Qin Shi Huang

I have collected all the writings of the Empire and burnt those that were of no use.

Let all historical records but those of Qin be destroyed.

I am the First Emperor, and my successors shall be known as the Second Emperor, Third Emperor, and so on, for ten thousand generations.

These men, Qin Shi Huang declared, claimed to be sorcerers. If they really had magic powers, then they could bring themselves back to life.

All books shall be burned except those on medicine, divination, and agriculture.

Those who use the past to criticize the present shall be executed along with their families.

I have unified all under heaven.

The laws must be strict and the punishments severe.

The people are like sheep; they must be led.

I will live ten thousand years.

The empire shall be ruled with an iron fist.

No one shall defy the emperor’s will.

The past is dead; the future is mine.

The empire must be standardized—weights, measures, script, even thought.

I have brought order to a chaotic world, and my descendants shall rule for a thousand generations. The past is but a shadow; the future is mine to command.

The scholars of the past speak only of what was; they do not understand what is to be. Their books are a hindrance, not a help.

Let all who oppose my will be buried alive. Let their families be made an example.

I have united the world under one heaven, one law, one script, one measure. This is my legacy.

To conquer is not enough; one must also control the thoughts of men.

The Great Wall will stand as a testament to my power, a barrier against the barbarians, and a monument to my eternal reign.