Explained: The First Emperor of China | Podcast

"The First Emperor will die and his land will be divided….”
The First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, left behind him a monumental legacy: an Empire which would last millennia, the foundations of the Great Wall of China, and an eerie Terracotta Army - 8000 warriors who would protect the Emperor in the afterlife. His deeply autocratic reign, and the brutal tactics he used to conquer rival states and establish the Chinese Empire, have seen him cast as the archetype of the “bad emperor”. And when compared with Qin Shi Huang, Mao boasted that “when you berate us for imitating his despotism, we are happy to agree!”. But was Chinese unification under one empire inevitable, or did it need a ruthless figure to centralise power? And to what terrifying lengths did the first Emperor go to secure immortality…?
Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the fantastical First Emperor of China - one of the world’s most powerful and formidable rulers. From warring kingdoms and ruthless suppressions, to necromancy, mythical beasts, doom-ridden prophecies, and even 20th century Chinese Communism.
The Rest Is History LIVE in 2024
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Twitter:
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Producer: Theo Young-Smith
Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett
Image in the thumbnail is from the 18th century album of portraits of 86 emperors of China, with Chinese historical notes. British Library en.wikipedia.o...

[@Gargoiling]

I think he was trying to find a cure for mortality, Tom. We already have one for immortality.

[@andersbjrnsen7203]

😂😂

[@Thecognoscenti_1]

The Rest is History covering imperial Chinese history is an absolutely welcome surprise, I hope the series won't disappoint!

[@salex5412]

Agree. We in the so-called West know so little at a time when we all need to know a lot more.

[@fumfig3262]

An entire episode devoted to the history of Tea wouldn't go amiss! From its mythical orgins, production methods, popularisation and eventual globalization.

[@jimb9063]

Accidently listened to an audiobook on the subject, then went on to listen to a couple on the history of salt and coffee. Possibly a lot more interesting than it might sound! It was a huge turning point when someone thought that instead of everyone going round on stilts, they should just cultivate a smaller version instead (think that's what happened). Just got pepper to go until I can consider myself a well seasoned expert on the subject of condiments. Can hear the intro to the show now- "The steam clouds are brewing over the Far East..."

[@largesatsuma]

The reason they haven't finished excavating the terracota army and the emperor's tomb isn't just because of pollution. There are also stories of booby traps. More importantly, when the first terracota warriors were uncovered they were still painted from their creation but this paint dried and flaked off when exposed after so many centuries underground. The Chinese want to figure out a way of preserving stuff better before they uncover more.

[@johnoleary5293]

One of the most amazing facts about the terracotta figures is that they are NOT identical, and I’ll say nothing about your slaughter of the Chinese language. I do love this channel, though.

[@lesleyjones5817]

You're right. They are all different.

[@hamishmctiaigh4363]

Then say nothing, because there's no such thing as the Chinese language

[@johnarmstrong3140]

They are all different to reflect the ethnic differences found in China.. BTW, the Chinese think we all look alike:-)

[@Wakobear.]

Please more Chinese history. Especially Tang and Song golden ages

[@ManuelPagura]

Need a Borges episode, greetings from Argentina

[@ramirosotto]

Que tenía que ver

[@alainjacob872]

For non english speakers, it would be kind to write down the names of the authors quoted, and the titles of their books.

[@Nama-Montana]

Confucius teaching was similar to thinktank institutes nowadays. There were hundreds of these think tanks back then. Confucius went out of fashion pretty quickly about a century before Qin appeared. The dominant think tank used by Qin was Legalcodism or some called it legalism. There were no Confucius idea in Qin at all. After 14 years of Qin ruling the Han dynasty came up. It was about 120 years into Han dynasty that Han Wudi revived and recognised Confucius again for administration. Confucius was dead for almost two decades, the Han dynasty puts lots more hats and myths on Confucius to make it effective ruling.

[@rodvik]

You are both are brilliant! ❤

[@kaloarepo288]

Was watching a video on the Buscot Park stately home the other day and was surprised to see a row of full sized figures (copies of course) from the First Emperor's tomb in the gardens of the Park -at least I presume they were based on figures from that Tomb complex.

[@ashleybennett4418]

Tom and dom please contact me for correct pronunciation

[@isaacatkinson1882]

Everything you guys upload my inner history buff gets giddy. Really love the content, defo will be become a member when the time is right...

[@najmaddio]

21:26: Republic of China is not that big, it only controls Taiwan and some smaller islands

[@johndavenport8843]

In 2012 while touring Xiabm I was advised that plans to open the tomb were 30 years out. Also the archeology on the warriors was continuing and only 1/3 had been uuncovered.

[@richardjames3022]

The Great Wall(s) of China were mostly built of mud-brick. The Pyramids in Egypt were not built with slave labour. I thought that myth was dispelled a long time ago

[@Alidadadar]

great episode!!! So much knowledge but don't listen to the next one Hapsburgs... was a Hapsburg shinning a gleaming light out the backside onto his family history without being funnily interrupted

[@procinctu1]

Oppression and tyranny are not inevitable.

[@KvltKrist]

Dominic, my father, tried to learn a little Russian so he could greet my wife, and he had the same look of "didn't know I had that up my sleeve, did you"? 😅

[@CanisLupusSeesUs]

It is invalid to say the Roman Empire crumbled with no sign of it.

[@davidw4987]

The must be more complex reason (s) for not opening the First Emperor's tomb than merely a toxicity issue. They could go into the tomb wearing suitable PPE or send in robots initially.

[@j0nnyism]

Toms talking about giant sea monsters and islands of immortal beings and it’s only when he mentions carts of rotten fish that Dominic decides to question its veracity

[@anthonyrussell3626]

I agree with Confucius & I think you are wrong here Tom (23.30). You HAVE to move on nonviolently, otherwise it doesn't really count. That is, you get change but not progress. I'm not surprise you follow the narrative of justifiable violence, as it is the systemic belief of the states that promote (very profitable for some) wars, of which we are part.

[@theshrubberer]

have not listened to this one yet, but over the last week I've binged a bunch of archival episodes and noticed that you guys frequently mention Stanley Baldwin 😂 in passing ...to the extent that I began to wonder if the entire podcast is really just a well disguised Stanley Baldwin Drinking Game 😂

[@R08Tam]

Confusionism: I am middle clarse so I look up to him because he is upper clarse, but I look down on him because he is lower clarse. "I know my place".

[@jimb9063]

Heh very true. He wouldn't have been caught out wearing the wrong deck shoes though.

[@theartfuldodger8609]

Very superficial way to understand it. Honouring your parents is part of knowing your place and hence academic excellence and relative social peace and responsibility compared to the West which is currently on fire.

[@RedDevilJohnson]

@@theartfuldodger8609ah yes China historically famous for its social peace. 30 million people definitely did not die just because one guy decided he was the brother of Jesus

[@DenethordeSade.90]

​@@theartfuldodger8609you are kidding, right?

[@DJWESG1]

45:00 akin to america banning sociology and sociology departments across the country in the hight of thencold war.

[@DJWESG1]

I wonder if their wall and uncontrolable barbarians are akin to the roman wall in britian and the Scottish barbarians who too were seen as uncivilised. In sociology we would often say 'we all share a religious history', but its clear we all share a fascist one too. Edit, answered toward the end 50 mins

[@DJWESG1]

43:00 Pretty sure thats austerity uk, however the punitive sanctions have changed. Now they just let you die.

[@thanksfernuthin]

It's funny. The story of him dying, his ministers freaking out (rightly), and them trying to get him back to the capital always sounded like one of the most truthful of the facts about China's first emperor. Is it just the fish thing he thinks is myth?

[@jstanc18]

I wish they would reference the manga Kingdom since it literally covers the life of the unification of China and the man that became the first emperor of China

[@elainezhu4364]

Huan ying (welcome) ni dao (you to) sheng xia dou shi li shi (the rest is history) 😂😂😂

[@Nom_AnorVSJedi]

How much are all these stories of the First Emperor are true or just made up by the Han Grand Historian Ssu-Ma Chien?

[@ProfesserLuigi]

Probably as much as western ancient history was invented by Heroditus.

[@James_I_Archer]

50/50

[@mikets42]

After Sparta defeated Athens, all Spartan generals got together to decide what they would do with Athens. The proposal was to level it up and salt the soil. Suddenly, one of the generals started to read aloud some poetry. Others waited till he stops and unanimously decided "A city that gave burth to Euripides may not be destroyed, ever". Spartans were not barbarians... at all.

[@clifb.3521]

7:33 No im not rooting for him

[@ChoicelessAwareness]

Funny how Chin Dynasty only last 26 years

[@waynemcauliffe-fv5yf]

Year Zero

[@CommieGobeldygook]

First.

[@tastas8554]

I heard he was a ginger

[@RoyalDee-n9h]

Sad. So sad.