Huiwen Qin
Huiwen Qin
Huiwen Qin
Prince Si was the son of Duke Xiao, and succeeded his father as ruler after the latter's death.[3] When
the adolescent Si was still crown prince, he committed a crime and was severely punished for it. The
great minister Shang Yang was just then implementing his authoritarian reforms to the laws of Qin
and he insisted that the crown prince should be punished for the crime regardless of his royal status.
Duke Xiao approved of the draconian punishment and Si's tutors, Prince Qian (公子虔), Duke Xiao's
older brother, and Gongsun Gu (公孫賈), for neglecting their duties in educating the crown prince,
with Prince Qian having his nose cut off and Gongsun receiving the punishment of qing (黥; a form of
punishment which involved branding a criminal by tattooing his face), while Ying Si was banished
from the royal palace.
It was believed that Si harboured a personal grudge against Shang Yang and when he came to the
throne as King Huiwen, Si had Shang Yang put to death on charges of treason. However, Huiwen
retained the reformed systems in Qin left behind by his father and Shang Yang.
Reign
During Huiwen's reign, Qin became very powerful in terms of its military strength, and constantly
invaded neighbouring states as part of its expansionism policy. In 316 BC it conquered the states of
Shu and Ba to the south in the Sichuan basin. The strategy here was to annex and colonize the semi-
civilized lands to the south rather than confront the more advanced states to the east with their large
armies. The strategist Su Qin, a student of Guiguzi, managed to persuade the other six major states to
form an alliance to deal with Qin. However, Su Qin's fellow student, Zhang Yi, came into the service
of Huiwen and he helped Qin break up the alliance by sowing discord among the six states.
Death
King Huiwen ruled Qin for 27 years and died in 311 BC at the age of 46. He was succeeded by his son,
King Wu of Qin, born of Queen Huiwen.
Family
Parents:
Crown Prince Quliang (太子渠梁; 381–338 BC), ruled as Duke Xiao of Qin from 361–338 BC
Queens:
Queen Huiwen, of Wei (惠文后; d. 305 BC), possibly a daughter of King Hui of Wei; married in
334 BC; the mother of Crown Prince Dang
Queen Dowager Xuan, of the Mi clan of Chu (宣太后 羋姓; d. 265 BC), a royal of Chu by birth;
the mother of Princes Ji, Shi and Kui
Sons:
Prince Tong (公子通; d. 311 BC), ruled as the Marquis of Shu from 313–311 BC
Crown Prince Dang (太子盪; 329–307 BC), ruled as King Wu of Qin from 310–307 BC
Prince Zhuang (公子壯; d. 305 BC)
Prince Yong (公子雍; d. 305 BC)
Prince Ji (公子稷; 325–251 BC), ruled as King Zhaoxiang of Qin from 306–251 BC
Prince Yun (公子惲; d. 301 BC), ruled as the Marquis of Shu from 308–301 BC
Prince Shi (公子市)
References
1. Sima Qian. 秦本纪 (http://www.guoxue.com/shibu/24shi/shiji/sj_005.htm) [Annals of Qin]. Records
of the Grand Historian (in Chinese). guoxue.com. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
2. Han (2010), 340
3. [1] (https://archive.is/20120709170349/http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k7430&pagei
d=icb.page29892&pageContentId=icb.pagecontent80533&view=view.do&viewParam_name=sha
ngyang.htm) Harvard University reference page for a 2006 class called Moral Reasoning;
includes a useful map.
Regnal titles
Preceded by
King of Qin Succeeded by
Duke Xiao
338–311 BC King Wu
as Duke of Qin
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