Changes

Due to the way Chinese histories traditionally describe former dynasties as corrupt or tyrannical in order to explain their loss of the [[Mandate of Heaven]], as well as due to the dynasty's genuinely harsh policies, the Qin, and Qin Shihuangdi in particular, has acquired a particularly negative reputation as cruel and authoritarian.

Due to the way Chinese histories traditionally describe former dynasties as corrupt or tyrannical in order to explain their loss of the [[Mandate of Heaven]], as well as due to the dynasty's genuinely harsh policies, the Qin, and Qin Shihuangdi in particular, has acquired a particularly negative reputation as cruel and authoritarian.

The Han Dynasty scholar Jia Yi (201-c. 168 BCE) is among the more oft-quoted sources on the character of the Qin. He emphasizes the First Emperor's policy of [[burning books and burying scholars]], i.e. destroying rival ideologies, characterizing his rule as one of weakening the people and working to keep them ignorant, and accusing him of abolishing the ways of the ancient [[Sage Kings]]. Other writings on the Qin emphasize the heavy burden of conscript labor imposed upon the country by the First Emperor.

The Han Dynasty scholar Jia Yi (201-c. 168 BCE) is among the more oft-quoted sources on the character of the Qin. He emphasizes the First Emperor's policy of [[burning books and burying scholars]], i.e. destroying rival ideologies, characterizing his rule as one of weakening the people and working to keep them ignorant, and accusing him of abolishing the ways of the ancient [[Sage Kings]]. Other writings on the Qin emphasize the heavy burden of conscript labor imposed upon the country by the First Emperor, and the harsh legal code, which often punished an entire family for the wrongdoing of one of its members; however, historians today point out that this was not actually that much harsher than many other regimes, and that the legal code also prioritized seeking actual evidence over confessions by torture.

Though widely acknowledged as quite harsh, many historians today present a more balanced view, emphasizing the need for strong control following such a lengthy and chaotic period of Warring States, and emphasizing too the many positive reforms and institutional precedents set by the Qin.

Though widely acknowledged as quite harsh, many historians today present a more balanced view, emphasizing the need for strong control following such a lengthy and chaotic period of Warring States, and emphasizing too the many positive reforms and institutional precedents set by the Qin.