9th Grade China Inquiry Did Emperor Shi Huangdi Improve …new york state social studies resource...
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NEWYORKSTATE SOCIAL STUDIES RESOURCETOOLKIT
T H I S W O R K I S L I C E N S E D U N D E R A C R E A T I V E C OMMON S A T T R I B U T I O N - N O N C OMM E R C I A L - S H A R E A L I K E 4 . 0 I N T E R N A T I O N A L L I C E N S E . 1
9thGradeChinaInquiry
DidEmperorShiHuangdiImproveChina?
Unknownartist,ImageofEmperorShiHuangdi,ca.1850.Publicdomain.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Qinshihuang.jpg#/media/File:Qinshihuang.jpg.
SupportingQuestions
1. HowdidShiHuangdiunifyChinapolitically?2. HowdidShiHuangdi’sreformsstandardizesociety?3. TowhatextentdidShiHuangdi’streatmentofopponentsdiminishhissuccess?
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NEWYORKSTATE SOCIAL STUDIES RESOURCETOOLKIT
T H I S W O R K I S L I C E N S E D U N D E R A C R E A T I V E C OMMON S A T T R I B U T I O N - N O N C OMM E R C I A L - S H A R E A L I K E 4 . 0 I N T E R N A T I O N A L L I C E N S E . 2
9thGradeChinaInquiry
DidEmperorShiHuangdiImproveChina?
NewYorkStateSocialStudiesFrameworkKeyIdea&Practices
9.3CLASSICALCIVILIZATIONS—EXPANSION,ACHIEVEMENT,DECLINE:ClassicalcivilizationsinEurasiaandMesoamericaemployedavarietyofmethodstoexpandandmaintaincontrolovervastterritories.Theydevelopedlastingculturalachievements.Bothinternalandexternalforcesledtotheeventualdeclineoftheseempires.Gathering,Using,andInterpretingEvidence ChronologicalReasoningandCausation
StagingtheQuestion
DiscusswhatphotographsoftheTerra-cottaArmyandtheGreatWallofChinacommunicateabouttherulerresponsibleforthem.
SupportingQuestion1 SupportingQuestion2 SupportingQuestion3
HowdidShiHuangdiunifyChinapolitically?
HowdidShiHuangdi’sreformsstandardizesociety?
TowhatextentdidShiHuangdi’streatmentofopponentsdiminishhissuccess?
FormativePerformanceTask
FormativePerformanceTask
FormativePerformanceTask
ListtheactionsShiHuangditooktounitetheformerWarringStates.
WriteasummaryofthelawsandreformspassedbyShiHuangdithatunifiedChinathroughstandardization.
DevelopaclaimsupportedbyevidenceabouttheextenttowhichShiHuangdi’sharshtreatmentofhisoppositiondiminishedhissuccess.
FeaturedSources FeaturedSources FeaturedSources
SourceA:MapoftheWarringStatesperiodinChinaSourceB:Excerptfrom“TheFiveVermin”SourceC:“MemorialonAnnexationofFeudalStates”
SourceA:Imagebank:ObjectsshowingtheaccomplishmentsofShiHuangdi
SourceA:“MemorialoftheBurningoftheBooks”SourceB:ExcerptfromTheRecordsoftheGrandHistorianSourceC:KillingtheScholarsandBurningtheBooks
SummativePerformanceTask
ARGUMENTDidEmperorShiHuangdiimproveChina?Constructanargumentthataddressesthecompellingquestionusingspecificclaimsandhistoricalevidencewhileacknowledgingcompetingviews.
EXTENSIONHavestudentscreateaGreatWallofChina.Eachstudentwouldcompletea“brick”thatrepresentsdifferentelementsofthistimeperiodforChina.
TakingInformedAction
UNDERSTANDInvestigatehowsuppressingfreedomofspeechaffectsasociety.ASSESSResearchcurrentpoliciesofsuppressionoffreedomofspeechinChinaandindividualswhoarecurrentlyimprisonedforcriticizingtheChinesegovernment(e.g.,ChinesepoetandNobelPeacePrizelaureateLiuXiaobo).ACTWritealettertoCaoJianming(throughthePENAmericanCenterwebsite)askingforLiuXiaobo’sreleasefromprisonorwritealettertotheeditorexplainingapositiononthefreedomofspeechusingLiuXiaobooranotherpersonasanexample.EitherlettershoulddiscusshowlimitingspeechhasaffectedChineseexpression.
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NEWYORKSTATE SOCIAL STUDIES RESOURCETOOLKIT
T H I S W O R K I S L I C E N S E D U N D E R A C R E A T I V E C OMMON S A T T R I B U T I O N - N O N C OMM E R C I A L - S H A R E A L I K E 4 . 0 I N T E R N A T I O N A L L I C E N S E . 3
Overview
InquiryDescription
Thisinquiryleadsstudentsthroughaninvestigationoftheactions,policies,andlawsofEmperorShiHuangdioftheQindynasty,220–210BCE.Byinvestigatingthecompellingquestion“DidEmperorShiHuangdiimproveChina?”studentsevaluatewhetherShiHuangdi’spoliciesandpracticesultimatelyhurtorhelpedChinesesociety.Byinvestigatinghistoricalsources,studentswillassesstheextenttowhichthemeasuresShiHuangditooktounifyChina(politically,geographically,andculturally)ultimatelyimprovedChinesesocietyand,ifso,forwhom.Itisimportanttonotethatthisinquirywillrequireprerequisiteknowledgeofhistoricaleventsandideas.TeachersshouldintroducetheinquiryafterstudentshavestudiedclassicalChinaandestablishedChinesephilosophiesincludingConfucianism,Daoism,andlegalism.
InadditiontotheKeyIdealistedpreviously,thisinquiryhighlightsthefollowingConceptualUnderstandings:
• (9.3a)Geographicfactorsencouragedandhinderedastate’s/empire’sexpansionandinteractions.• (9.3b)Empiresusedbeliefsystems,systemsoflaw,formsofgovernment,militaryforces,andsocial
hierarchiestoconsolidateandexpandpower.
NOTE:Thisinquiryisexpectedtotakefourtosix40-minuteclassperiods.Theinquirytimeframecouldexpandifteachersthinktheirstudentsneedadditionalinstructionalexperiences(i.e.,supportingquestions,formativeperformancetasks,andfeaturedsources).Teachersareencouragedtoadapttheinquiriesinordertomeettheneedsandinterestsoftheirparticularstudents.Resourcescanalsobemodifiedasnecessarytomeetindividualizededucationprograms(IEPs)orSection504Plansforstudentswithdisabilities.
StructureoftheInquiry
Inaddressingthecompellingquestion“DidEmperorShiHuangdiimproveChina?”studentswillworkthroughaseriesofsupportingquestions,formativeperformancetasks,andfeaturedsourcesinordertoconstructanargumentwithevidencewhileacknowledgingcompetingperspectives.
StagingtheCompellingQuestion
Thecompellingquestion“DidEmperorShiHuangdiimproveChina?”couldbestagedbyhavingstudentslookatphotographsoftwoartifactsofShiHuangdi’sempire:theTerra-cottaArmyandtheGreatWallofChina.Discusswhattheseitemscommunicateabouttherulerresponsibleforthem.StudentsshouldbeencouragedtoconsidertheirfunctionandmeaningfortheChinesepeopleaswell.
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NEWYORKSTATE SOCIAL STUDIES RESOURCETOOLKIT
T H I S W O R K I S L I C E N S E D U N D E R A C R E A T I V E C OMMON S A T T R I B U T I O N - N O N C OMM E R C I A L - S H A R E A L I K E 4 . 0 I N T E R N A T I O N A L L I C E N S E . 4
SupportingQuestion1
Thefirstsupportingquestion—“HowdidShiHuangdiunifyChinapolitically?”—helpsstudentsestablishafoundationalunderstandingoftheactionsShiHuangditooktocreateaunifiedChinabyconsolidatingpowerandunifyingwarringstates.Theformativeperformancetaskcallsonstudentstousethefeaturedsources—amapoftheWarringStatesandtwodescriptionsofShiHuangdi’sactionsasemperor—togeneratealistoftheactionshetooktofusetheformerWarringStatespolitically.
SupportingQuestion2
Thesecondsupportingquestion—“HowdidShiHuangdi’sreformsstandardizesociety?”—challengesstudentstoexaminethereformsimplementedbytheemperorwhocreatedaunifiedChinesesocietythroughstandardizationofcurrency,measurements,weights,andwrittenlanguage.TheformativeperformancetaskcallsonstudentstosummarizethesereformsandtheireffectsonChina.Studentsshouldbeencouragedtousetheinformationdiscussedaroundthefirstsupportingquestioninevaluatingtheemperor’seffortstocentralizepower.Thefeaturedsourceinthistaskisanimagebankofmuseumobjectsfromthetimeperiod.
SupportingQuestion3
Thethirdsupportingquestion—“TowhatextentdidShiHuangdi’streatmentofopponentsdiminishhissuccess?”—asksstudentstoexplorehowShiHuangdiunifiedChinathroughthepersecutionofallopposingthought.TheformativeperformancetaskforthissupportingquestionrequiresstudentstowriteaclaimbasedonevidenceaboutwhetherShiHuangdi’stacticswerewarranted.Thefeaturedsourcesincludedescriptionsoftheharshtreatmentsreceivedbyopponentsoflegalismand/ortheQinandapaintingofthebookburningsandburyingofscholars.
SummativePerformanceTask
Atthispointintheinquiry,studentshavedeterminedhowShiHuangdiunifiedChinabyconsolidatingpower,creatingstandardizedreforms,andsilencinghisopposition.Studentsshouldbeexpectedtodemonstratethebreadthoftheirunderstandingandabilitiestouseevidencefrommultiplesourcestosupporttheirclaims.Inthistask,studentsareaskedtoconstructanevidence-basedargumentrespondingtothecompellingquestion“DidEmperorShiHuangdiimproveChina?”
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NEWYORKSTATE SOCIAL STUDIES RESOURCETOOLKIT
T H I S W O R K I S L I C E N S E D U N D E R A C R E A T I V E C OMMON S A T T R I B U T I O N - N O N C OMM E R C I A L - S H A R E A L I K E 4 . 0 I N T E R N A T I O N A L L I C E N S E . 5
Students’argumentswilllikelyvary,butcouldincludeanyofthefollowing:
• EmperorShiHuangdibroughtanendtotheperiodofWarringStatesandcreatedaunifiedChina,bothculturallyandpolitically.
• Thoughhisregimewasoppressive,EmperorShiHuangdi’sreformscreatedtheprecedentforamorestructuredandunifiedChineseculture.
• EmperorShiHuangdimayhaveunifiedtheareapoliticallyandsociallywithlegalistpoliciesandstandardization,buthedidsobydestroyingcultureusingoppressivetactics.
StudentscouldextendtheseargumentsbyconsideringtheongoingimpactofShiHuangdi’sreformsonmodernChina.Studentswouldcreatea“GreatWallofChina.”EachstudentwouldcreateabrickillustratingaQin-erareformandexplaininghowitisstillrelevanttoday.Thepurposeistocreateawallwithmanydifferentelementsofthetimeperiodtodemonstratehowtheybecameafoundationformodern-dayChinesesociety.
StudentshavetheopportunitytoTakeInformedActionbyusingtheirknowledgetoexploretheconsequencesofarulers’actions.TheydemonstratethattheyunderstandbyexaminingthedetrimentalimpactofShiHuangdi’slegacyonChineseculture,specificallyasitrelatestosuppressionofspeechandexpression.StudentsassesshowsuppressingfreedomofspeechaffectsasocietyandthenresearchcurrentpoliciessuppressingfreespeechinChina.Inparticular,studentscouldfocusonChinesepoetandNobelPeacePrizelaureateLiuXiaobo,whoiscurrentlyimprisonedforhiscallsforreformsinChina.StudentsthenactbywritingalettertoCaoJianming(throughthePENAmericanCenterwebsite:http://www.pen.org/content/demand-immediate-release-liu-xiaobo)askingforLiuXiaobo’sreleasefromprisonorbywritingalettertotheeditorexplainingtheirpositiononthefreedomofspeechusingLiuXiaobooranotherpersonasanexample.EitherlettershoulddiscusshowlimitingspeechmayaffecttheChinesepeople’sabilitytoexpresstheirideas.
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NEWYORKSTATE SOCIAL STUDIES RESOURCETOOLKIT
T H I S W O R K I S L I C E N S E D U N D E R A C R E A T I V E C OMMON S A T T R I B U T I O N - N O N C OMM E R C I A L - S H A R E A L I K E 4 . 0 I N T E R N A T I O N A L L I C E N S E . 6
SupportingQuestion1FeaturedSource SourceA:MapshowingtheregionsundereachdynastyintheperiodofWarringStates,“The
WarringStatesofChinac.260BCE,”nodate
NOTE:The250yearsbetween475and221BCEiscalledtheWarringStatesperiodbecausetheregionoftheZhouDynastywasdividedamongsevenstates.Thesestateshadfrequentwarsuntil221BCEwhenShiHuangdiconqueredthemall.
CreatedbyPhilg88andlicensedundertheCreativeCommonsAttribution-ShareAlike3.0.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/EN-WarringStatesAll260BCE.jpg.
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NEWYORKSTATE SOCIAL STUDIES RESOURCETOOLKIT
T H I S W O R K I S L I C E N S E D U N D E R A C R E A T I V E C OMMON S A T T R I B U T I O N - N O N C OMM E R C I A L - S H A R E A L I K E 4 . 0 I N T E R N A T I O N A L L I C E N S E . 7
SupportingQuestion1FeaturedSource SourceB:HanFeizi,descriptionofShiHuangdi’sreformsbyHanFeizi,aphilosopherand
contemporaryofShiHuangdi,“TheFiveVermin”(excerpt),c233BCE
Hardlytenmenoftrueintegrityandgoodfaithcanbefoundtoday,andyettheofficesofthestatenumberinthehundreds.Iftheymustbefilledbymenofintegrityandgoodfaiththentherewillneverbeenoughmentogoaround;andiftheofficesareleftunfilled,thenthosewhosebusinessitistogovernwilldwindleinnumberswhiledisorderlymenincrease.Thereforethewayoftheenlightenedruleristounifythelawsinsteadofseekingforwisemen,tolaydownfirmpoliciesinsteadoflongingformenofgoodfaith.Hencehislawswillneverfailhim,andthereisnofelonyordeceitamonghisofficials.
From“TheFiveVermin,”inHanFeizi:BasicWritings,byHanFeizi,translatedbyBurtonWatson.©1997ColumbiaUniversityPress.Reprintedwithpermissionofthepublisher.
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NEWYORKSTATE SOCIAL STUDIES RESOURCETOOLKIT
T H I S W O R K I S L I C E N S E D U N D E R A C R E A T I V E C OMMON S A T T R I B U T I O N - N O N C OMM E R C I A L - S H A R E A L I K E 4 . 0 I N T E R N A T I O N A L L I C E N S E . 8
SupportingQuestion1FeaturedSource SourceC:LiSi(recordedbySimaQian),descriptionofShiHuangdi’sreforms,“Memorialon
AnnexationofFeudalStates,”nodate
Throughmilitaryvictories,thestateofQinhas,inthetimeofthelastsixkings,broughtthefeudallordsintosubmission.AndbynowthefeudalstatesyieldobeisancetoQinasiftheywereitscommanderiesandprefectures.Now,withthemightofQinandthevirtuesofYourHighness,atonestroke,likesweepingoffthedustfromakitchenstove,thefeudallordscanbeannihilated,imperialrulecanbeestablished,andunificationoftheworldcanbebroughtabout.Thisistheonemomentintenthousandages.IfYourHighnessallowsittoslipawayanddoesnotpresstheadvantageinhaste,thefeudallordswillrevivetheirstrengthandorganizethemselvesintoananti-Qinalliance.Thennoone,eventhoughhepossessesthevirtuesoftheYellowEmperor,wouldbeabletoannextheirterritories.
From“MemorialonAnnexationofFeudalStates,”byLiSi(recordedbySimaQian),inSourcesofChineseTradition:FromEarliestTimesto1600,compiledbyWilliamTheodoredeBary,IreneBloom,andJosephAdler.©1999ColumbiaUniversityPress.Reprintedwithpermissionofthepublisher.
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SupportingQuestion2FeaturedSource SourceA:Imagebank:ObjectsshowingaccomplishmentsofEmperorShiHuangdi
Image1:Unificationofcurrency.Bronzebanliangcoin.China,Qindynasty,ThirdcenturyBCE.TheChineseinscriptiononthiscoinreadsbanliang,withbantotherightoftheholeandliangtotheleft.Banliangmeans“half-ounce”—theweightofthecoin.©TheTrusteesoftheBritishMuseum/ArtResource,NY.
Image2:Vehiclesofthesametrack.©theplanetD.http://theplanetd.com/.
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Image3:Majorwaterconservancyproject,theLingquCanal.PhotographedbyFarmandlicensedundertheCreativeCommonsAttribution-ShareAlike3.0.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lingqu_Canal.jpg.
Image4:Bookswiththesamecharacters.Publicdomain.AvailableatWikimediaCommons:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:XiaozhuanQinquan.jpg.
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Image5:ConstructionoftheGreatWall.©iStock/©zhudifeng.
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SupportingQuestion3FeaturedSource SourceA:LiSi(recordedbySimaQian),historicalaccountoftheharshtreatmentofthe
emperor’sopposition,“MemorialoftheBurningoftheBooks,”213BCE
Introduction:AmongthemostinfamousactsoftheFirstExaltedEmperoroftheQinwerethe“burningofbooks,”orderedin213BCE,andthe“executionofscholars,”orderedin212.ThefirstwasanefforttoachievethoughtcontrolthroughdestroyingallliteratureexcepttheClassicofChanges,theroyalarchivesoftheQinhouse,andbooksontechnicalsubjects,suchasmedicine,agriculture,andforestry.…Theexecutionofsome460scholarsinthefollowingyearwasanattempttoeliminateoppositiontotheemperorbyruthlesslydestroyingallpotentially“subversive”elementsinhisentourage.
MemorialontheBurningofBooks
ByLiSi(asrecordedbySimaQian)
Inearliertimestheempiredisintegratedandfellintodisorder,andnoonewascapableofunifyingit.Thereuponthevariousfeudallordsrosetopower.Intheirdiscoursestheyallpraisedthepastinordertodisparagethepresentandembellishedemptywordstoconfusethetruth.Everyonecherishedhisownfavoriteschooloflearningandcriticizedwhathadbeeninstitutedbytheauthorities.ButatpresentYourMajestypossessesaunifiedempire,hasregulatedthedistinctionsofblackandwhite,andhasfirmlyestablishedforyourselfapositionofsolesupremacy.Andyettheseindependentschools,joiningwitheachother,criticizethecodesoflawsandinstructions.Hearingofthepromulgationofadecree,theycriticizeit,eachfromthestandpointofhisownschool.Athometheydisapproveofitintheirhearts;goingouttheycriticizeitinthethoroughfare.Theyseekareputationbydiscreditingtheirsovereign;theyappearsuperiorbyexpressingcontraryviews,andtheyleadthelowlymultitudeinthespreadingofslander.Ifsuchlicenseisnotprohibited,thesovereignpowerwilldeclineaboveandpartisanfactionswillformbelow.Itwouldbewelltoprohibitthis.
Yourservantsuggeststhatallbooksintheimperialarchives,savethememoirsofQin,beburned.Allpersonsintheempire,exceptmembersoftheAcademyofLearnedScholars,inpossessionoftheClassicofOdes,theClassicofDocuments,anddiscoursesofthehundredphilosophersshouldtakethemtothelocalgovernorsandhavethemindiscriminatelyburned.
ThosewhodaretotalktoeachotherabouttheOdesandDocumentsshouldbeexecutedandtheirbodiesexposedinthemarketplace.Anyonereferringtothepasttocriticizethepresentshould,togetherwithallmembersofhisfamily,beputtodeath.Officialswhofailtoreportcasesthathavecomeundertheirattentionareequallyguilty.Afterthirtydaysfromthetimeofissuingthedecree,thosewhohavenotdestroyedtheirbooksaretobebrandedandsenttobuildtheGreatWall.Booksnottobedestroyedwillbethoseonmedicineandpharmacy,divinationbytheturtleandmilfoil,andagricultureandarboriculture.Peoplewishingtopursuelearningshouldtaketheofficialsastheirteachers.
From“MemorialoftheBurningoftheBooks,”byLiSi(recordedbySimaQian),inSourcesofChineseTradition:FromEarliestTimesto1600,compiledbyWilliamTheodoredeBary,IreneBloom,andJosephAdler.©1999.ColumbiaUniversityPress.Reprintedwithpermissionofthepublisher.http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/ps/cup/lisi_legalist_memorials.pdf.
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SupportingQuestion3FeaturedSource SourceB:SimaQian,historicalaccountoftheharshtreatmentoftheemperor’sopposition,The
RecordsoftheGrandHistorian(excerpt),109BCE
ChunyuYueh,ascholarofChisaid“Ihaveyettohearofanythingabletoendurethatwasnotbasedonancientprecedents.”
Theemperororderedhisministerstodebatethisquestion.
TheprimeministerLiSisaid,“TheFiveEmperorsdidnotemulateeachothernordidtheThreeDynasties”adopteachother’sways,yetallhadgoodgovernment.Thisisnoparadox,becausetimeshadchanged.NowYourMajestyhasbuiltupthisgreatempiretoendureforgenerationswithoutend.Naturallythispassesthecomprehensionofafoolishpedant.ChunyuYuehspokeabouttheThreeDynasties,buttheyarehardlyworthtakingasexamples.Intimesgonebydifferentbaronsfoughtamongthemselvesandgatheredwanderingscholars.Today,however,theempireisatpeace,alllawsandordercomefromonesinglesource,thecommonpeoplesupportthemselvesbyfarmingandhandicrafts,whilestudentsstudythelawsandprohibitions.
“Nowthesescholarslearnonlyfromtheold,notfromthenew,andusetheirlearningtoopposeourruleandconfusetheblack-headedpeople.AsprimeministerImustspeakoutonpainofdeath.Informertimeswhentheworld,tornbychaosanddisorder,couldnotbeunited,differentstatesaroseandarguedfromthepasttocondemnthepresent,usingemptyrhetorictocoverupandconfusetherealissues,andemployingtheirlearningtoopposewhatwasestablishedbyauthority.NowYourMajestyhasconqueredthewholeworld,distinguishedbetweenblackandwhite,seeunifiedstandards.Yettheseopinionatedscholarsgettogethertoslanderthelawsandjudgeeachnewdecreeaccordingtotheirownschoolofthought,opposingitsecretlyintheirheartswhilediscussingitopenlyinthestreets.Theybragtothesovereigntowinfame,putforwardstrangeargumentstogaindistinction,andincitethemobtospreadrumors.Ifthisisnotprohibited,thesovereign'sprestigewillsufferandfactionswillbeformedamonghissubjects.Farbetterputastoptoit!
“IhumblyproposethatallhistoricalrecordsbutthoseofQinbeburned.Ifanyonewhoisnotacourtscholardarestokeeptheancientsongs,historicalrecordsorwritingsofthehundredschools,theseshouldbeconfiscatedandburnedbytheprovincialgovernorandarmycommander.Thosewhoinconversationdaretoquotetheoldsongsandrecordsshouldbepubliclyexecuted;thosewhouseoldprecedentstoopposethenewordershouldhavetheirfamilieswipedout;andofficerswhoknowofsuchcasesbutfailtoreportthemshouldbepunishedinthesameway.
“Ifthirtydaysaftertheissuingofthisordertheownersofthesebookshavestillnothavethemdestroyed,theyshouldhavetheirfacetattooedandbecondemnedtohardlaborattheGreatWall.Theonlybookswhichneednotbedestroyedarethosedealingwithmedicine,divination,andagriculture.Thosewhowanttostudythelawcanlearnitfromtheofficers.Theemperorsanctionedthisproposal.
FromAndrea/Overfield.TheHumanRecord,8E.©2016Wadsworth,apartofCengageLearning,Inc.Reproducedbypermission.www.cengage.com/permissions.
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SupportingQuestion3FeaturedSource SourceC:HungWu,painting,KillingtheScholarsandBurningtheBooks,18thcentury
QinShihuangdi,259–210BCE,thefirstQinemperor,221–210BCE,sceneofburningbooksandexecutingscholars,byHungWu,fromLivesoftheEmperors,watercoloronsilk.BibliothèqueNationaleParis.Photo:TheArtArchiveatArtResource,NewYork.Usedwithpermission.