The Rise of Power
Chin Shih Huang Ti was quite formidable in ancient Chinese history. He was the emperor of the Chin Dynasty, and unified much of China with a very aggressive government. It was under his reign that much of the Great Wall of China was built. Shih Huang Ti was originally known as Cheng and was made king of the Chin state of China in 246 BC, while he was only 13 years old. His father, at the time, was being held hostage in the state of Chao. Shih Huang Ti was not originally intended to be king. His mother worked very hard to see him to the throne because of motives that revolved around money and power. Qin Shi Huang Ti became of age in 238 BC, and until that time the Chin government was run by his mother. When he took the throne in 238 BC, he had his mother’s lover executed because of his action in joining the opposition and then exiled his own mother due to her disloyalty by siding with her lover over the disobedience.
While the Chin Dynasty actually began in 256 BC, it was not until later, years later to be exact, that Qin Shi Huang Ti began his mission to unify every northern state that fell under his rule. This was when he took the title “Chin Shih Huang Ti”, which translated means The First Sovereign Emperor of the Chin.
The Chin Shih Huang Ti rule was one of force and during the later years of his life, he survived assassination attempts three times and was constantly in the direct threat of a revolt. Chin Shih Huang Ti claimed that his government would last 10,000 years, and in fact, it fell only four years after he died in 210 BC. Chin’s government was, after his death, replaced by the Han Dynasty. Throughout ancient Chinese history, Chin Shih Huang Ti and his Dynasty have been regarded as evil. The truth is that the Chin Dynasty has served as the basis for all following dynasties. The fact that Chin achieved such power in such a short time has been a mystery to historians for years.