@Hodo
That's not quite accurate either. What you have described is the version of history according to Confusians, whose school of thought was cemented into the foundation in Chinese culture from the Han Dynasty. As some will say, history is written by the victors. The Confuisians have had more than 2 thousand years ensuring their version of history is taught widely.
On book burning:
It was a way to consolidate a historical narrative and limit access to knowledge.
Back in the warring nations period, it was already common for nations to keep detailed records on the royal families and their affiliations to each other. It is therefore surprising that we have no record of who Qin Shihuang's mother or wife were, or even what country they were from. This is largely because he had ordered the destruction of all historical records, except for that of Qin. Some scholars believe it was to distance himself from other nations, to centralize power.
Regarding other works (not historical records), the burning was not targeted towards a specific school. Rather, it was a way to limit knowledge transfer. Only government agencies and government-sanctioned persons were allowed access to books. Private collections were ordered burnt (with the exception of books on medicine, sorcery and agriculture).
The massive destruction and loss of books and records is now believed to be likely due to burning of Xianyang (the Qin capital) ordered by Xiang Yu (项羽). The burning lasted 3 months.
On killing scholars:
They were not scholars
The emperor was looking for secrets to immortality. He favored many sorcerers who promised him potions that would extend his life, and appointed them positions in court. At some point it became apparent that many sorcerers were not going to deliver and were merely trying to gain power. These sorcerers were ordered to be buried alive. In earlier texts, it was very clear that sorcerers (術士) were killed, not scholars (儒生). The myth that he ordered scholars to be killed was perpetuated by the Confucians.
The Confucians had their hands in smearing many historical figures. The last king of Shang (King Zhou, 紂王) I think the most interesting to read about.
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@Hodo
That's not quite accurate either. What you have described is the version of history according to Confusians, whose school of thought was cemented into the foundation in Chinese culture from the Han Dynasty. As some will say, history is written by the victors. The Confuisians have had more than 2 thousand years ensuring their version of history is taught widely.
On book burning:
It was a way to consolidate a historical narrative and limit access to knowledge.
Back in the warring nations period, it was already common for nations to keep detailed records on the royal families and their affiliations to each other. It is therefore surprising that we have no record of who Qin Shihuang's mother or wife were, or even what country they were from. This is largely because he had ordered the destruction of all historical records, except for that of Qin. Some scholars believe it was to distance himself from other nations, to centralize power.
Regarding other works (not historical records), the burning was not targeted towards a specific school. Rather, it was a way to limit knowledge transfer. Only government agencies and government-sanctioned persons were allowed access to books. Private collections were ordered burnt (with the exception of books on medicine, sorcery and agriculture).
The massive destruction and loss of books and records is now believed to be likely due to burning of Xianyang (the Qin capital) ordered by Xiang Yu (项羽). The burning lasted 3 months.
On killing scholars:
They were not scholars
The emperor was looking for secrets to immortality. He favored many sorcerers who promised him potions that would extend his life, and appointed them positions in court. At some point it became apparent that many sorcerers were not going to deliver and were merely trying to gain power. These sorcerers were ordered to be buried alive. In earlier texts, it was very clear that sorcerers (術士) were killed, not scholars (儒生). The myth that he ordered scholars to be killed was perpetuated by the Confucians.
The Confucians had their hands in smearing many historical figures. The last king of Shang (King Zhou, 紂王) I think the most interesting to read about.