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*
Tom and Dominic are back onstage this summer, at Hampton Court Palace in London!

Twitter:
@TheRestHistory
@holland_tom
@dcsandbrook

Producer: Theo Young-Smith
Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett

[Gargoiling]

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

[Thecognoscenti_]

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

[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.

[fumfig]

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

[Wakobear.]

Please more Chinese history. Especially Tang and Song golden ages

[johnoleary]

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.

[ManuelPagura]

Need a Borges episode, greetings from Argentina

[kaloarepo]

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.

[ashleybennett]

Tom and dom please contact me for correct pronunciation

[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 😂

[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.

[johndavenport]

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.

[procinctu]

Oppression and tyranny are not inevitable.

[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

[isaacatkinson]

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...

[alainjacob]

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

[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"? 😅

[najmaddio]

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

[davidw]

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.

[anthonyrussell]

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.