FACT CHECK - Was Qin ShiHuang Really the First 'Emperor' of China?

This is the reason why Qin Shihuang was called the "First 'Emperor' of China".

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0:00 Introduction
0:29 Word Definition
0:45 Zhou Dynasty "Kings"
2:09 What is "Huang Di"?

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Qin Dynasty Origin
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📚SOURCES:
Samguk sagi, Book 21.
Jinwung Kim, 2012, A History of Korea: From "Land of the Morning Calm" to States in Conflict.
Hing Ming Hung, 2013, Li Shi Min, Founding the Tang Dynasty
Woodbridge Bingham, 2019, Wen Daya, The first recorder of Tang dynasty.

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#History #Documentary #Asia

[CoolHistoryBros]

I made this video because someone asked a really great question in the comment section. So, ask away in the comments section if you have any questions.

Oh, and also to recalibrate my releases back to every weekends.

[mak]

First. When you defeat all your enemies and rule a land comparable to the Roman Empire, you can call yourself whatever you want.

[Ragnarosable]

Interestingly enough, even the term "emperor" is erroneously used to describe the Roman emperors, as they primarily used the Latin word "princeps" (meaning "the first one") or "augustus" ("the venerable") to refer to themselves. The word "imperator", which is the Latin root for the word "emperor" in English, actually refered to a military title, and albeit being included in their official array of titles, it already existed during the Republic and was granted to a general that commanded two legions (imperator meaning somebody that gives orders). In this aspect the Chinese term 皇帝 actually bears more resemblance with "augustus", as 帝 was used to either refer to a very powerful ancestor, the highest god of the Shang pantheon or one of the mythical rulers of the 夏 Xia dynasty and 皇 meant something like "luminous" or "resplendent" (the character itself being composed of white and king) and as CJ said also called ancestral overtones. So the title of Qin Shi Huangdi could be translated as "the first luminous venerable ancestor of Qin" or something similar.

[ahkilleuskosmos]

The short version: Yes he is, the reason why is because he is technically the first Huang Di of China, which are two words that both mean “emperor” in English, but in Chinese only the Di, or the Huang were used to describe a single ruler, for various complicated religious/spiritual reasons, but since Ying Zheng thought himself greater than any other before him, he combined both words into a single title, becoming the first to hold the title of “Huang Di”, and since then all Chinese Emperors have done the same, so yes Qin Shi Huang is the first Huang Di of China, despite not being the first ruler of China.

[bradypus]

Zhou dynasty era of China reminds me a lot of the Carolingian dynasty era of France where you had a "high king" and many different country/state within the French territories who had autonomy but still had to "obey" the king. Funny enough, that dynasty ended when they actually did have an emperor, Charlemagne, but it ended after his death.

[bren-fire]

Qin Shi Huang Di did try to eliminate a lot of recorded history so we don’t know a lot about the Zhao, and Shang and the mythical Xia dynasty except in some surviving texts that survived his book/ scroll burnings in which he wanted to be the beginning of a new age of history. However the reason he is remembered as first emperor isn’t because of this but mistranslation and that he created a title for himself to separate his power from being weak like the Zhao dynasty who ruled like a emperor of confederated warlords rather then a central state in which Qin established through implementing Legalism.

[song]

3:50 actually this was a huge achievement at that time when Qin ShiHuang to abolished the Duke/King. So he had the absolute power instead appoint his land to Duke/King which he scared it going be back to the warring state again.

[stickerhppy]

The Zhou King didn't have 600 wealth and 400 piety to form the Zhou Empire.

Also hoping you discuss further topics regarding the earliest dynasties from Xia to the end of Zhou. Shang Dynasty is very interesting because before the discovery of Oracle bones, many historians treat it as a mythological dynasty. And to think Sima Qian had got many names of the kings of Shang right, which means he might have access to old records and the historical writings that way goes back to that time.

[historywithcy]

This was a great episode... really made me think and reexamine the little I thought I knew. Thanks for making this!

[hamzaferoz]

My Boy Ying Zheng can be anything he wants

[ryanwidjaja]

Hi Cool History Bros, I love your videos very much. I just want to add one thing to this video. During the Han Dynasty and its successors (until the Qing Dynasty), the title 王 ("king") was generally translated as "Prince" instead of "King" for Chinese nobles and the sons of the emperors. For foreign rulers, however (such as the Kings of Korea), the title 王 was translated as "King".

[kennywong]

Actually, the Chinese ruler title went through several upgrades according to Sima Qian. The Xia Dynasty rulers call themselves 后. This later was downgraded as title for Queen or Marquis, 侯. The 夏侯 surname of some Cao Cao's generals seems to be from this origin. The Shang first title was 公 or Duke. Later, they used the title 王. Towards the end of the dynasty, the last few kings upgraded their title as 帝, such as 帝乙 and 帝辛, which made Sima Qian wrongly assumed that all the previous kings used the 帝 title. The Zhou revert to 王 or king.

[revolutionarycomrade]

Great work! I can't wait to see the next one!!

[arbood]

The korean dynasty also used to have kings, but in the last few years of the monarchy they changed it into emperor too so they would be equal to china

[ljwljw]

A critical part you forgot to mention is that in the late Warring States right before the unification of Qin, virtually all the rulers of states(国君) broke ties from the diminishing authority of the Son of Heaven of Zhou (周天子) and entitle themselves Kings. Hence BEFORE Qin dynasty, the Zhou system already fell apart and instead of feudal aristocratic dukedoms, your have full-fledged Kingdoms all transforming (to different degrees) into centralized bureaucratic states for their survival.

That is the situation that compelled the first emperor to come up with a new type of hierarchy, and his success marked one of greatest milestones in the evolution of Human social organization, the formation of the first "modern state" (by Weberian definition). Francis Fukuyama made several talks on this that are available on youtube

[tat]

One view is that the the Qin Emperor presided more of a central governed state, as opposed to a more feudal state that was the Zhou Dynasty.

[aaronbaldwin]

Before Shi Huang Ti, China was a cluster of territories with every states controlled by powerful Chieftains. Shi Huan himself was also a chief of his states but he decided to unite all the states and made him the number Chief and so the words Emperors. He was successful in uniting all the states after a series of wars and conquest. Truly he was the first emperor of China and no China without him. At that time Korea was just a small territory but because the territory was located further from mainland, the Chinese employer gave less importance.

[HungLe-ezjs]

Love your videos! Can't wait til you start covering The Three Kingdoms.

[paige]

I am following your channel why I never seen this qin dynasty series before. I just love your work here.

Would you be interested to create a new video? It'd be nice to see video that's all about how everything turnout after Shi Huangdi passed away. It'd be great to hear about his daughter if there's a record.

[zdude]

Please make videos about the pre waring states period. Pretty please. Especially the Shang. Love your videos bro keep up the heavenly work🙏