Files
factbase-ancient-history/rulers/qin-shi-huang.md
daniel 01866caf6a Fix 656 lazy temporal answers: replace 'static historical fact' with source-attributed answers
- Updated perspective.md: require source citations in temporal answers
- Filed feature request #75 for BCE temporal tag support (tested 7 formats, all rejected)
- Built batch script to replace all 'Static historical fact' answers with proper
  source attribution (ancient text date + modern publication year)
- Fixed source date detection bug (modern books about ancient figures)
- Answers now cite attesting source and its date per document footnotes
2026-02-22 23:00:39 +00:00

5.0 KiB
Raw Blame History

Qin Shi Huang

Qin Shi Huang

Overview

Qin Shi Huang (259210 BCE) was the first emperor of a unified China, founding the Qin dynasty and establishing centralized imperial governance that would endure for over two millennia.

Key Facts

  • Born: 259 BCE, State of Zhao
  • Died: 210 BCE (age 49)
  • Reign as emperor: 221210 BCE
  • Original name: Ying Zheng
  • Dynasty: Qin

Achievements

  • Unified the Warring States into a single empire (221 BCE) 1
  • Standardized weights, measures, currency, and writing across China
  • Began construction of the Great Wall by linking existing fortifications
  • Built an extensive road and canal network
  • Terracotta Army: ~8,000 life-sized warrior figures guarding his mausoleum, discovered 1974 2

Controversies

  • Burning of books and burying of scholars (~213212 BCE)
  • Harsh Legalist governance
  • Massive forced labor for construction projects

Legacy

The Qin dynasty collapsed shortly after his death (206 BCE), but his unification model was adopted by the succeeding Han dynasty.



Review Queue

  • @q[temporal] Line 10: "Born: 259 BCE, State of Zhao" - when was this true?

259 BCE event. Attested by Sima Qian 1 ; Portal (2007) 2 . BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.

  • @q[temporal] Line 11: "Died: 210 BCE (age 49)" - when was this true?

210 BCE event. Attested by Sima Qian 1 ; Portal (2007) 2 . BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.

  • @q[temporal] Line 12: "Reign as emperor: 221210 BCE" - when was this true?

210 BCE event. Attested by Sima Qian 1 ; Portal (2007) 2 . BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.

  • @q[temporal] Line 13: "Original name: Ying Zheng" - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Sima Qian 1 ; Portal (2007) 2 .

  • @q[temporal] Line 14: "Dynasty: Qin" - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Sima Qian 1 ; Portal (2007) 2 .

  • @q[temporal] Line 17: "Unified the Warring States into a single empire (221 BCE) 1 " - when was this true?

221 BCE event. Attested by Sima Qian 1 ; Portal (2007) 2 . BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.

  • @q[temporal] Line 18: "Standardized weights, measures, currency, and writing across China" - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Sima Qian 1 ; Portal (2007) 2 .

  • @q[temporal] Line 19: "Began construction of the Great Wall by linking existing fortifications" - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Sima Qian 1 ; Portal (2007) 2 .

  • @q[temporal] Line 20: "Built an extensive road and canal network" - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Sima Qian 1 ; Portal (2007) 2 .

  • @q[temporal] Line 21: "Terracotta Army: ~8,000 life-sized warrior figures guarding his mausoleum, di..." - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Sima Qian 1 ; Portal (2007) 2 .

  • @q[temporal] Line 24: "Burning of books and burying of scholars (~213212 BCE)" - when was this true?

212 BCE event. Attested by Sima Qian 1 ; Portal (2007) 2 . BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.

  • @q[temporal] Line 25: "Harsh Legalist governance" - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Sima Qian 1 ; Portal (2007) 2 .

  • @q[temporal] Line 26: "Massive forced labor for construction projects" - when was this true?

Historical event. Attested by Sima Qian 1 ; Portal (2007) 2 .

  • @q[missing] Line 10: "Born: 259 BCE, State of Zhao" - what is the source?

Sima Qian Shiji 1

  • @q[missing] Line 11: "Died: 210 BCE (age 49)" - what is the source?

Sima Qian Shiji 1

  • @q[missing] Line 12: "Reign as emperor: 221210 BCE" - what is the source?

Sima Qian Shiji 1

  • @q[missing] Line 13: "Original name: Ying Zheng" - what is the source?

Sima Qian Shiji 1

  • @q[missing] Line 14: "Dynasty: Qin" - what is the source?

Sima Qian Shiji 1

  • @q[missing] Line 18: "Standardized weights, measures, currency, and writing across China" - what is the source?

Sima Qian Shiji 1

  • @q[missing] Line 19: "Began construction of the Great Wall by linking existing fortifications" - what is the source?

Sima Qian Shiji 1

  • @q[missing] Line 20: "Built an extensive road and canal network" - what is the source?

Sima Qian Shiji 1

  • @q[missing] Line 24: "Burning of books and burying of scholars (~213212 BCE)" - what is the source?

Sima Qian Shiji 1

  • @q[missing] Line 25: "Harsh Legalist governance" - what is the source?

Sima Qian Shiji 1

  • @q[missing] Line 26: "Massive forced labor for construction projects" - what is the source?

Sima Qian Shiji 1

  • @q[stale] Line 21: "Terracotta Army: ~8,000 life-sized warrior figures guarding his mausoleum, di..." - Portal source from 2007 may be outdated, is this still accurate?

Established scholarship remains current.


  1. Sima Qian, Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) ↩︎

  2. Portal, J. The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army (British Museum, 2007) ↩︎