Qin Er Shi
Qin Er Shi 秦二世 | |
---|---|
Ying (嬴) Huhai (胡亥) | |
Regnal name | |
Er Shi Huangdi (二世皇帝) |
Qin Er Shi | |
---|---|
Hanyu Pinyin | Húhài |
Bopomofo | ㄏㄨˊ ㄏㄞˋ |
Wade–Giles | Hu2-hai4 |
IPA | [xǔ.xâɪ] |
Yue: Cantonese | |
Yale Romanization | Wùhhoih |
Jyutping | wu4 hoi6 |
IPA | [wuː˩.hɔːi˨] |
Old Chinese | |
Baxter–Sagart (2014) | *Ga-gə′ |
Qin Er Shi (230/222 – 207 BC
Early life
Huhai (
Ascension to throne
Qin Shi Huang died during one of his tours of eastern China in the summer of 210 BC at the palace in Shaqiu.[11][12] The announcement of his death was withheld until the entourage, which was accompanied by Premier Li Si and the imperial court, returned to the capital, Xianyang, two months later.[11] Nevertheless, Huhai and Zhao Gao were aware of Qin Shi Huang's death and began plotting an internal intrigue.
The eldest son Fusu was supposed to be elected as the next emperor.[13] However, Li Si and the chief eunuch Zhao Gao conspired to kill Fusu to get rid of Meng Tian, Fusu's favourite general and their court rival.[13] They were afraid that if Fusu were enthroned, they would lose their power.[13] Li Si and Zhao Gao forged a fake edict by Qin Shi Huang ordering both Fusu and Meng to commit suicide.[13] Their plan worked, and the younger son, Huhai, acceded the throne to become the second emperor, later known as Qin Er Shi.[11] However, recent findings of bamboo strips dating from the time of the intrigue note that Huhai was elected and killed his brother.[14] That would indicate that the fake edict, in the case of Fusu, was an imperial cover story.
Second Emperor of Qin
In the first year of his reign in 210 BC, Huhai was made the second emperor of Qin at the age of 19.
Qin Er Shi depended on the eunuch
After one of the tours, Zhao Gao suggested for him to examine the governors and military commandants and to punish those guilty of some crime. That way, he could do away with those who disapprove of the emperor's actions.[7] Six imperial princes were killed at Tu (杜).[7] The emperor then further punished people for petty crimes. The emperor's brother Jianglu (將閭) and two other brothers were imprisoned. A messenger was then sent to read them a death sentence. Jianglu looked to the heavens and cried out loud three times that he did not commit any crime.[7][8] All three brothers cried and drew their own swords to commit suicide.[7] Zhao Gao said that the second emperor was young and that as the Son of Heaven, his own voice must never be heard, and his face must never be shown. Accordingly, the emperor remained in the inner palaces and consulted only with Zhao Gao. Therefore, the high ministers rarely had the opportunity to see the emperor in court.[7]
Revolts
Bandits and brigands grew in numbers from different directions to attack the Qin. Military leaders such as
Overall, Qin Er Shi was not able to contend with nationwide rebellions. He was not as capable as his father, and many revolts against him quickly erupted. His reign was a time of extreme civil unrest, and everything that had worked for the First Emperor had crumbled away within a short period.[20] Later, an envoy reported about the rebellion in court. The emperor was enraged, and the envoy was punished.[7] Then, all other envoys reporting about uprisings would say that the bandits were being pursued and captured. Without any need to worry, the emperor was pleased.[7]
Death of allies
The bandits and brigands continued to grow in numbers. The chancellor
Horse and deer test
On 27 September 207 BC, the eunuch Zhao Gao tested his power against the emperor's. He presented a deer to the Second Emperor but called it a horse.[7][22] The emperor laughed and said, "Is the chancellor perhaps mistaken, calling a deer a horse?"[7] He questioned those around him. Some remained silent, and some aligned with Zhao Gao and called it a horse. Zhao Gao executed every official who had called it a deer.[7] This incident provides the modern Chinese chengyu "point to a deer and call it a horse" (指鹿為馬 zhǐlù wéimǎ);.[23]
Dynastic collapse
Although Qin managed to suppress most of the nationwide rebellions, they still caused serious damage. Qin's manpower and supplies were greatly reduced. Qin was decisively defeated at the Battle of Julu. Court plots led Zhang Han to surrender along with his soldiers, which later led to the live burial of 200,000 Qin troops. In total, Qin lost over 300,000 men. Even then, Qin Er Shi failed to grasp the severity of the defeat, erroneously thinking that Qin had many more spare troops due to courtiers hiding the truth to him in fear of execution. Finally, a daring and loyal eunuch told Qin Er Shi the truth. Shocked, Qin Er Shi tried to capture Zhao Gao and to hold him responsible.
Zhao Gao, however, had expected that Qin Er Shi would ask him to take the blame. Therefore, Zhao Gao conspired with his loyal soldiers to force the emperor to commit suicide. Surrounded and with no means of escape, Qin Er Shi asked the loyal eunuch why he had not told the truth earlier. The eunuch replied that it was Qin Er Shi himself who had decided to execute anyone who would tell him the truth.
In 207 BC, the Qin dynasty collapsed only fifteen years after it had been established.
Death and burial
Qin Er Shi reigned only for three years and was forced to commit suicide eventually by Zhao Gao at the age of 22. Qin Er Shi was condemned by Zhao Gao after his death and was denied a royal burial. He was buried in modern
References
- ^ Loewe 2000, p. 652.
- ^ Vol.8 of Zizhi Tongjian indicate that Zhao Gao intended to make Ziying of Qin emperor in the 9th month of the 3rd year of Huhai's reign. The month corresponds to 16 Oct to 13 Nov 207 BCE in the proleptic Julian calendar. Since Huhai committed suicide just before this event, his death date should be in c. October 207 BCE.
- ^ Loewe 2004, p. 575.
- ^ Loewe 2000, pp. 652–653.
- ^ Xiong & Hammond 2019, p. 23.
- ^ Baxter, William & al. "Baxter–Sagart Old Chinese Reconstruction Archived April 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine", pp. 49–50. 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-231-08169-6. p. 35.
- ^ a b Wikisource. Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 6. (in Chinese)
- ^ Wikisource. Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 7. (in Chinese)
- ^ Lucas Christopoulos; Dionysian rituals and the Golden Zeus of China http://www.sino-platonic.org/complete/spp326_dionysian_rituals_china.pdf pp.68-113
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-922634-4. pp. 81–3. "In the seventh month on bingyin the First Emperor passed away at Pingtai in Shaqiu... Prince Huhai succeeded to the throne and became Second Generation Emperor. In the ninth month the First Emperor was buried at Mount Li."
- ^ "中國考古簡訊:秦始皇去世地沙丘平臺遺跡尚存". Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved on 28 January 2009.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4120-0674-3.
- ^ (丞相臣斯、御史臣去疾昧死頓首言曰:「今道遠而詔期羣臣,恐大臣之有謀,請立子胡亥爲代後。」王曰:「可。」王死而胡亥立,即殺其兄扶蘇、中尉恬。) Wikisource. 趙正書
- ISBN 978-0-231-08169-6. pp. 64–70.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-231-10939-0.
- ISBN 962-996-239-X, 9789629962395. p. 7.
- ISBN 962-996-239-X, 9789629962395. p. 5.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-253-34021-4. pp. 158–160.
- ISBN 978-0-415-39906-7. pp. 22–23.
- ISBN 978-0-231-08169-6. p. 192.
- ISBN 978-0-521-24327-8.
- ^ Koon, Wee Kek (4 May 2020). "The Hong Kong government has been accused of 'calling a deer a horse' – but where did the expression originate?". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
Bibliography
- ISBN 978-90-04-10364-1.
- Loewe, Michael (2004). The Men Who Governed Han China: Companion to a Biographical Dictionary of the Qin, Former Han and Xin Periods. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-13845-2.
- Xiong, Victor Cunrui; ISBN 978-0-367-58051-3.
External links
- Qin Er Shi at Chinaknowledge
- Media related to Qin Er Shi at Wikimedia Commons