444. The First Emperor of China

The Rest Is History

Goalhanger

History

4.6 • 26.6K Ratings

🗓️ 28 April 2024

⏱️ 65 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

"The First Emperor will die and his land will be divided….” The 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 “bad emperor”. And when compared with Qin Shi Huang, Mao boasted that “when you berate us for imitating his despotism, we are happy to agree!”. 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…? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the fantastical First Emperor of China - one of the world’s most powerful and formidable rulers. From warring kingdoms and ruthless suppressions, to necromancy, mythical beasts, doom-ridden prophecies, and even 20th century Chinese Communism. *The Rest Is History LIVE in 2024* Tom and Dominic are back onstage this summer, at Hampton Court Palace in London! Buy your tickets here: therestishistory.com Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:13.4	This episode is brought to you by Disney Plus.
0:18.8	Based on the best-selling novel series by CJ Sansom comes the brand-new series,
0:24.1	Shadlake, a thrilling murder mystery set against the backdrop of Tudor England
0:28.4	during the dissolution of the monasteries in the reign of Henry VIII.
0:31.7	This four-part drama is an eerie who-done it,
0:34.8	full of unnerving twists and turns,
0:37.1	sharp wit and humour mixed with hair-raising visuals and action,
0:41.4	featuring Sean Bean as Thomas Cromwell.
0:44.6	Shard Lake streaming the 1st of May exclusively on Disney Plus.
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0:51.8	This episode is brought to you by EDF.
0:57.0	History is made by the people and organizations that champion changes.
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