“The Great Qin Empire” Preface: The Strong Survival of the Origin of Chinese Civilization
Author Professor Sun Haohui
One
The Great Qin Empire is the origin of Chinese civilization.
The era of the Great Qin Empire is the most important era in China’s 5,000-year history of civilization.
Unfortunately, due to the short-lived nature of the unified empire and the deliberate belittling of the official ideology centered around Confucianism, the Qin Empire has been almost obliterated under the infamy of “brutal and harsh rule” in the heavy mist of history. Not to mention the fragmented and erroneous historical materials, the popular historical works such as the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms and the Twenty-four Histories Romance, are even more reckless and disrespectful in their descriptions of the Qin Empire, painting this period of history as a hideous and horrifying distortion. This absurd view of history not only embodies the official orthodox ideology but also spreads among the people, forming the longstanding reputation of “Tyrannical Qin” among the Chinese. In fact, for the Chinese commoners who love to talk about the past and the present, the influence of storytelling, operas, folktales, and other forms of popular culture on people’s consciousness far outweighs that of obscure and difficult historical texts. For two thousand years, in the portrayal and assessment of the Qin Empire, the old orthodox ideology and the old folk art have worked in tandem, either deliberately belittling or wantonly smearing, and over time, the brilliance of the origin of Chinese civilization has become bizarrely distorted.
This is a tragedy of Chinese history and civilization. A nation with a strong sense of justice and history has forcibly classified the great empire that established the foundation of its civilization as an outcast and subjected it to fierce criticism.
The profound shadow of this tragedy is gradually fading with the progress of history, and the vicious curses of Confucianism have largely come to an end. However, the understanding of the Qin Empire among the people of China and even the world remains vague and chaotic. Despite the Great Wall, the Terracotta Army, the county system, the measurement system, and even the square characters we use every day (please note that people call it “Chinese characters”), the divide in people’s perceptions persists.
The common people still do not fully understand what the Qin Empire was all about. Even among the intellectual class, those who can roughly explain the ins and outs of the Qin Empire and its basic achievements are few and far between.
Hence, there arose an urge to clarify the Qin Empire.
During the long and arduous process of writing, this urge has gradually faded and transformed into a simple desire to present the facts and let people judge for themselves.
Nevertheless, I would like to share some basic thoughts formed during the research and writing process, to provide some talking points for readers and researchers for further discussion and evaluation.
Two
Generally speaking, “empire” is a historical concept. It usually includes three basic criteria: first, unifying vast territories, as small countries do not form empires; second, autocratic rule, as democratic systems do not form empires; and third, powerful military expansion, as an empire cannot be established without expansion. The Qin Dynasty displayed these three aspects very clearly, making it a typical classical empire rather than an ordinary dynasty.
Therefore, this long historical novel describing the rise and fall of the Qin Dynasty is called The Great Qin Empire.
The Qin Empire, slightly earlier than the Western Roman Empire, was generally in the same era. In the ancient and rough Iron Age of agriculture, the Great Qin Empire and the Western Roman Empire together became the two suns hanging high in the sky of human history and the sources of Eastern and Western civilizations. However, the historical destinies of the Great Qin Empire and the Roman Empire are utterly different. There are two fundamental aspects worth noting: first, the unified regime of the Qin Empire lasted for a very short time, only fifteen years; while the Roman Empire had a history of several hundred years. Second, the entire state system and civilization created by the Qin Empire laid the foundation of Chinese civilization and continued to be passed down; the Roman Empire, with its history of several hundred years, turned into countless fragmented pieces in the course of history, never establishing a continuous unified civilization.
One is a torrential river that never ceases throughout the ages. The other is a source and stream that breaks and dissipates, turning the vast river into a babbling brook.
The different historical destinies imply the enormous intrinsic differences between the two ways of civilization. Studying these differences in detail is not the task of literary works. The Great Qin Empire demonstrates only the story of the rise and fall of this Eastern empire. The comparison with the Roman Empire merely indicates that the Qin Empire is an Eastern empire of global significance, creating an immortal civilization system. Such a great empire is unique in the entire history of human civilization.
This is the foundation of my belief in creating The Great Qin Empire.
I have a sacred reverence for the Great Qin Empire.
Three
Let me first talk about the great era and its spirit.
The rise and fall of the Qin Empire spanned more than 500 years, from the establishment of feudal states to the fall of the Second Emperor. This period in Chinese history was the most free-spirited and dynamic golden age. In the words of that time, it was a “turbulent era of moral decline and chaotic music, High cliffs are valleys, deep valleys are hills.” From a historical perspective, it was a time of great destruction, creation, decline, and rise, leading to an overall transformation. The transition from bronze to iron civilization, from serfdom-based noble economy to free agrarian landlord economy, and from federalism to centralized governance allowed the Chinese nation to reach the pinnacle of agricultural civilization.
This glorious transformation was the process of the rise and fall of the Qin Empire.
The spirit of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period was about fierce competition and strong survival. In the words of the time, it was a “world of great contention where everyone with vitality had a competitive heart.” This great contention was comprehensive, thorough, lengthy, and merciless. The 300-year conflict during the Spring and Autumn period shattered the suffocating closure of the classical federated kingdoms era, bringing about the emergence of iron tools, bustling commerce, the shake-up of the well-field system, weakening of the emperor’s authority, and the rise of emerging landlords and scholar classes, greatly invigorating the entire society. Consequently, old systems collapsed, old cultures were destroyed, and ordinary slaves began to stir like thunder, with high mountains collapsing and deep valleys rising as majestic mountains. This conflict eventually escalated into a great struggle, initiating a thorough competition for strong survival. The weak faced extinction, the backward suffered, and there was hardly any buffer in this iron-blooded reality. Thorough reform and self-renewal became the urgent survival strategy for every state. This sparked a fierce and naked competition for talent. Incompetent mediocrities were abandoned, muddle-headed rulers were killed, eminent scholars and talents became treasured objects of contention, and wise rulers and heroes became the most admired figures. Great generals and talents emerged one after another, and the Chinese nation’s entire civilization was engulfed in this comprehensive and thorough competition. The most brilliant glories were created in the fields of economics, politics, military, culture, and every aspect of social life through this great contention. The scale of war was the largest, economic reform was the most thorough, power struggles were the most cruel, cultural debates were the most intense, and the connection between people’s fate and the nation’s destiny was the closest. The numerous miracles and great figures that emerged during this period were unparalleled and unimaginable in later times.
The Qin Empire, which grew in this historical soil, was the crystallization of that great era’s powerful forging.
The enormous historical disparity and dramatic fate of the empire conceal countless magical stories and the joys and sorrows of great figures. They have composed this historical symphony through their delicate, magnificent, righteous, evil, heroic, or mediocre individual destinies. The social civilization framework and cultural traditions formed by the empire continue to regulate our lives today, constituting the enormous spiritual pillar of the Chinese nation.
These are the basic connotations that the stories of the Great Qin Empire aim to express.
Four
Although we have not forgotten the Qin Empire, we have become indifferent to the courage and creativity of that era in the face of national spiritual decline. The European Renaissance serves as our mirror in this regard. When European society was on the brink of suffocation from the deathly grip of the Middle Ages, Europeans launched the Renaissance, attempting to revive the vigorous vitality of ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. History did not disappoint the European nations. It was the brilliance of the original civilization of ancient Greece and Rome that destroyed the barriers of the medieval feudal civilization and ignited the magnificent Enlightenment movement. An emerging bourgeoisie emerged and opened a new era in human history.
The history that has been covered in dust unexpectedly holds such great power.
Indigenous civilization is the foundation of a nation. In the history of a country or a nation, which is formed by the convergence of small streams into mighty rivers, there must be a pivotal period of sedimentation, aggregation, sublimation and maturity. The cultural civilization formed during this era, like the genetic code of human life, will forever influence or determine one’s life trajectory in various ways. This is what we call indigenous civilization. The profound reflection on their own indigenous civilizations by different ethnic groups has always been a spiritual resource treasure trove for them to exert creativity in different eras.
When many people lack confidence in the face of Western civilization, and when our national civilization is diluted and mixed up by various factors, we forget about the Great Qin Empire, forget about that great era, and forget to seek the regenerative power of “Phoenix Nirvana” from the great original civilization.
Compared to the native civilizations of the West, the indigenous civilization created by the Qin Empire in China is more brilliant and magnificent.
The ancient Greek civilization, which roughly coincided with the Spring and Autumn Period of China, was mild, fragile and delicate. Although it was open and colorful, it lacked a strong tension and resilience. Therefore, it collapsed suddenly in front of the sword and shield formation of the Roman legion. This is an inevitable tragedy for a nation whose culture outweighs its substance. The vast Roman Empire was a rigid society forged by iron horses and swords. It did not absorb Greek civilization to transform itself because its own culture lacked richness and depth. Therefore, it silently disintegrated over time. This is an inevitable tragedy for a nation whose substance outweighs its culture.
The Great Qin Empire was different. It not only created a vast and profound civilization system, but also had strong vitality and extremely tough resistance. Harsh natural conditions, intense internal integration, the erosion of barbaric tribes, the invasion of powerful foreign enemies, ideological competition, and infiltration of various cultures have all failed to shake its foundation. During the rise and fall of the Qin Empire for more than 500 years, Chinese civilization has undergone numerous trials and tribulations but emerged stronger with unparalleled independence and stability. The original civilization created during the Qin Dynasty enabled the Chinese people to survive for over two thousand years without being destroyed.
We can proudly say that only the indigenous civilization created by Chinese people has continuously survived and developed on their own land to this day on Earth. This cannot be explained by the fact that we have a vast territory, abundant resources and a large population.
The Roman Empire was not small, nor was the Ottoman Empire or the Byzantine Empire. Genghis Khan’s empire was not small either. One by one, they all disappeared into thin air and became nothing but fleeting memories. The ethnic groups that these empires relied on for their existence were also submerged and dissipated among various human races. Only the Chinese nation, a yellow-skinned, black-haired race that writes square characters and speaks monosyllabic words, has established a country based on its original civilization.
We must also thank the Qin Dynasty for being the creator of our great original civilization. We must also thank the spirit of struggle and vitality inherent in this original civilization. This is the pride and passion that often surges when writing about the Qin Dynasty. Otherwise, I would not have been able to persist for so many years.
Five
From a literary and artistic perspective, the Qin Empire is undoubtedly a world-class subject. This is not only due to the foundation that the Qin Empire laid for Chinese history but also to the inherent storytelling of the era itself. The Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods that gave birth to Chinese original civilization are considered sacred land in the hearts of the Chinese people. In every basic field, including politics, economics, military affairs, science and technology, literature and art, law, philosophy, and mysterious cultures, that era created the highest classics of our nation in the natural economy era and entered the highest hall of human culture. Just to compare the scale of warfare, the Battle of Changping between the Qin and Zhao armies involved more than one million troops, and the Qin army annihilated the main force of the Zhao army, killing more than 500,000 people and burying 200,000 alive. Such a scale of warfare still shines with dazzling brilliance and is difficult to surpass even today. The various characters who created these miracles and the twists and turns of these events all form a dramatic story that writers cannot imagine on their own. Showing these characters, showing these stories, and showing the historical flesh and blood that make people feel sad and sigh is the pride and mission of literature and art.
Before the Yuan Dynasty, China was the center of world civilization, and the Western world was the “peripheral civilization” at that time. The rise and fall of China from the Qin Empire to more than a thousand years later always occupied the center of the world’s trend and had a profound impact on other civilizations. The roots of Chinese civilization’s long-term vitality lie in the Qin Empire, not in any other era. From this perspective, the process of creating original civilization during the empire era and the epic rise and fall are cultural mines with the greatest mining value in the world today. The development of literature and art on this period of history is of particular significance and value. Because only literature and art can vividly tell people how full, how high-spirited, how confident, and how enterprising people’s lives were during that era.
Six
Unfortunately, literary and artistic works that positively portray the Qin Empire have not been published to this day. Although my knowledge is shallow and my writing ability is limited, I still try my best to take on this task. I often feel that my soul will never be at ease if I don’t complete this task. Since entering my desk job in the winter of 1993, there have been many difficulties and twists and turns. Completing a major project like this requires many hardships, and one can only grit one’s teeth and soldier on.
As an author, I would like to share my experience about my work with readers.
The most challenging part of writing “The Great Qin Empire” was the process of selecting and organizing the storyline. The era of the empire was a complex and diverse time, with numerous historical records and stories that were difficult to navigate. It was like searching for treasures in a maze with no clear direction. As Lu Xun once said, it is easier to write a novel about the Three Kingdoms period than the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. The essence of the difficulty lies in this. Although it was possible to use the rise and fall of the empire as the main theme and use the fate of the characters and conflicts as the main plot, it still could not fully encompass all the conflicts of the great empire era. Many important materials, such as the stories of the wise men and philosophers, had to be cut. This regret may never be fully resolved. In order to give readers a more profound insight into the fate of the empire, I plan to write a separate book about the early Qin tribes, specifically about the horse-riding nobles, and publish it as a complete history of the ancient tribe that contributed significantly to the Chinese civilization.
Revised in Spring 2008.
