How Did Qin Shi Huangdi Change Ancient China

Qin Shi Huangdi was the first ruler of China, who after defeating the last of the other states changed his name from Ying Zheng to Qin Shi Huangdi, meaning "first magnificent god of the Qin". He feared for his life because he believed that after he died, his empire would lose it's "mandate from heaven". When Qin Shi Huangdi died on a journey during a hot summer in 210 BCE, his chief advisor knew that there would be revolts. After Qin Shi Huangdi died, up risings and revolts followed. China was changed from then on and has been shaped and developed into what China is today.

Qin Shi Huangdi feared for his life because he believed that after he died, his empire would lose it's "mandate from heaven". The mandate of heaven was an ancient Chinese …show more content…
In 211 BC a large meteor is said to have fallen in Dōngjùn in the lower reaches of the Yellow River. On it, an unknown person inscribed the words "The First Emperor will die and his land will be divided". When the emperor heard of this, he sent an imperial secretary to investigate this prophecy. No one would confess to the deed, so all the people living nearby were put to death. The stone was then burned and pulverized. In 210 BCE, Qin Shi Huangdi was touring the east of the country with his aides. He died during the journey at the palace in Shaqiu prefecture, which was about two months away by road from the capital Xianyang. Qin Shi Huangdi's cheif adviser, Li Si, knew that there could be a revolt if the people had realised that the emperor had died before a successor was announced. Li Si then left Qin Shi Huangdi's corpes in his wagon and araged for it to be surrounded with cart loads of dead fish. Qin Shi Huangdi reportedly died due to ingesting mercury pills which were made by his alchemists and court physicians. Ironically, these pills were meant to make Qin Shi Huangdi immortal. The death of Qin Shi Huangdi was a significant event and led to losing his empire's mandate of …show more content…
Li Si (Qin Shi Huangdi's chief adviser), who accompanied him, became extremely worried that the news of his death could trigger a general uprising in the Empire. It would take two months for him to reach the capital and it would not be possible to stop the uprising. Li Si decided to hide the death of the emperor and return to Xianyang. Most of the Imperial mambers accompinaning the emperor were left arrogant of the death; only five or six favourite eunichs knew of the death. As the group were returning to Xianyang, Li Si orders carts full of rotten fish to be before and after the wagon of Qin Shi Huangdi. The idea of this was to prevent people from noticing the emperor, as his body was starting to decompose servirley and to prevnt people from realising that the emperor was dead. They also travelled in the shade to cover his face, changed his clothes daily and brought food when he had to have "important converations". Eventually after about two months, Li Si and the Imperial court reached Xianyang, where the new of the death of the emperor was announced. After the death of Qin Shi Huangdi, his oldest son, Fusu would become emperor. Li Si and the cheif eunich Zhao Gao consired to kill Fusu because Fusu's favourite general was Meng Tian, whom they disliked and feared. MengTian's brother, a senior minister, had once punished Zhao Gao. They believed that if Fusu was emperor, they would lose their power. Li Si and Zhao

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