Qin Shi Huang (259–210 BC) was a great monarch in Chinese history. He accomplished many great things during his reign, but there were also some mistakes.
Qin Shi Huang
Qin Shi Huang had many achievements. During his reign, a series of important reforms were introduced. He conducted a massive land and census, established a bureaucracy based on Confucianism, divided the country into 36 counties, and unified the currency system and script. In addition, he also built roads such as Kunming and Shudao, and built large and small Luoyang cities, palaces, and mausoleums.
Afang Palace
Qin Shi Huang also strengthened the centralization of power, which had a profound impact on Chinese history. He eliminated the Six Kingdoms, unified China, established the first great unified dynasty in Chinese history, the Qin Dynasty, implemented the "county system" and the "three princes and nine secretaries system", swept away local divisions, broke the pattern of feudal autocracy, greatly strengthened the power of the central government, and laid the foundation for China's later unification and stability.
Great Wall of Qin
Qin Shi Huang also had many mistakes. After unifying China, he adopted strict Legalist ideology and strengthened the centralized system of the Qin Dynasty. His excessive tyranny, such as book burning and flood release, slowed down the process of legalization and led to social shock and disgust against him. In addition, he vigorously built the mausoleum, which excessively consumed national resources and people's resources, which directly led to political turmoil and disaster after his death.
Qin Shi Huang has had both positive and negative sides in Chinese history. What people say about him is controversial, but there is no doubt that he has had a profound impact on Chinese history.