Royals are interesting figures in history because most have played a role in shaping the course that certain cultures, religions, and lands have taken. Some were ruthless and ruled with an iron fist. Others cared nothing about governing their people and were responsible for the decline in their influence. In this article, you will encounter interesting facts concerning royals that ruled in places, such as China and India.
Not a Fan of Books
The first emperor of a united China, Shi Huang-Ti, was also the founder of the Chin dynasty. Other nations would have considered him a great ruler”¦if he lived in Europe, but he did not. Shi Huang-Ti was known for being quite ruthless, imposing harsh laws, labor conflicts, and the burning of books in 213 BC.
Shi Huang-Ti ordered the burning of all books in China because the people would use writing as a way to criticize his rule. The emperor kept a few subjects on reserve ”“ those that focused on medicine and agriculture. He was responsible for losing a great number of valuable works during his reign. Luckily, he was unable to completely eliminate all writings. A few teachers were able to preserve some of the early literary works of the Chinese. The fear of Shi Huang-Ti’s rule was so great that the surviving books were not brought out of their hiding places until around 150 years after his rule.
Infamous Chinese Tyrant
Emperor Hung Wu ruled during the Ming Dynasty from 1368-98 and has been noted as the most unreasonable tyrant in all of Chinese history ”“ inflicting some of the harshest rules and regulations on his people. For instance, he was responsible for executing a great deal of people. These acts took place halfway throughout his reign, which led many government officials to get into the habit of saying their last goodbyes to their families if they were called to a morning session with the emperor. If officials survived until the evening, there was an exchange of congratulations.
An Extremely Short Reign
In 1315, John I of France was born and immediately became king, but his reign did not last long ”“ he only lived for five days.
Not All Emperors were Bad”¦
The third Moghul Emperor of India, Akbar, ruled from 1556 to 1605, and was not only a smart general and fierce fighter, but was also responsible for importing rare plants and grasses to his land. He also grafted trees and crossbred doves, as well as maintained zoological notebooks. He played a role in the spread of philosophy by commissioning translations of Aristotle and other Greek philosophers. The emperor also understood the importance of building foreign relationships, such as initiating the first Anglo-Indian diplomatic relationship when he spoke with Queen Elizabeth I. He also corresponded with the Pope and two Spanish kings.