Qin Shi Huang, otherwise known as Ying Zheng, was born into an era of relentless warfare and ever-present death; however, when he came into power, he left a legacy that lasted over 2000 years. He conquered all neighboring states by the strong political, economical and military state of Qin, unifying what is now known as China. As the first emperor, his reign was short lived, however, it was the turning point in Chinese history, what was feudal turned imperial [Citation]. Throughout his 12 years of reign, he was much despised by his people and his court officials due to his oppressing laws and brutal punishments [Citation]. Having enslaved and killed thousands of citizens as means to accomplish his bold vision, he phenomenally remains the most controversial figures of history. Was he a visionary who unified China and its culture or was he a tyranny who burned thousands of books and scholars alive, this essay will examine the controversiality of China's first emperor through written and archeological evidence. .
First, we take a look at reasons why he had been such a reviled and alternately applauded figure in the eyes of Chinese pre-modern and modern historians. In pre-modern historiography, Qin Shi Huang was almost always portrayed as a lunatic tyrant who was constantly paranoid of assassination and betrayal. He was condemned in "Shi Ji", written by famous Han historian Sima Qian, for his brutality and complete hostility towards Confucianism and its traditional ways[Citation] . Another intellectual in the Han Dynasty, Jia yi, went as far as to suggest the Qin Dynasty's fall was due to Qin Shi Huang's failure to rule with the Confucius ideas of humanity and righteousness. He described the late emperor as a ruler who "disregarded the ways of former kings and burned the writings of hundred schools in order to make people ignorant" [Citation] In fact, Jia yi's comment delegated the opinion of historians and politicians of imperial China.
