Qin Shi Huang Di

Did the harsh rule of Qin Shi Huangdi possibly benefit the common people more than it harmed them? Of all the emperors in Chinese history, Qin Shi Huangdi, the self-proclaimed “First Emperor”, is probably known as the most ruthless and cold-blooded monarch. Under his rule, thousands of war innocents and intellectuals perished because they were “threats” to his control. However, despite his numerous wicked deeds, during the eleven years he ruled (221 BCE- 210 BCE), he also created the most unified state of China for many centuries to come. A bit of background: When Qin Shi Huangdi first came into power in 221 BCE, China was in the state of political chaos and decay. The Era of Warring States had barely just passed, and with it, the decline and destruction of the Zhou dynasty. From its ashes, Qin Shi Huang built a brutal government, with himself as the sole leader, and got rid of all regional aristocrats to increase his influence. Thus, the Qin Dynasty was born. On being a heartless person… Many civilians strongly disliked the First Emperor’s excessive domination. Shi Huangdi became fiercely unpopular for his attack on Chinese culture and intellectuals. He ordered for virtually all books from previous dynasties to be burned and even banned erudite discussions about the past. His actions apparently stemmed from the thinking that all thoughts had to be under his dictatorial control. Qin Shi Huangdi was also extremely cruel toward the civilians, killing them without batting an eye if they blocked his pathway to complete authority. He was known to create and administer the worst torture practices in history onto those who were only just slightly suspected of disloyalty. …but a very influential one as well.
Despite his harsh control, Qin Shi Huangdi was indeed a very effective and efficient ruler. During his short reign, he managed to standardize weights, measures, and coins (first time in China) that made trade and business much less complicated, and collect a national census in order to calculate how much tax he could collect, which set a precedent for future societies. A uniform writing language was created so the people could communicate more easily, and well-organized irrigation systems were put into place. Furthermore, he promoted the manufacturing of silk, a major item of the Silk Road trade. However, his greatest contribution to the world was his idea for the development of the Great Wall (that eventually extended 3000 miles) that was originally meant to prevent outside invasions. Conclusion: Though Qin Shi Huangdi had a merciless personality, he eventually impacted his people and country more positively than negatively. On the surface, his reign was covered in ghastly flaws, but underneath, it was full of great ideas that made life not only much simpler for his people, but for his descendants and the rest of the world.