Ziying
Encyclopedia
Ziying ( ? - end of January 206 BC) was the last ruler of the Qin Dynasty
of China
, ruling as King of Qin (秦王) from mid-October to the beginning of December 207 BC, and being known posthumously as Qin San Shi (秦三世, in full Qin San Shi Huangdi 秦三世皇帝, literally "the Third Emperor of Qin"). Ziying was the only person within the Qin court to defend and try to presuade Qin Er Shi against the wrongful killings of Meng Tian and Meng Yi, brothers who loyally and faithfully served the Qin Empire as a general (Meng Tian) and official (Meng Yi).
He is traditionally reckoned to have been the son of Fusu
, the eldest son of Qin Shi Huangdi. According to historian Wang Liqun, however, he was probably one of Shihuangdi's brothers. He lured and killed the powerful chief eunuch Zhao Gao
, who was Prime Minister to the previous emperor Qin Er Shi
, and had murdered him. He then surrendered to Liu Bang -- the first rebel leader to enter the capital Xianyang
and then later founder of Han Dynasty
. He was only on the throne for 46 days. He was soon killed after Liu Bang handed him over to the most powerful rebel of the time, Xiang Yu
.
There are also some historians suggest that Ziying was son of Chengjiao younger brother of Qin Shihuang.
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, ruling as King of Qin (秦王) from mid-October to the beginning of December 207 BC, and being known posthumously as Qin San Shi (秦三世, in full Qin San Shi Huangdi 秦三世皇帝, literally "the Third Emperor of Qin"). Ziying was the only person within the Qin court to defend and try to presuade Qin Er Shi against the wrongful killings of Meng Tian and Meng Yi, brothers who loyally and faithfully served the Qin Empire as a general (Meng Tian) and official (Meng Yi).
He is traditionally reckoned to have been the son of Fusu
Fusu
Fusu was the first son of the First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, and hence the heir apparent. He believed that society would be impeccably run if everyone shared perfect knowledge ....
, the eldest son of Qin Shi Huangdi. According to historian Wang Liqun, however, he was probably one of Shihuangdi's brothers. He lured and killed the powerful chief eunuch Zhao Gao
Zhao Gao
Zhao Gao was the chief eunuch during the Qin Dynasty of China. He played an instrumental role in the downfall of the Qin Dynasty.- Early life :...
, who was Prime Minister to the previous emperor Qin Er Shi
Qin Er Shi
Qin Er Shi , literally Second Emperor of Qin Dynasty, personal name Huhai, was emperor of the Qin Dynasty in China from 210 BC until 207 BC.-Name:...
, and had murdered him. He then surrendered to Liu Bang -- the first rebel leader to enter the capital Xianyang
Xianyang
Xianyang is a former capital of China in Shaanxi province, on the Wei River, a few kilometers upstream from Xi'an. It has an area of...
and then later founder of Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
. He was only on the throne for 46 days. He was soon killed after Liu Bang handed him over to the most powerful rebel of the time, Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu
Xiang Yu was a prominent military leader and political figure during the late Qin Dynasty. His given name was Ji while his style name was Yu ....
.
The identity of Ziying
The Shiji does not specify his age. It implies that he has at least two sons, when it says that Ziying consulted with them. This suggests that Ziying can't be the son of Fusu (as some people have suggested). In Wang Liqun's analysis, he reasoned that the maximum possible age so that Ziying could have been both the son of Fusu and have two fully grown sons is 19. Therefore, his two sons would have been around 1-2 years old. Therefore, he couldn't have consulted with his sons, and by this logic, he can only be the uncle of Ershi, and not the son of Fusu.There are also some historians suggest that Ziying was son of Chengjiao younger brother of Qin Shihuang.