Short Dynasty
Last night I was reading about the Qin (or Ch'in) Dynasty. Ruthless and powerful, it swept to power on a pragmatic philosophy based on ignoring the norms of civilised behaviour.
Qin Shi Huang Di, the first Qin emperor, was the first unifier of what we now call China in his short-lived dynasty's honour. He was persuaded by his chancellor to carry out the first Burning of Books, a purge of scholars and knowledge that established a pattern for ruthless anti-intellectuals throughout future ages.
He became paranoid, ordering metal objects to be melted down and converted to baroque statues, drinking mercury to prolong his life, and desperately searching for alchemy that would make him immortal. Nevertheless, he also instituted great works; his was the fist that started the building of the Great Wall and the Lingqu Canal. The famous terra-cotta army was just one of his crazy projects that we now look upon with awe.
He never planned a succession, being afraid that he would be supplanted prematurely. This was to lead to chaos when he died in 210 BC.
The appalling dynasty had lasted just fifteen years. Squabbling among the key figures of power behind the throne resulted in calamity and collapse; by that time, all moderating and stabilising influences had been rooted out and purged. The chief rebel won, and the Han Dynasty was born, and with it, modern China really began.
You can learn a lot from such things.
Qin Shi Huang Di, the first Qin emperor, was the first unifier of what we now call China in his short-lived dynasty's honour. He was persuaded by his chancellor to carry out the first Burning of Books, a purge of scholars and knowledge that established a pattern for ruthless anti-intellectuals throughout future ages.
He became paranoid, ordering metal objects to be melted down and converted to baroque statues, drinking mercury to prolong his life, and desperately searching for alchemy that would make him immortal. Nevertheless, he also instituted great works; his was the fist that started the building of the Great Wall and the Lingqu Canal. The famous terra-cotta army was just one of his crazy projects that we now look upon with awe.
He never planned a succession, being afraid that he would be supplanted prematurely. This was to lead to chaos when he died in 210 BC.
The appalling dynasty had lasted just fifteen years. Squabbling among the key figures of power behind the throne resulted in calamity and collapse; by that time, all moderating and stabilising influences had been rooted out and purged. The chief rebel won, and the Han Dynasty was born, and with it, modern China really began.
You can learn a lot from such things.
Labels: History
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