Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇; 259 BCE – 210 BCE), born Zhao Zheng (趙政), was the first Emperor of China and the founder of the Qin dynasty. His reign was secretly supported by the Order of the Ancients.
Biography
In 221 BCE, King Zheng of Qin conquered all of the other kingdoms, ending the Warring States period and reuniting China for the first time in six centuries.[1] With his victory, he inaugurated the first imperial dynasty of China.[2] During his reign, the Order of the Ancients assisted Qin Shi Huang with political and economic reforms, as well as his massive construction projects such as the Great Wall of China.[3][note 1]
Prior to Qin Shi Huang's ascension as emperor, Jing Ke attempted to assassinate the king. Although he was slain in the attempt, this incident caused the future emperor to become paranoid of other Assassins.[1] He subsequently amassed the nation's entire armada of troops and weapons for a campaign to exterminate them,[1] but it was to no avail. Determined to end his tyranny, the youxia Wei Yu assassinated Qin Shi Huang with a spear named in Jing Ke's honor in July 210 BCE, during one of the Emperor's eastern China tours.[1][3][4]
Behind the scenes
Qin Shi Huang is a historical figure and character first mentioned in Assassin's Creed II. He was first pictured in the teaser chapter for the manhua Assassin's Creed: Dynasty, and will make his first physical appearance in the upcoming mobile game Assassin's Creed: Jade.
The regnal name Qín Shǐ Huángdì (秦始皇帝) literally means 'First Emperor of the Qin'. It is commonly shortened to Qín Shǐ Huáng. Qin Shi Huang was born with the given name Zheng (政), clan name Zhao (趙), and ancestral name Ying (嬴). While in modern times, only the ancestral name is used as a surname, during the Warring States period, clan names were appended to the given names for the full name instead.
Historically, Qin Shi Huang survived three assassination attempts and reportedly died from Chinese alchemical elixir poisoning while trying to prolong his life.[5]
Appearances
- Assassin's Creed II (first mentioned)
- Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Dynasty (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Jade (first appearance)
Gallery
Notes
- ↑ The Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia refers to Qin Shi Huang's allies as the Templar Order. They are referred to as the Order of the Ancients here based on information from Assassin's Creed: Valhalla describing them as the Templars' older incarnation.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – The Hidden Ones (Part 2)
- ↑ Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – Database: Great Wall of China
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia
- ↑ Assassin's Creed II – Floating conversations: Unlocking Monteriggioni's Secrets
- ↑
Qin Shi Huang on Wikipedia
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