The Many Lives of the First Emperor of China

"The First Emperor of China (259-210 BCE) is recognized as one of the pivotal figures in world history, alongside other great conquerors and political innovators such as Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and Julius Caesar.

His accomplishments are undeniable, including the conquest of the six other warring states of China, his creation of the imperial bureaucratic system that endured for 2,000 years, and his unification of Chinese culture through the promotion of a single coinage, unified weights and measures, and one writing system.

Since his dynasty was cut off a few short years after his death, concrete information on the critical period in Chinese history he occupied has been lacking until recent decades.

Only a single, biased historical account, written a century after his death, narrates his biography.

In the last forty years, however, archaeologists have revealed not only the lavish burial pits associated with his tomb, but also