Qin Shihuandi, who was the ruler of the kingdom of Qin, was the first in the world to form a centralized power structure. To strengthen the integrity of the state, he undertook various major transformations. During his reign, the construction of the China Wall, the national road network , was begun. In addition, he banned Confucianism, announced the burning of all books not allowed by the government.
Brief historical background
Qin Shihuandi was born in 259 BC. e., in the first month of the Chinese calendar year. In this regard, he was given the name Zheng, which means "first." Handan became the birthplace of the ruler. There, his father was a hostage and his mother a concubine. Qin Shihuangdi initiated extensive construction activities. In all cities of the empire, palaces and temples were erected, so 270 palaces were built in the vicinity of Chang'an. The rooms in them were all decorated with curtains, curtains. Everywhere there lived the most beautiful concubines. In addition to the closest people to the ruler, no one knew where he was at one time or another. Qin Shihuandi Died in 210 BC e. (at 48 years old). He was buried in one of the forty-meter mounds, but his remains have not been found to this day, since excavations in this territory have been prohibited for some time.
Terracotta Army of China
Long before his death, the ruler began the construction of a luxurious, huge funeral complex in Lishan Mountain. The construction continued for thirty-eight years. During archaeological excavations, it was revealed that this complex has the shape of a square. The length of the structure is 350 meters from south to north. The length from east to west is 345 m. The memorial has a height of 76 meters. The total area of the burial complex is 56 square meters. km Three powerful crypts were discovered on the territory of the memorial. They buried a terracotta army, a military cavalry, recreating a real army. It was equipped according to all state rules of that time.
Mystery of the Terracotta Army
Buried figures that have been underground for more than two millennia were discovered by chance in March 1974. At that time, peasants dug up a well and came across figures of horses and soldiers as a man. And there were several thousand. This was the very terracotta army of the emperor buried next to him. She had to fight for her ruler in the realm of death. Qin Shihuandi believed that he would rule his state even from the afterlife. But he, he believed, needed soldiers. Therefore, a terracotta army was created. At first, the ruler was going to bury four thousand young soldiers with him. But the advisers were able to convince him not to do this. Living people had to be replaced by clay statues. It was assumed that the souls of all the soldiers who died in the battles would be resettled in them. At least there is such a tradition. But for greater reliability, it was decided to double the number of defenders of the ruler, that is, there were 8 thousand of them.
What did the statues look like?
The army of terracotta warriors was like a real one. All the statues were executed with amazing diligence and jewelry accuracy. There are no identical figures. The faces of the soldiers show the multinationality of the middle state. Thus, the terracotta army of China consisted not only of the inhabitants of the country. Among the soldiers were the Mongols, and the Tibetans, and the Uighurs, and representatives of other nationalities. Every piece of clothing was made in accordance with that period. Armor, shoes were reproduced in the fashion of that time with amazing accuracy.
Galleries
First, a 210 x 60 meter hall appears in front of the eye. It was laid at a depth of 4.9 m. There are about 6 thousand foot soldiers. The statues are located in 11 parallel corridors. In front of the pedestrians are war chariots that are harnessed by horses. Unlike clay human and horse figures, chariots were originally made of wood. That is why there is practically nothing left of them. The infantrymen located around them are armed with bamboo six-meter spears, using which soldiers blocked the path of horses to their enemies. Signal drums and bells were once placed on two chariots, in which orders were issued and the direction of attack was determined. In the northern and eastern corridors there are also soldiers guarding approaches from the flanks to the main units. They, like most infantrymen, lack shields. The fact is that the Qin Shihuandi terracotta army consisted only of fearless and strong soldiers who, without fear of death, wore neither shields nor armor. On the heads of the officers, as a rule, were hats, and ordinary soldiers had false hair in the form of bunches. In the 2nd hall there are about 1400 figures of horses and soldiers. The second gallery is located about twenty meters from the first. The soldiers of the 2nd hall are significantly different from those in the first. In the third gallery there are only 68 figures. Presumably, these are staff officers and orderlies.
How were the figures made?
According to technology, the body was molded first. Below the statue was monolithic and massive, respectively. It is on this lower part that the entire center of gravity falls. The torso of the figure is hollow from above. After the body was burned, hands and a head were attached to it. In conclusion, the sculptor sculpted his face, covering his head with a thin additional layer of clay. Each soldier had his own individual expression. Very accurately conveyed and the hairstyle of each warrior. At that time, hair was the subject of increased attention. The figures were fired for several days at a constantly maintained temperature of not lower than a thousand degrees. Due to such prolonged firing, the clay, hardening, became like granite. After that, the best artists applied paint to the statues. It should be said that the terracotta army was painted in natural colors. But over two millennia, the paint still became faded, and in some places completely disappeared.
Other finds
Bronze chariots with horses harnessed to them were found in the burial complex, and they were the same popular vehicle used by the ruler, court staff, and concubines. Among the items found should also be noted weapons, linen and silk products, etc. Well preserved swords. Their blades were still as sharp as in those ancient times, and it is simply impossible to touch them with a bare hand - a cut remains immediately. Eleven corridors of the main hall are separated by thick walls. Ancient craftsmen laid out solid wood trunks that were covered with mats. On top of this was a thirty-centimeter layer of cement. Three meters of land were laid on it. All this was to provide reliable protection to the deceased ruler in the kingdom of the living. But, unfortunately, the calculation failed.
Peasant uprising
A few years after the death of its ruler, the Chinese terracotta army was defeated. His son Er ascended the throne. Inept actions of the heir caused a flurry of popular discontent. A peasant revolt broke out - an uprising, which the governor's advisers were so afraid of. There was no one to suppress the discontent of the people: Er Shihuandi was weak-willed and weak. Outraged rebels looted, and then burned the motionless army. It should be said that these actions were not so much an act of vandalism as a practical solution to the rebels. The fact is that before his death, the first ruler ordered to destroy all existing weapons, except the one that the soldiers of the terracotta army should have had. As a result, there were no weapons in the state, but 8 thousand excellent sets of new bows, arrows, swords, spears, shields were buried underground. As a result, the rebels, seizing weapons from the army of the first emperor, defeated government troops. The mediocre young heir to the throne was killed by his courtiers.
Conclusion
For many centuries various attempts have been made to find treasures in the burial complex; a great many expeditions have been undertaken. Moreover, both archaeological researchers and ordinary robbers participated in them. It should be said that many paid for these attempts with their lives. According to eyewitnesses, among the excavations every now and then find human skeletons. Today, many values have changed. For example, the clay from which the walls are made can be comparable in value to gold. One brick from that ancient era costs several tens of thousands of dollars.