The recognized achievement of Qin Shihuang is that he unified China. Unified measurement and currency. Unify the national language. Unify thoughts. Connect the original Great Wall and resist the invasion of the northern minorities to the Central Plains.
Most of Qin Shihuang's achievements are undisputed. Next, I will mainly talk about the mistakes of Qin Shihuang to prove his wisdom and greatness.
The mistakes recognized by Qin Shihuang are:
First of all, I agree with the acknowledged fault: 1) The punishment is too heavy. Punishment is the key to governing the country. Strict laws must be relaxed, and loose laws must be strict. Qin Shihuang's strict laws and strict governance led to the accumulation of public grievances. 2) After years of fighting, the people's strength has dried up, so we shouldn't build big buildings. After years of war, the people of the six countries long for peace and need self-cultivation. At this time, large-scale construction and tax increase will inevitably make the people miserable and bitter.
Secondly, this is an acknowledged mistake that I don't agree with: 1) burning books to bury Confucianism. Its purpose is to unify thoughts. The Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period is a period of highly active thought, with many schools of thought. To maintain long-term stability, we must unify our thinking. In fact, the people killed are not worth mentioning. Throughout history, Qin Shihuang actually killed the least number of people compared with the founding monarch who slaughtered heroes in previous dynasties.
Anyway, Qin Shihuang did more than he did. Analyzing the historical pattern at that time, only a monarch like Qin Shihuang could end the world disputes, not a benevolent monarch. Although Qin Shihuang brought suffering to the people, he brought stability to the people after all. Imagine if there were no Qin Shihuang, the world would be in melee for 5- 10 years, and the people's suffering would be even deeper.