Historical records recount that over two thousand years ago, China witnessed an unprecedented purge of its intellectual heritage under the orders of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first ruler to unify the country.
Determined to establish his reign as the singular starting point of history, the emperor commanded that all books and records from earlier dynasties be burned or buried, sparing only those related to agriculture, medicine, and astrology.
Ancient accounts suggest that the order was not limited to destroying literature — scholars who resisted the decree were reportedly executed or banished, while their works were permanently lost to posterity.
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The emperor aimed to erase collective memory of the past so that future generations would trace the origins of Chinese civilization only to his rule.
Historians say this act of cultural obliteration, remembered as one of the most drastic censorship campaigns in history, sparked fear across the empire. Citizens complied under threat of severe punishment, concealing some texts in hidden walls or underground caches.
A few of these survived centuries of secrecy, offering rare glimpses into the wisdom that Emperor Qin had tried to erase. Scholars believe the episode serves as a stark reminder of how absolute power can reshape — and even rewrite — a nation’s memory.
