History
Born in Jiangning (Present day Nanjing, Jiangsu, China), Qin won Jinshi in the Imperial examination of 1115. During the Northern Song Dynasty, Qin was an activist against the invasion by Jin Dynasty. He was captured along with Emperor Qinzong and Emperor Huizong in the Jingkang Incident. At this point of history, Qin's reputation was extremely good.
Some years later, he suddenly returned from captivity in the Jin empire to the capital of Emperor Gaozong. He claimed some sort of miraculous escape but quite some people expressed doubt regarding his story. However, he quickly won the emperor's favor and became the Chancellor of the Southern Song empire in 1131. In the next year, he was removed from the position after impeachment. After some Song victories in 1137, the Jin empire was forced to reopen peace talks, and Qin gained power as a pacifist.
With Qin's help, the emperor suppressed the war hawks and signed the Treaty of Shaoxing with the Jin empire. The emperor basically accepted the status of being a vassal of the Jin empire publicly. To open the peace talks, the national hero general Yue Fei, who was famous for his military successes against the Jurchins, was first removed from his position, then imprisoned, and then killed in prison. The killing of Yue Fei is one of the most famous evil acts by government minister in the whole history of the Song Dynasty. Qin became notorious, and (after he lost power and died) some people suspected that he was a traitor.
Qin removed all his political opponents from the government by use of his control over the Imperial Censorate. Most of his enemies were exiled far to the south, several in fact died on Hainan Island. He believed that the schools should only teach "acceptable ideas" and practiced a strong form of censorship and thought control over the Imperial university.
After his death and the resignation of the old emperor, the new Emperor Xiaozong of Song pardoned most of Qin's political enemies, including a posthumous pardon for Yue Fei. From that point on, Qin was constantly vilified by Chinese historians. He became one of the most important examples in Chinese history of an evil minister.
There is much to dislike about Minister Qin but it must also be admitted that he helped put the Song Dynasty on a firm footing. By 1160 the Southern Song state was well run, economically prosperous, and had experienced nearly 20 years of peace.
Read more about this topic: Qin Hui (Song Dynasty)
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