With thousands of years of history, China has witnessed the rise and fall of 24 dynasties with 494 emperors. However, among them, only 4 are honored as “The Greatest Emperor in History.”
Qin Shihuang (259-210 BC)
When discussing the greatest emperor in history, one must certainly mention Qin Shihuang. He was the first emperor of China. The term “The Greatest Emperor in History” was used by Li Zhi to describe Qin Shihuang, yet debates about his legacy continue to this day.
Qin Shihuang is often depicted as a tyrannical emperor, obsessed with assassination attempts against him. Later, Confucian historians condemned him for burning books and burying scholars alive. They compiled a list of “Ten Crimes of Qin” to illustrate his cruelty.
However, Western historians regard him as one of the most significant figures of all time. He declared himself emperor after unifying China for over ten years, establishing a vast empire in ancient history. Today, the name “China” or “Sino” used by the West to refer to China originates from the phonetic rendering of the character “Qin”.
Emperor Wu of Han Liu Che (156-87 BC)
The predecessors of Liu Che established a relatively solid foundation, which allowed a talented emperor like him to elevate the Han dynasty to a peak of prosperity.
Emperor Wu of Han Liu Che implemented a series of policies that solidified governance and opened up to the outside world. During his reign, the Han dynasty expanded politically and militarily, conducting invasions into regions such as Goryeo, Dajlang, the Xiongnu, Nanyue, Minyue, and parts of Eastern Europe. Additionally, Emperor Wu expanded diplomatic ties, befriending and establishing relationships with western nations, thus extending the eastern territory to the Korean Peninsula, the northern frontier to the Gobi Desert, the southern territories to the Ba Vietnam region, and reaching as far west as Central Asia.
However, Emperor Wu was also relatively superstitious, leading to the infamous incident known as “The Great Injustice of the Wu Dynasty” in his later years, which wrongfully implicated Crown Prince Liu Ju, the Gong Sun family, and many members of the Liu clan.
Nonetheless, it is undeniable that under Emperor Wu of Han Liu Che, the Han dynasty was very powerful, and the territory of China at that time was nearly doubled.
Emperor Taizong of Tang Li Shimin (598-649)
Emperor Taizong of Tang Li Shimin was the second emperor of the Tang dynasty. He was the one who advised his father, Li Yuan, to revolt against the Sui dynasty, playing a significant role in subduing various heroes across the land, thus laying the foundation for the Tang dynasty, often regarded as a “founding emperor” alongside Emperor Gaozu.
Although he ascended to the throne after the Xuanwu Gate Incident (a power struggle where Li Shimin killed his two brothers, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji), it cannot be denied that Emperor Taizong was an outstanding ruler.
Emperor Taizong is often seen as the greatest emperor among all emperors in Chinese history. The Tang dynasty under Li Shimin flourished economically and grew militarily strong, becoming the largest and most powerful nation in the world at that time. The Tang dynasty encompassed nearly all of present-day China, parts of Vietnam, and a large expanse of Central Asia stretching to eastern Kazakhstan.
Emperor Taizong also played a key role in mediating conflicts among northern ethnic groups. These efforts laid the groundwork for over 100 years of prosperity during the Tang dynasty, making it the golden age of ancient Chinese history.
Emperor Kangxi (1654-1722)
Kangxi is the only emperor on this list who was not Han Chinese. He was the fourth emperor of the Qing dynasty, ascending the throne at the age of 8 and beginning to govern independently by age 14.
From that point on, he eliminated the treacherous minister Nian Gengyao, subdued the Three Feudatories, and implemented a series of wars and policies that solidified the Aisin Gioro clan’s position as emperors in Central China.
Kangxi is regarded as one of the greatest emperors in Chinese history and is honored as Emperor Kangxi. Under his rule, the Qing dynasty’s borders expanded immensely, though his descendants later lost substantial territories.
Kangxi holds the record for the longest reigning emperor in Chinese history (61 years) and is one of the longest-reigning monarchs in world history. His reign marked the beginning of the Kangxi-Qianlong prosperity period, which lasted for over 100 years. Kangxi’s grandson, Qianlong, greatly admired him and thus refrained from exceeding his years of reign, preferring to practice benevolence.
