The First Emperor of China

This title was first published in 1975. The long history of China has produced many outstanding rulers, but few as significant as Ch'in Shih-huang, the first emperor of China. When he ascended the royal throne of Ch'in as King Cheng in 246 B.C., the territory of China was divided among several rival kingdoms, the last of a large number of states which had been engaged in almost uninterrupted warfare for centuries. Through a combination of warfare, diplomacy, and intrigue, King Cheng successively annihilated the rival six states, destroying the last in 221 B.C. Since 1972 a radically different official view of the First Emperor has been given prominence throughout China. Now he is seen as a farsighted ruler who destroyed the forces which had kept China divided, unified the nation, and established the first centralized state in Chinese history. This phenomenon prompts students of Chinese history and politics alike to ask; Is this only a historical controversy ? If not, what might be the motivation behind this movement? It is hoped that the materials in this volume, in addition to providing a representative sampling of the current reinterpretation of Ch'in Shih-huang, may also be helpful in formulating answers to the above and more questions.