17. A Ruthless Solution to the Problem of a Troublesome Nobility
Qin Shi Huang set out to unify China, which had cobbled together from recently-conquered kingdoms. He standardized the weights and measures, and introduced a system of government known as Legalism, based on strict laws and harsh punishments. Qin Shi Huang ended the feudalism that had led to the centuries of warfare that gave the Warring States Period its name. He replaced it with a centralized bureaucratic government, with promotion and advancement based on merit.
Qin Shi Huang came up with a brilliant – and ruthless – solution to problem of a fractious and warlike aristocracy. To keep the nobility in check, China’s first emperor kept the nobles whom he favored in the capital, and controlled them with pensions and fancy titles. That transformed them from an uncontrollable warrior class into imperial dependents and tame courtiers. Then, abolishing all aristocratic titles and ranks, except for those created and bestowed by him, he had the rest of the nobility killed or put to work on giant projects.
