Lu Buwei
Lu Buwei was a prominent figure in the Qin State during the Warring States period of ancient China, known for his wealth and political influence. He initially befriended a prince from Qin, who was seeking refuge in Zhao, and played a significant role in helping him ascend to the throne in 250 BCE. As a reward for his support, Lu was appointed as prime minister by the new monarch, who was influenced by Lu's connections and favors, including a personal relationship with Lu's former concubine. Despite his successful tenure, Lu's political career was marred by personal scandals, particularly his indiscretions with the queen dowager, which ultimately led to his downfall. In 237 BCE, he was stripped of his position and later committed suicide in 235 BCE, fearing retribution from the king he had groomed. Although he did not witness the unification of China under the Qin Dynasty, Lu Buwei’s contributions to military strategies, infrastructure, and cultural patronage positioned him as a key architect in the formation of a unified state. His complex legacy reflects the interplay of power, ambition, and the consequences of personal actions in a tumultuous historical context.
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Subject Terms
Lu Buwei
Related civilizations: Zhou Dynasty, China
Major role/position: Prime minister
Life
Under the hostage-exchange system prevalent during the Warring States period (475-221 b.c.e.), a prince from the state of Qin with disputed claims to the right of succession took his residency in the court of neighboring Zhao. There he was befriended by Lu Buwei (loo bew-WAY), reputed to be the richest man in China. Lu traveled to Qin to plead on his guest’s behalf. Once put on the throne, in 250 b.c.e., the grateful Qin monarch quickly installed his Zhao benefactor as his prime minister. However, the king owed Lu more than his throne: During his stay in Zhao as a prince, he had been given Lü’s favorite concubine as wife. The timing of the birth of the Qin monarch’s child would give rise to the speculation that he was not the child’s real father. He died in 247 b.c.e., and the following year, the concubine’s child formally succeeded to the throne at age thirteen, with Lu serving as regent and prime minister.
However, Lu was not able to hold on to his power long enough to see the full glory of his many splendid achievements in the service of Qin, as a military strategist, builder of canals, and patron of culture. Lu’s reckless sexual indiscretions with his former concubine, now queen dowager, had become an intolerable embarrassment for the young monarch, who would later become Qin Shihuangdi. In 237 b.c.e., Lu was stripped of his position and banished; two years later, he committed suicide, reportedly in anticipation of a death sentence from the man he had trained to be king.
Influence
Although he did not live to see the birth of China’s unified empire, Lu Buwei was very much one of its architects. Though an outsider, and a merchant by background, Lu served Qin as prime minister for thirteen years during its critical period of growth and change.
Bibliography
Needham, Joseph. Introductory Orientations. Vol. 1 in Science and Civilisation in China. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1954.
Sima Qian. Historical Records. Translated by Raymond Dawson. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1994.
Twitchett, Denis, and Frederick W. Mote, eds. Cambridge History of China. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1998.