The first emperor of China was Shi Huangdi (or sometimes simply known as Qin Shi Huang), who reigned from 221-210 BCE. He is commonly regarded as one of the most influential figures in Chinese history, and his reign marked the beginning of the Qin dynasty, which unified China for the first time.
Shi Huangdi was born around 259 BCE as Ying Zheng, the son of King Zhuangxiang. He became king of the state of Qin at age thirteen, when his father died in 246 BCE. In the first few years of his reign, he managed to unite various rival states in western China by means of both diplomacy and warfare. During this period, he also began to lay the foundation for what would eventually become a huge bureaucracy, with a standardized set of laws and regulations.
In 221 BCE, Ying Zheng conquered the last of the rival Chinese states and proclaimed himself emperor, taking the title Shi Huangdi. As emperor, he implemented a number of reforms, including the standardization of weights, measures and currency, plus the unification of writing systems. He then began a massive construction project to link the states together with a series of roads and canals, and he ordered the building of his own grand mausoleum, where he was buried along with a huge collection of treasures.
Shi Huangdi’s rule was harsh and autocratic, and he was feared by his subjects. He also sought to stamp out all of the philosophical and political movements that were in opposition to his rule, such as Confucianism and Legalism. Additionally, he launched several campaigns of conquest and expansion into Central Asia, as well as several unsuccessful attempts to conquer the Korean peninsula.
Shi Huangdi died in 210 BCE, leaving behind a powerful and unified Chinese state that would last until the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911. His legacy continues to be felt in modern China, where he is often celebrated as a great leader who succeeded in unifying the nation for the first time.