Exploration into the Title of the Highest Ruler of the Qin Dynasty

After the Qin Dynasty was founded, Qin Shihuang used the title of Emperor on normal official occasions. There was not any record in historical data showing that the title Tianzi was used equally with Emperor. The appearance of this phenomenon was related with the fact that the centralization of power needed to be consolidated by the emperor system, but we should not neglect the factors of complex historical and cultural background. This article attempts to reveal the profound and cultural connotation behind the title of Emperor through studying the development of the Providence thought before the Qin Dynasty, changes of the Qin culture and system, and some other factors.