Qin Shi Huang — First Emperor in History of China and His Unified Qin Dynasty

Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 BC — 210 BC), originally named Ying Zheng or Zhao Zheng, also respected as Zu Long or Shi Huang Di, was the founder of the first unified feudal empire, the Qin Dynasty, in the history of China.

He defeated other six kingdoms in the Warring States Period (403 BC — 221 BC), established the great Qin Empire that has unified language, currency, roads, measurement system, invented the Emperor System that had been implemented in China in the next two millenniums, constructed the Great Wall to defend against Xiongnu (or the Huns), and built an extremely grand and fancy mausoleum underground that was guarded by the Terracotta Army.

As one of the greatest monarchs with unprecedented achievements, Qin Shi Huang left the world valuable legacies and mysterious legends.

Qin Shi Huang the first emperor in China

Qin Shi Huang's Turbulent Childhood As A Hostage

As an unappreciated prince of State Qin, Yi Ren was a hostage in the State Zhao, where he married a beautiful woman and gave birth to Ying Zheng.

A merchant named Lv there believed that investing on a prince of the powerful State Qin would be the best business he could ever do; so Lv offered them lots of money to make sure that they lived more comfortably and wouldn’t be treated badly by the guard soldiers of the State Zhao.

Lv also bribed Ying Zheng’s grandfather’s favorite imperial concubine to gain her support.

However, as hostages, Ying Zheng and his parents still frequently suffered and had experienced many life and death moments. 

Unearthed Inlayed Silver Carriage Piece of the Qin Dynasty​

Unearthed Inlayed Silver Carriage Piece of the Qin Dynasty — British Museum (Photo by Dongmaiying)

After the General Bai Qi won and massacred around 450, 000 of State Zhao’s fine soldiers in the battlefield, the King of Zhao planned to kill Ying Zheng’s entire family. 

Under that circumstance, Lv helped Zheng’s father disguise and escape back to the State Qin, while Ying Zheng and his mother were left in the State Zhao.

Luckily, Ying Zheng’s mother was the daughter of a rich businessman in the State Zhao, so they were hidden in his mansion safely for a long time.

Most of Ying Zheng’s childhood was spent in hiding and escaping, and without a proper education; until his father finally ascended to the throne and welcomed him back to the State Qin. 

Dragon Shaped Jade Decoration of Warring States Period

Dragon Shaped Jade Decoration of Warring States Period — National Museum of China (Photo by Dongmaiying)

Challenges and Difficulties As A Teenager King

But his father passed away very soon, and Ying Zheng ascended to the throne as a 12-year-old teenager, only 3 years after he came back to the State Qin. 

Hence, King Ying Zheng wasn’t quite close to anyone. 

At that time, the State Qin was actually under the charge of powerful nobles and the merchant Lv that had a romantic relationship with Ying Zheng’s mother according to many gossips. 

Besides, Ying Zheng's mother also had other two bastards with another lover, who obtained a great deal of power in the following years.

Forces of the other six kingdoms, all tried to influence and manipulate this young king as their puppet monarch.

Ying Zheng himself stayed extremely careful, humble, and quiet while trying to make some talented friends of his age.  

Bronze Weapon Ge Produced Under Command of Merchant/Prime Minister Lv

Bronze Weapon Ge Produced Under Command of Merchant/Prime Minister Lv — Chengdu Museum (Photo by Dongmaiying)

Retrieving Power and Eliminating Political Enemies

When Ying Zheng was 20 years old, he held the Coming of Age Ceremony, an important rite in ancient Chinese culture, and started to retrieve the centralized power of the State Qin.

His younger brother and his mother’s lover initiated some coups, trying to expel him from the throne, but they were defeated and killed.

Then King Ying Zheng forced Lv to commit suicide, imprisoned his mother, and killed her lover and their two bastards. 

Around one year later, all of his political enemies within the kingdom were defeated, after when he gained all the centralized power, with the assistance of younger officials that he trusted, such as General Wang Jian.

Afterward, King Ying Zheng marched toward his path of establishing a bigger and stronger empire. 

Bronze Arrow Bolts of the Qin Dynasty

Bronze Arrow Bolts of the Qin — Shaanxi Museum (Photo by Professor Gary Lee Todd)

Perishing of Six Kingdoms and Disappearing of His Queen 

Then King Ying Zheng nominated Wang Jian as the chief commander of Qin’s army.

When Wang Jian and his son Wang Ben were fighting and defeating countries in the north of China, Ying Zheng married a princess of the State Chu, the huge empire in the south, and had his first baby boy.

Decades later, after all the northern land was under Qin’s control, Ying Zheng started to fight with the State Chu. 

Years later, General Wang Jian led Qin’s 600, 000 soldiers successfully perished the Chu. 

Unearthed Armour of the Qin Dynasty

Unearthed Sword and Armor of the Qin Dynasty — Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum

Ying Zheng finally brought an end to the period of endless battles and contentions; a unified and centralized empire was established.

But he erased his queen, the princess of the State Chu, from all types of official records. Afterward, Ying Zheng had never nominated another queen.

No one knew what exactly had happened between them, but their son was always Ying Zheng’s favorite child and his trusted heir. 

Jade Goblet Unearthed From Site of Royal Palace (Epang Palace) of the Qin Dynasty — Xi'an Museum (Photo by Dongmaiying)

Emperor Qin Shi Huang and his Exceptional Achievements


Ying Zheng now was no longer a king of a smaller state. As a believer of Great Unification and centralized power, he announced himself as the first emperor, the Qin Shi Huang Di, of this powerful empire. 


Implementing of Unprecedented Political Systems

  • Qin Shi Huang innovated the Autocratic Monarchy — the Emperor System

In this system, no one could share power with the emperor that had absolute control over his country.

The central government had three major official officers who were in charge of administration, military, and supervision, respectively. They were independent of each other and reported directly to the emperor. ​

Restoration Map of Royal Palace of the Qin Dynasty, the Epang Palace.


  • Qin Shi Huang widely applied the System of Prefectures and Counties, where the counties were directly regulated by the emperor and the officials that were assigned by the central government.

Afterward, the System of Enfeoffment and Hereditary was officially abolished in the history of China.


  • Qin Shi Huang then unified national measurement and currency, and commanded to use Xiaozhuan as his new empire's language.

Unearthed Unified Scale Hammer of the Qin Dynasty — National Museum of China

  • The Standardized Royal Roads, which was the rudiment of the highway, were constructed in the whole of the country as well.


  • In the meanwhile, defensive military sites of the former six kingdoms were demolished.

  • Qin Shi Huang also acknowledged the Private Ownership of Land nationwide, which highly motivated farmers and promoted the agricultural production.

  • The Household Registration System was implemented, which made it possible for the emperor to manage and coordinate the whole of the country.

  • Besides, salt and iron business could only be operated by the government. 

  • As for the royal members of the other six perished kingdoms, Qin Shi Huang assigned them some land and had them under careful monitoring. 

Till then, Empire Qin became a big country with unification and harmony. 

Unearthed Eaves Tile of the Qin Dynasty — Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology (Photo by Dongmaiying)

Military Achievements and Construction of the Great Wall

Moreover, Qin Shi Huang largely extended Qin’s territory by initiating many other wars and encouraging people to move to remote places and cultivate more farmland.

After a big military success defeating Xiongnu, he commanded to build the Great Wall to defend against this nomadic regime and constructed a luxury palace to enjoy life.

That palace was burnt into ashes by a leader of an uprising army named Xiang Yu later, but the Great Wall is standing tall and upright for thousands of years.

Part of Ruins of the Great Wall of Qin Dynasty

Part of Ruins of the Great Wall of Qin Dynasty

Unification of National Ideology 

As a believer of Legalism, Qin Shi Huang commanded to burn many books to reach a consensus, except those were relevant to people’s livelihood and management.


Hundreds of intellectuals from other philosophical schools, except the Legalism, were executed as well.

This behavior has long been criticized by many historians that considered him a tyrant.

Besides that, Qin Shi Huang always trusted and respected his officials and generals; most of them were well treated and rewarded.   

Unearthed Bamboo Slips Recording the Laws of the Qin Dynasty — Hubei Museum 

Qin Shi Huang’s Pursuing of Immortals 

After Qin Shi Huang having gained extraordinary achievements in all respects, searching for immortals became one of his main purposes.

He held some grand sacrificial ceremonies in the holy Mount Tai, the place that believed can connect the heaven, the secular world, and the hell.

In the meantime, many people were sent to search for celestial beings.

Qin Shi Huang also had visited many other mountains and seas where according to ancient myths and legends might have immortals living in.

No one knows what exactly he had found, but many mysterious stories about him were passed on for generations on the places that he had visited.

Unearthed Bronze Chariot and Horses — Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum (Photo by Dongmaiying)

Departure of Qin Shi Huang and Contentions Over Throne

This great emperor passed away on his fifth tour. 

Before he departed, Qin Shi Huang left a will in which he gave the throne to his talented and well respected first son named Fusu, the boy that he had with his only queen, the princess of the State Chu.  

However, Qin Shi Huang’s 18th son stole the throne, with the help of some powerful ministers, they forged a will saying the emperor commanded Prince Fusu to suicide, who was serving in the military far away.

Then Fusu, the legit heir of the Empire Qin, followed this fake will and committed suicide. 

A powerful and intelligent general, the one who defeated Xiongnu and built the Great Wall, was also forced to commit suicide, because of his sincere fidelity to Prince Fusu. 

Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Certificate (Hu Fu) to Deploy Forces Garrisoned in Yangling

Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Certificate (Hu Fu) to Deploy Forces Garrisoned in Yangling — National Museum of China

Perishing of the Qin Dynasty and Qin Shi Huang's Legacy


The new emperor snatched the crown, but he couldn't govern the empire well. 

He buried all of Qin Shi Huang’s imperial concubines alive and murdered all of his other siblings and disobedient officials, cruelly.

Without a qualified monarch and exceptional generals, the Qin Dynasty was defeated and perished by some uprising armies, only two years after Qin Shi Huang’s death.


However, the centralized system that Qin Shi Huang invented was applied and inherited by the following Chinese emperors for thousands of years.

His ideology of the Great Unification was well established and still dominates in the current Chinese culture.

Unearthed Terre Cotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty

Unearthed Terre Cotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty — Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum 

Qin Shi Huang's Mysterious, Grand Mausoleum

Qin Shi Huang’s whole life was a legend with unprecedented achievements, moreover, his posthumous world was exceptionally marvelous as well.

Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang is one of the few mysterious graves that had not been excavated yet, because of the limited protection technology. 

According to historical documents, his mausoleum utilized about 800,000 labors and took 39 years to finally finish.

It is said that he reproduced his entire capital city underground, so his grave was super huge, mysterious, and full of magical legends.

Within his underground palace, valuable pearls were inlaid in the copper-made-top as the stars, a large amount of mercury was arranged as lakes and seas, countless treasures were displayed in many rooms of the big palace, while very dangerous defensive mechanisms were delicately set all over the mausoleum. 

The famous Terra-Cotta Warriors were designed to be the powerful army that protects his grave; the excavated ones, however, are only a small part of the entire troop of the Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum. 

Unearthed Terracotta Warriors Pit One — Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum

Unearthed Terracotta Warriors Pit One — Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum (Photo by Chen Siyuan)