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"The First Emperor will die and his land will be divided\u2026.\u201d\nThe First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, left behind him a monumental legacy: an Empire which would last millennia, the foundations of the Great Wall of China, and an eerie Terracotta Army - 8000 warriors who would protect the Emperor in the afterlife. His deeply autocratic reign, and the brutal tactics he used to conquer rival states and establish the Chinese Empire, have seen him cast as the archetype of the \u201cbad emperor\u201d. And when compared with Qin Shi Huang, Mao boasted that \u201cwhen you berate us for imitating his despotism, we are happy to agree!\u201d. But was Chinese unification under one empire inevitable, or did it need a ruthless figure to centralise power? And to what terrifying lengths did the first Emperor go to secure immortality\u2026?\n\nJoin Tom and Dominic as they discuss the fantastical First Emperor of China - one of the world\u2019s most powerful and formidable rulers. From warring kingdoms and ruthless suppressions, to necromancy, mythical beasts, doom-ridden prophecies, and even 20th century Chinese Communism.\xa0\n\n\n\n\n\n*The Rest Is History LIVE in 2024*\nTom and Dominic are back onstage this summer, at Hampton Court Palace in London!\n\nBuy your tickets here: therestishistory.com\n\nTwitter:\n@TheRestHistory\n@holland_tom\n@dcsandbrook\n\nProducer: Theo Young-Smith\nAssistant Producer: Tabby Syrett\nExecutive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices