Sima Qian Historical Records - Excerpts
The Historical Records is a history of the Chinese world from its beginnings up to the late second century, B.C. written by Sima Qian, China’s famous historian. The following excerpts are taken from an abbreviated version of the 130 volumes which examine the Qin dynasty. This account was written approximately 2,000 years ago and these selections give clues about the reign of the First Emperor.
DIRECTIONS: Student pairs will select and read one of the passages below and discuss your insights. What does each passage reveal about Qin Shi Huang Di’s reign? Decide whether you believe the account. Do you think the author was exaggerating? Do you think archeologists and historians can confirm this document?
Excerpts:
“After more than twenty years all under Heaven was finally unified, and the sovereign was honored as August Emperor, and he made Si chief minister. He razed the city walls in provinces and districts and melted down their weapons to demonstrate that they would not again be used. He ensured that there would be no fiefdom in Qin, even of a single foot of territory, and he did not set up his sons and younger brothers as kings or successful ministers as feudal lords, to ensure that in future there would be none of the disasters of warfare.” (p. 29)
“The First Emperor intended to travel throughout the Empire and go via Jiuyuan directly to Ganquan, so he made Meng Tian open a road...straight...by hollowing out mountains and filling in valleys...The road had not yet been completed when the First Emperor in the winter of the thirty seventh year went forth on his journey and travelled to Kuaiji. Going along the seacoast, he went north to Langye. When he fell ill on the way, he made Meng Yi return to offer prayers to the mountains and the streams. He had not yet got back when the First Emperor passed away on reaching Shaqiu. It was kept a secret and none of the officials knew.” (p. 57)
“Now Qin for the first time had unified all under Heaven ...and the following edict was issued: ‘We have heard that in high antiquity there were titles but no posthumous names. In middle antiquity there were titles, but when people died they were provided with posthumous names in accordance with their conduct. If this is so, then it is a case of the son passing judgment on the father and the subject passing judgment on the ruler. This is quite pointless, and we will not adopt this practice in such matters. Henceforward, the law on posthumous names is abolished. We are the First August Emperor and later generations will be numbered with this system, Second Generation, Third Generation, right down to Ten Thousandth Generation, and this tradition will continue without end.” (p. 65)
“So the Empire was divided into thirty-six provinces, and a governor and army commander and an inspector were established for each. The people were named ‘the black-headed people,” and there were great celebrations. The weapons from all under heaven were gathered in and collected together from Xianyang and were melted down to make bells and stands and twelve statues of men made of metal...to be set up in the courts and palaces. All weights and measures were placed under a unified system, and the axle length of carriages was standardized. For writings they standardized the characters.” (p. 66)
“In the twenty-ninth year, the First Emperor...made an inscription with the following words: ‘...The servants observed him in admiration, recalled his blessings and glory and sang the praises of what he initiated...Abroad he taught the feudal lords, bestowing the blessings of culture and spreading enlightenment by the principles of righteousness...He made his punishments just and his conduct sincere, and his awesome glory spread around. All his servants sing the praises of his achievements, and request to inscribe them in stone...” (p. 73)
“Chief Minister Li Si said, ‘Your servant requests that the records of the historians...should all be burnt. Apart from those copies that the scholars of broad learning are responsible for in their official capacity, anyone in all under Heaven who dares to possess and hide away the Songs, the Documents, and the sayings of the hundred schools, should be indiscriminately burnt. Those who, using the old, reject the new will be wiped out together with their clans. Officers who see and become aware of such cases but do not report them should be convicted of the same crime with them. If thirty days after the ordinance has been promulgated the books are not burnt, then the culprit should be branded and sent to do forced labor on the walls. There should be an exceptions for books concerned with medicine, pharmacy, divination by tortoiseshell and milfoil, the sowing of crops, and the planting of trees...’ This proposal was sanctioned by decree.” (p. 77)
“Thereupon he made the Imperial Secretary investigate all the scholars, who were reported to have informed on each other; but in fact, although they tried to exonerate themselves, more than 460 who had infringed the prohibitions were all buried alive at Xianyang, and the whole Empire was made to know about this to serve as a warning for the future. And increasingly people were banished to the frontiers.” (p. 80)
The following sections relate to the building projects carried out by order of Qin Shi Huangdi. Read them carefully and decide whether Chinese archeologists excavating at Xi’an are likely to find what is described by Sima Qian.
“One hundred and twenty thousand powerful and wealthy households from all under Heaven were transferred to Xianyang. All the temples together with Zhangtai and Shanglin were to the south of the Wei (River). Every time Qin destroyed a feudal state, a replica of its palaces and mansions was produced...there was a series of mansions, connecting walkways, and pavilions. The beautiful women, bells, and drums which they had obtained from the various states were installed there to fill them.” (p. 67)
“...a road was opened...Hills were hollowed out and valleys filled in to make it run straight...he constructed a palace for the court in the Shanglin Park south of the Wei (River). First of all he built the front hall, Epang, which was 500 paces from east to west and 500 feet from north to south...For transport round about there was a screened highway from below the hall straight to the southern mountains. The summit of the Southern Mountains was put on show and treated as the entrance gate. They made a covered way going across the Wei from Epang to reach Xianyang in imitation of the screened highway. More than 700,000 men who had been castrated or were convict-laborers were in fact divided up between the Epang palace and constructing Mount Li.” (p. 78)
“Second Generation said: ‘It would not be right that any of the previous Emperor’s concubines should emerge from this place unless she has a son.’ They were all ordered to accompany him in death, and those who died were extremely numerous. After the burial had taken place someone mentioned the fact that the workers and craftsmen who had constructed the mechanical devices would know all about the buried treasures and the importance of the treasures would be immediately disclosed. Consequently when the great occasion was finished and after the treasures had been hidden away, the main entranceway to the tomb was shut off, and the outer gate lowered, so that all the workers and craftsmen who had buried the treasure were shut in, and there were none who came out again. And vegetation and trees were planted to make it look like a hill.” (p. 86)
“When the First Emperor had just come to the throne, excavations and building work had just taken place at Mount Li, but when he unified all under Heaven, convicts to the number of more than 700,000 were sent there from all over the Empire. They dug through three springs and poured down molten bronze to make the outer coffin; and replicas of palaces, pavilions, all the various officials, and wonderful vessels, and other rare objects were brought up to the tomb, which was then filled with them. Craftsmen were ordered to make crossbows and arrows that would operate automatically, so that anyone who approached what had been excavated was immediately shot. Quicksilver was used to represent the various waterways, the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, and the great sea, being made by some mechanism to flow into each other, and above were ranged the heavenly constellations and below was the layout of the land. Candles were made of whale fat, for it was reckoned that iFt would be a long time before they were extinguished.” (pp. 85-86)
“The Second Generation said: ‘Because the court at Xianyang was small, the previous Emperor therefore built the palace of Epang to provide a residence, but before it was completed it so happened that the Supreme One passed away, so the workers were disbanded, but they were reengaged to replace the earth at Mount Li. The work at Mount Li is largely complete, so if I now abandoned the Epang palace and did not make progress on it, then it would indicate that the previous Emperor was wrong to undertake the task.’ So they again worked on the Epang palace.” (p. 89)
“Ziying was the King of Qin for forty-six days when the Chu commander, the Governor of Pei, smashed the Qin army and entered the Wu Pass, and then reached Bashang. He sent people to negotiate the surrender of Ziying. Ziying, having tied a rope around his neck, in a plain carriage with white horses, handing over the seal of the Son of Heaven, made his surrender beside Zhidao. The Governor of Pei then entered Xianyang, sealed the palaces, treasuries, and storehouses, and then returned to the army at Bashang. After a month or so the soldiers of the feudal states arrived, Xiang Yu being the leader of the alliance. Ziying was killed,
together with the princes and other members of the royal family. Then Xiangyang was butchered and its palaces set on fire and the boys and girls who were in them made prisoner, and its treasures were looted and divided up by the feudal states...Xiang Yu, as overlord of Western Chu, was responsible for the orders dividing up the Empire among the kings and feudal lords. Qin was at last wiped out. And five years later all under Heaven was restored to order by the Han.” (p. 96)
The Historical Records is a history of the Chinese world from its beginnings up to the late second century, B.C. written by Sima Qian, China’s famous historian. The following excerpts are taken from an abbreviated version of the 130 volumes which examine the Qin dynasty. This account was written approximately 2,000 years ago and these selections give clues about the reign of the First Emperor.
DIRECTIONS: Student pairs will select and read one of the passages below and discuss your insights. What does each passage reveal about Qin Shi Huang Di’s reign? Decide whether you believe the account. Do you think the author was exaggerating? Do you think archeologists and historians can confirm this document?
Excerpts:
“After more than twenty years all under Heaven was finally unified, and the sovereign was honored as August Emperor, and he made Si chief minister. He razed the city walls in provinces and districts and melted down their weapons to demonstrate that they would not again be used. He ensured that there would be no fiefdom in Qin, even of a single foot of territory, and he did not set up his sons and younger brothers as kings or successful ministers as feudal lords, to ensure that in future there would be none of the disasters of warfare.” (p. 29)
“The First Emperor intended to travel throughout the Empire and go via Jiuyuan directly to Ganquan, so he made Meng Tian open a road...straight...by hollowing out mountains and filling in valleys...The road had not yet been completed when the First Emperor in the winter of the thirty seventh year went forth on his journey and travelled to Kuaiji. Going along the seacoast, he went north to Langye. When he fell ill on the way, he made Meng Yi return to offer prayers to the mountains and the streams. He had not yet got back when the First Emperor passed away on reaching Shaqiu. It was kept a secret and none of the officials knew.” (p. 57)
“Now Qin for the first time had unified all under Heaven ...and the following edict was issued: ‘We have heard that in high antiquity there were titles but no posthumous names. In middle antiquity there were titles, but when people died they were provided with posthumous names in accordance with their conduct. If this is so, then it is a case of the son passing judgment on the father and the subject passing judgment on the ruler. This is quite pointless, and we will not adopt this practice in such matters. Henceforward, the law on posthumous names is abolished. We are the First August Emperor and later generations will be numbered with this system, Second Generation, Third Generation, right down to Ten Thousandth Generation, and this tradition will continue without end.” (p. 65)
“So the Empire was divided into thirty-six provinces, and a governor and army commander and an inspector were established for each. The people were named ‘the black-headed people,” and there were great celebrations. The weapons from all under heaven were gathered in and collected together from Xianyang and were melted down to make bells and stands and twelve statues of men made of metal...to be set up in the courts and palaces. All weights and measures were placed under a unified system, and the axle length of carriages was standardized. For writings they standardized the characters.” (p. 66)
“In the twenty-ninth year, the First Emperor...made an inscription with the following words: ‘...The servants observed him in admiration, recalled his blessings and glory and sang the praises of what he initiated...Abroad he taught the feudal lords, bestowing the blessings of culture and spreading enlightenment by the principles of righteousness...He made his punishments just and his conduct sincere, and his awesome glory spread around. All his servants sing the praises of his achievements, and request to inscribe them in stone...” (p. 73)
“Chief Minister Li Si said, ‘Your servant requests that the records of the historians...should all be burnt. Apart from those copies that the scholars of broad learning are responsible for in their official capacity, anyone in all under Heaven who dares to possess and hide away the Songs, the Documents, and the sayings of the hundred schools, should be indiscriminately burnt. Those who, using the old, reject the new will be wiped out together with their clans. Officers who see and become aware of such cases but do not report them should be convicted of the same crime with them. If thirty days after the ordinance has been promulgated the books are not burnt, then the culprit should be branded and sent to do forced labor on the walls. There should be an exceptions for books concerned with medicine, pharmacy, divination by tortoiseshell and milfoil, the sowing of crops, and the planting of trees...’ This proposal was sanctioned by decree.” (p. 77)
“Thereupon he made the Imperial Secretary investigate all the scholars, who were reported to have informed on each other; but in fact, although they tried to exonerate themselves, more than 460 who had infringed the prohibitions were all buried alive at Xianyang, and the whole Empire was made to know about this to serve as a warning for the future. And increasingly people were banished to the frontiers.” (p. 80)
The following sections relate to the building projects carried out by order of Qin Shi Huangdi. Read them carefully and decide whether Chinese archeologists excavating at Xi’an are likely to find what is described by Sima Qian.
“One hundred and twenty thousand powerful and wealthy households from all under Heaven were transferred to Xianyang. All the temples together with Zhangtai and Shanglin were to the south of the Wei (River). Every time Qin destroyed a feudal state, a replica of its palaces and mansions was produced...there was a series of mansions, connecting walkways, and pavilions. The beautiful women, bells, and drums which they had obtained from the various states were installed there to fill them.” (p. 67)
“...a road was opened...Hills were hollowed out and valleys filled in to make it run straight...he constructed a palace for the court in the Shanglin Park south of the Wei (River). First of all he built the front hall, Epang, which was 500 paces from east to west and 500 feet from north to south...For transport round about there was a screened highway from below the hall straight to the southern mountains. The summit of the Southern Mountains was put on show and treated as the entrance gate. They made a covered way going across the Wei from Epang to reach Xianyang in imitation of the screened highway. More than 700,000 men who had been castrated or were convict-laborers were in fact divided up between the Epang palace and constructing Mount Li.” (p. 78)
“Second Generation said: ‘It would not be right that any of the previous Emperor’s concubines should emerge from this place unless she has a son.’ They were all ordered to accompany him in death, and those who died were extremely numerous. After the burial had taken place someone mentioned the fact that the workers and craftsmen who had constructed the mechanical devices would know all about the buried treasures and the importance of the treasures would be immediately disclosed. Consequently when the great occasion was finished and after the treasures had been hidden away, the main entranceway to the tomb was shut off, and the outer gate lowered, so that all the workers and craftsmen who had buried the treasure were shut in, and there were none who came out again. And vegetation and trees were planted to make it look like a hill.” (p. 86)
“When the First Emperor had just come to the throne, excavations and building work had just taken place at Mount Li, but when he unified all under Heaven, convicts to the number of more than 700,000 were sent there from all over the Empire. They dug through three springs and poured down molten bronze to make the outer coffin; and replicas of palaces, pavilions, all the various officials, and wonderful vessels, and other rare objects were brought up to the tomb, which was then filled with them. Craftsmen were ordered to make crossbows and arrows that would operate automatically, so that anyone who approached what had been excavated was immediately shot. Quicksilver was used to represent the various waterways, the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, and the great sea, being made by some mechanism to flow into each other, and above were ranged the heavenly constellations and below was the layout of the land. Candles were made of whale fat, for it was reckoned that iFt would be a long time before they were extinguished.” (pp. 85-86)
“The Second Generation said: ‘Because the court at Xianyang was small, the previous Emperor therefore built the palace of Epang to provide a residence, but before it was completed it so happened that the Supreme One passed away, so the workers were disbanded, but they were reengaged to replace the earth at Mount Li. The work at Mount Li is largely complete, so if I now abandoned the Epang palace and did not make progress on it, then it would indicate that the previous Emperor was wrong to undertake the task.’ So they again worked on the Epang palace.” (p. 89)
“Ziying was the King of Qin for forty-six days when the Chu commander, the Governor of Pei, smashed the Qin army and entered the Wu Pass, and then reached Bashang. He sent people to negotiate the surrender of Ziying. Ziying, having tied a rope around his neck, in a plain carriage with white horses, handing over the seal of the Son of Heaven, made his surrender beside Zhidao. The Governor of Pei then entered Xianyang, sealed the palaces, treasuries, and storehouses, and then returned to the army at Bashang. After a month or so the soldiers of the feudal states arrived, Xiang Yu being the leader of the alliance. Ziying was killed,
together with the princes and other members of the royal family. Then Xiangyang was butchered and its palaces set on fire and the boys and girls who were in them made prisoner, and its treasures were looted and divided up by the feudal states...Xiang Yu, as overlord of Western Chu, was responsible for the orders dividing up the Empire among the kings and feudal lords. Qin was at last wiped out. And five years later all under Heaven was restored to order by the Han.” (p. 96)