Li Si

(c. 280 BC - c. 208 BC)

Li Si came to the state of Qin in 247 bc, inaugurating nearly forty years of service to Zhao Zheng, who became First Exalted Emperor of the Qin dynasty in 221 bc. As the prime minister, Li Si was involved in the initial construction of the Great Wall, creating a unified writing system, and eliminating dissent. In an effort to prevent the growth of subversive thought, Li forbade the teaching of history and ordered the “burning of the books” in 213 bc. One year later, 460 scholars were killed to further purify the realm of thought.