Document 3b
Li Si was a strong supporter of legalism and served as the Grand Counselor to Emperor Shi Huangdi. In this
passage, Li Si is responding to a scholar who has challenged the Emperor’s movement away from traditional
values.
… “I humbly propose that all historical records but those of Chin [Qin] be burned. If anyone
who is not a court scholar dares to keep the ancient songs, historical records or writings of the
hundred schools, these should be confiscated and burned by the provincial governor and army
commander. Those who in conversation dare to quote the old songs and records should be
publicly executed; those who use old precedents [examples] to oppose the new order should
have their families wiped out; and officers who know of such cases but fail to report them should
be punished in the same way.
“If thirty days after the issuing of this order the owners of these books have still not had them
destroyed, they should have their faces tattooed and be condemned to hard labour at the Great
Wall. The only books which need not be destroyed are those dealing with medicine, divination
and agriculture. Those who want to study the law can learn it from the officers.” The emperor
sanctioned this proposal.…
Source: Szuma Chien, Records of the Historian, The Commercial Press
According to Li Si’s proposal, what was one way Shi Huangdi could control the people of China?