalist philosophy in general.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD10 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD11 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Qin Shi Huang certainly had an imposing personality and showed an unbending will in pursuing his aim of uniting and strengthening the empire. His despotic rule and the draconian punishments he meted out were dictated largely by his belief in legalist ideas. With few exceptions, the traditional <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/historiography" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">historiography</a> of imperial China has regarded him as the villain par excellence, inhuman, uncultivated, and superstitious. Modern historians, however, generally stress the endurance of the bureaucratic and administrative structure institutionalized by Qin Shi Huang, which, despite its official denial, remained the basis of all subsequent <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="dynasties" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dynasties" data-type="MW">dynasties</a> in China.</p><span class="marker MOD11 mod-inline"></span> <span class="md-signature font-12"><a href="/contributor/Claudius-Cornelius-Muller/2072">Claudius Cornelius Müller</a></span> <span class="md-signature font-12"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span> </section><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-simplify-root"></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":540412,"pageLength":1039,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.133.36"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.133.36' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"A","adLeg":"A","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"BIO_LARGE","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":true} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Qin Shi Huang | Biography, Accomplishments, Family, United China, Tomb, & Facts | Britannica