SHI JI 15: REFLECTIONS ON THE RISE OF THE QIN
[This introduction to the “Chronological Table of the Six States,” Shi ji 15, is given with a title supplied by the translator.]
After the Spring and Autumn period, the ministerial families directed affairs of government and the rulers of the powerful states began to call themselves kings. This continued until the Qin at last united all the Xia lineage states, abolished the feudal domains, and arrogated to itself the title of emperor. Thus I made “The Chronological Table of the Six States”.
 
When as Grand Historian I read the annals of Qin, I come to the time when the Dog Rong defeated King You, the Zhou dynasty moved its capital east to Luoyang, and Duke Xiang of Qin was enfeoffed as one of the feudal lords. He established the Altar of the West, using it to sacrifice to the Lord on High. Here one can see the beginnings of usurpation. For the Book of Rites says: “The Son of Heaven sacrifices to heaven and earth, the feudal lords sacrifice to the famous mountains and major rivers within their domains.”108
Qin’s customs were mixed with those of the Rong and Di barbarians. It put violence and cruelty first and benevolence and righteousness last, and though it occupied the position of a vassal state, it carried out suburban sacrifices in the manner of the Son of Heaven. It is enough to fill a gentleman with fear!
Later Duke Wen advanced beyond Long and drove back the Yi and Di barbarians, paid honour to the Treasures of Chen, and set up his capital between Mt. Qi and Yong. Duke Mu applied himself to government and extended his territory east to the Yellow River, becoming an equal of the lords of the Central Kingdom such as Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Wen of Jin.
After this, government passed into the hands of the ministerial families, the grandees held their posts for generation after generation, and the six high ministers of Jin usurped authority, carrying out punitive expeditions and meeting to conclude oaths of alliance, their authority outweighing that of the feudal rulers. In time Tian Chang assassinated his sovereign Duke Jian and became prime minister of the state of Qi, while the other feudal rulers sat by passively and failed to punish him, until all within the seas were contending for military supremacy. So the three ministerial families in the end divided up the state of Jin among themselves, and Tian He wiped out the Qi ruling family and took possession of the state. This marked the beginning of the era when the Six States flourished.109
All efforts were directed at strengthening arms and annexing rivals. Plots and deceptions came into use, and men appeared who argued for the vertical or horizontal alliances or pointed out the strong or weak points of such alliances. False titles sprang up like bees, vows and covenants could not be trusted, and though men exchanged hostages and split tallies, there was no way to enforce promises and agreements.
Qin began as a small state situated in a far-off region, shunned by the Xia lineage states and classed with the Rong and Di barbarians. But after the time of Duke Xian, it was always a leader among the feudal rulers. Qin at its most virtuous and righteous could not compare to Lu and Wey at their most violent and cruel, and its military strength was no match for that of the Three Jin states. Yet in the end it united the whole world under its rule. This was not necessarily due to its mountain barriers or the advantages of its geographic situation. Rather it was as though Heaven had aided it.
It is sometimes said that things first come to life in the east and reach their fulfilment in the west. The beginning of an undertaking invariably occurs in the southeast, and the reaping of rewards always takes place in the northwest. Hence Emperor Yu arose among the Western Qiang tribes, King Tang had his start in Bo, the Zhou leaders became kings when from their capital at Feng and Hao they attacked the Yin dynasty, Qin became emperor by using Yongzhou as a base, and Han came to power from Han in Shu.110
After the Qin had achieved its goal of unification, it burned all the copies of the Odes and Documents in the empire, along with the historical records of the various feudal rulers, numerous as they were, because they contained sharp criticisms of the Qin. The reason the Odes and Documents have reappeared is that many copies were stored away in people’s houses. But the historical records were stored only in the Zhou archives, and hence were all destroyed. How regrettable! How regrettable! All we have left are the Qin historical records, though they do not record days and months and the text is sketchy and incomplete.
Nevertheless, there are things worth noting even in the shifts of power of the Warring States period. Why must one learn only from high antiquity? Qin’s seizure of the empire was accompanied by much violence, yet it managed to change with the times and its accomplishments were great.
A certain text tells us to “model ourselves on the rulers of later times”111 Why? Because they were closer to us, their customs and the happenings of their times resemble ours, and their ideals are lowly and easy to practise.
Scholars, influenced by what they have heard, see that the Qin occupied the position of emperor for only a short period, and they fail to examine the beginning and end of the matter. Hence they refer to the Qin only as an object of ridicule and decline to say anything more about it. This is as ridiculous as trying to eat with one’s ear, and lamentable indeed.
I have accordingly followed the Qin annals, beginning shortly after the Spring and Autumn period with the reign of King Yuan of the Zhou (476 - 469 BC). I have made a chronological table of the events of the Six States down to the time of the Second Emperor, a period of 270 years in all, recording the beginnings of success and failure as they have been reported. I hope in future times there will be gentlemen who will peruse my work.