Burning of the books and burial of the scholars () is a phrase that refers to a policy and a sequence of events in the
Qin Dynasty of
Ancient China, between the period of 213 and 206 BCE.
Book burning
According to the
Records of the Grand Historian, after
Qin Shi Huang, the first
emperor of China, unified
China in 221 BCE, his
chancellor Li Ssu suggested suppressing the
freedom of speech, unifying all thoughts and political opinions. This was justified by accusations that the
intelligentsia sang false praise and raised dissent through libel.
Beginning in 213 BCE, all classic works of the
Hundred Schools of Thought — except those from Li Ssu's own school of philosophy known as
legalism — were subject to
book burning.
Qin Shi Huang burned the other histories out of fear that they undermined his legitimacy, and wrote his own history books. Afterwards, Li Ssu took his place in this area.
Li Ssu proposed that all histories in the imperial archives except those written by the Qin historians be burned; that the
Classic of Poetry, the
Classic of History, and works by scholars of different schools be handed in to the local authorities for burning; that anyone discussing these two particular books be executed; that those using ancient examples to satirize contemporary politics be put to death, along with their families; that authorities who failed to report cases that came to their attention were equally guilty; and that those who had not burned the listed books within 30 days of the decree were to be banished to the north as convicts working on building the
Great Wall. The only books to be spared in the destruction were books on
medicine,
agriculture and
prophecy.
Burial of the scholars
After being deceived by two
alchemists while seeking prolonged life, Qin Shi Huang ordered more than 460 alchemists in the capital to be buried alive in the second year of the proscription, though an account given by Wei Hong in the 2nd century added another 700 to the figure. As some of them were also Confucius scholars
Fusu counselled that, with the country newly unified, and enemies still not pacified, such a harsh measure imposed on those who respect Confucius would cause instability. However, he was unable to change his father's mind, and instead was sent to guard the frontier in a de facto exile.
The quick fall of the
Qin Dynasty was attributed to this proscription.
Confucianism was revived in the
Han Dynasty that followed, and became the official ideology of the Chinese imperial state. Many of the other schools had disappeared.
Remembrance in literature
Popular culture
The same event occurs in the Hong Kong television drama
A Step into the Past - but with an alternative motive. In order for Zhou Pan (Ying Zheng, the fake Qin Shi Huang) to keep the true identity confidential, he must "parricide" his master Hong Siu Long; however, killing Hong will also terminate himself as well because Hong is the "cause" for being the king. Without Hong's existence, the "effect" of being himself will cease to exist. Therefore, Qin Shi Huang decided to get rid of the evidence of the existence of Hong Siu Long by decreeing that the name Hong Siu Long shall never be mentioned again, and as a result burned books and buried scholars.
See also
