Page 230 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol IV

Q

allegedly burning the books and burying the scholars lowed basically accepted this system, which became the
(alive,of course) that the First Emperor was chiefly remem- norm for later Chinese imperial government.
bered in later China’s Confucianized historical memory. The Han also continued many of Qin Shi Huang’s
With the rise of modern Chinese nationalism, he has other unification policies, such as standardization of cur-
acquired a more positive image as a political unifier and rency, weights, measures, and even the width of roads
nation builder. Mao Zedong (1893–1976) went further, and cart axels. In cultural matters, the Qin suppression of
seeing him as the kind of great leader who pushed the various philosophies and traditions was dropped,although
wheel of history forward by ruthlessly exterminating tra- the Han’s designation of Confucianism as the state ortho-
ditional or reactionary forces. In Mao’s last years, during doxy also dampened the vigorous philosophical dispu-
the later stages of the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), tations that had characterized the latter years of the
there was a nationwide campaign to glorify Qin Shi pre-Qin Zhou period (1045–256 BCE). One other Qin
Huang as historically progressive and to denigrate Con- standardization was of enormous historical significance:
fucius as reactionary. That campaign ended, however, The written script was purged of regional variations, thus
with the death of Mao, and Qin Shi Huang remains a facilitating communications and reinforcing cultural
rather ambiguous symbol in modern China, seen on the unity, at least for the literate elite.
one hand as a great national unifier and on the other as The most notable discontinuity from Qin to Han was
a tyrant and despot. the repudiation of the School of Law (fajia) that Qin Shi
Appraising his real achievements is not easy. Signifi- Huang had made the sole philosophy, or political doc-
cantly, critics and admirers in China focus more on his trine, of his empire. Usually called Legalism in the West,
role as a political centralizer than as a military con- the School of Law demanded universal law codes, en-
queror, although his armies crushed all the remaining forced by harsh punishments, that would abolish all the
independent Chinese states and pushed China’s bound- old feudal distinctions of rank and privilege, thus leveling
aries to present-day Vietnam in the south and beyond the society under the all-powerful ruler. As explained by its
present Great Wall (which he built by connecting and most articulate spokesman, the political philosopher
extending existing fortifications) in the north. Important Hanfeizi (d. 233 BCE), this would not only maximize
in his role as a centralizer was the junxian system with power for the state and the ruler, but also benefit the com-
which he administered his vast empire. Formerly heredi- mon people by ensuring peace and good order. There
tary fiefdoms held by not-always-obedient retainers were was little attention paid to law as a restraint on the
replaced by commanderies and districts administered by absolute power of the ruler.
officials serving at the emperor’s pleasure. While exe- Upon the death of Qin Shi Huang, palace intrigues led
crating his name and policies, the Han dynasty that fol- to the accession of a younger son lacking his father’s

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