The Legalists were a group of practical political theorists who stood in stark opposition to Confucius and Laozi's followers.
They felt that restoring social order required a highly efficient and powerful administration.
Their name comes from their view that the government should utilize the law to resolve civil unrest and restore peace.
Shi Huangdi was despised by scholars for his book-burning. Poor people despised him because he compelled them to work on the construction of a massive defense wall.
Previously, Zhou monarchs had built smaller barriers to deter northern nomad assaults.
Shi Huangdi was adamant about filling in the holes and extending the wall nearly the entire length of the empire's frontier.
To get past it, enemies would have to gallop almost to Tibet.
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