As for the reasons for the demise of the Qin Dynasty, common theories often revolve around the idea of "tyranny of the first emperor". Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, once asserted that the demise of the Qin Dynasty was not unrelated to the "tyranny of the first emperor". The famous historian Huang Renyu also used "Qin Shi Huang's cruelty and insolence to reach a bizarre state", linking it with the fall of the Qin Dynasty. The "History" even uses the mouth of Chen Sheng, the leader of the peasant uprising, to say that the reason for the demise of the Qin Dynasty was "the suffering of Qin for a long time." However, history is often not as simple as it seems.
Some historians have put forward different views, arguing that the Qin dynasty did not fall solely because of the "tyranny of the first emperor", but also for other reasons, such as the abolition of the division system and the implementation of the county system. The system of division of fiefdoms refers to the division of land to meritorious ministers and royal children, allowing them to enjoy the autonomy and privileges of their own fiefdoms, which can form a community of interests and contribute to the stability of the country. The county system, on the other hand, was a centralized local administrative system, in which local leaders were directly appointed by the emperor, weakening local autonomy. After Qin Shi Huang unified China, he faced the choice of division and county system.
On this issue, the officials were divided into two factions, those who advocated a separate sealing system were represented by Prime Minister Wang Wei, while those who advocated the implementation of the county system were represented by Li Si, the court captain. They each came up with a series of reasons and competed for the emperor's support. Officials who advocated a system of separate fiefdoms argued that Qin Shi Huang's central government could not effectively administer distant areas, so that the clan princes should act as the emperor's agents in order to better handle local affairs. Officials who advocate the county system believe that the division system may weaken the cohesion of the central government, make the princes go their own way, do not obey the orders of the central government, and eventually lead to the division of the country.
Qin Shi Huang eventually chose to implement the county system, a decision that had significant consequences. The disciples and heroes of the clan lost their original privileges and territory, did not form a community of interests, and did not actively participate in state affairs. This caused the Qin Dynasty to face a crisis, and the disciples and heroes of the clan chose to stand by and watch instead of actively assisting the emperor.
At the same time, Qin Shi Huang did not effectively eliminate the nobles of the Six Kingdoms, but moved them to Xianyang, so that they still maintained their influence. These nobles later became a force rebelling against the Qin rule, leading to internal turmoil and division of the country.
In short, the demise of the Qin Dynasty was not only due to the "tyranny of the first emperor", the implementation of the division system and the county system, and the failure to effectively eliminate the power of the nobility and other factors played an important role. These decisions and events were intertwined and eventually led to the fall of the Qin Dynasty.