Monday, February 6, 2012

Slaves, Craftsman constructing Emperor Qin’s Mausoleum



Christian D’Amico
January 31, 236 B.C

Slaves, Craftsman constructing
Emperor Qin’s Mausoleum

King of the Qin state had died and the young Ying Zheng had taken power at age thirteen. Ying had feared for his life so he decided to build a secret underground mausoleum. Three hundred slaves were exiled from a small province near Mount Li. They were sent to construct a burial for Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi. This burial is an example of the fine art and craftsmanship of the Qin Dynasty and all Chinese should be proud of such a tomb and they are honored to work on it.
The 300 slaves, craftsman were honored to be picked to construct Emperor Qin’s tomb. To be picked for such a noble duty is an honor for a slave and craftsman. These special men were chosen for their advanced art skills. They were to make the best work for Qin’s tomb; they made terracotta warriors to show a strong army. Craftsman brought advanced skills to help make clay horses to go with the warriors. This burial is a perfect remembrance for emperor Qin’s death, when it comes.
Some people believe that the craftsman and slaves are being over worked almost to the death. They are doing free labor for Emperor Qin and they deserve to be treated with respect. The slaves may not be treated with respect but they are rewarded daily with extra rations of food. The labor they do is hard but they use their skills to make the mausoleum come to life. Slaves in the Qin dynasty were made to do forced labor for government projects like the terracotta army and the Great Wall. There is no respect with slaves because they do not deserve it; they are slaves for a reason. The craftsmen are treated with respect because they are volunteers or hand picked.
Even though this burial is an architectural masterpiece for Emperor Qin, It shows the rewarding work from the slaves and craftsman. The Qin mausoleum is an example of the advanced art and craftsmanship in the Qin Dynasty. It is a remarkable sight and is great for Emperor Qin to be remembered by.

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