Positive and Negative Effects of the Great Wall of China Essay Example

The Great Wall of China has been one of the most marvelous man-made wonders in history. Built over a period of approximately 415 years by the Qin and Han dynasties of China (Map of the Great Wall), it has stood the test of time for over 2000 years to today. However, many challenges came with building the wall that may have defeated the purpose of it. The general purpose of the Great Wall of China was to keep the northern border of the ancient dynasties safe from the Xiongnu, a Mongol tribe that would repeatedly raid the northern border. With this in mind, the Qin and Han dynasties both believed a wall was the best option for border security. (Background Essay)  However, both dynasties still suffered many attacks from the Xiongnu. This, combined with other factors that were involved during the construction of the Great Wall, questions the effectiveness and value of the wall. This incited the debate: was the Great Wall of China worth the cost of constructing? The Great Wall of China was not worth the cost of labor and time that resulted in an increase of tribute paid to the Xiongnu with no decrease in raids, harsh working conditions both from oppressive leaders and natural causes that resulted in heavy civilian and soldier casualties, and even cases of defection to the Xiongnu side by peasants and cavalry.

The primary purpose of the Great Wall of China was to provide border security against the Xiongnu Mongols, whom the Chinese fought often and would often pay tribute to the Xiongnu as a form of armistice to end fighting. During the wall’s construction, specifically during the Han Dynasty’s reign, tribute in the form of silk thread increased by 500%, and tribute in the form of silk fabric increased by 375% (Chart of Tribute Paid to the Xiongnu).  This showed that, despite the wall being extended over time, the Xiongnu would continue fighting, even after tribute was paid. The continued Xiongnu attacks after repeated extensions of the wall contributes to the idea that the Great Wall of China was not worth the cost.

While the wall’s purpose was not completely fulfilled, the laborers building it were suffering as well. The Great Wall of China’s construction began under the Qin Dynasty, led by Emperor Qin Shi Huang Ti, who was known for being tyrannical, using forced labor for many of the dynasty’s architectural projects, the Great Wall being one of many (Background Essay). Soldiers were also called to work on the wall for years at a time, not seeing their families for what they felt as an eternity, which was responsible for feelings of depression amongst them. In addition, little food, harsh natural climates, and disease resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers, according to poetry from the era (Human Cost of the Great Wall). The Han Dynasty, while less oppressive and tyrannical, still had responsibility for disastrous working conditions. Soldiers were in constant combat with the Xiongnu to protect the wall. In one campaign, over four-fifths of the casualties were Han soldiers (Human Cost of the Great Wall). The total casualties from the wall’s construction does not justify the wall being constructed itself, especially since the success of holding back the Xiongnu was minimal. For this reason, the Great Wall of China was not worth the true costs of construction.

With the high suffering that peasants and soldiers alike faced during the construction of the Great Wall, a select few had enough with the unsatisfactory working and living conditions along the Great Wall. Those who had enough with their poor lifestyle while working to build the Great Wall defected to the Xiongnu side and lived out the rest of their lives with them (Human Cost of the Great Wall). According to a poem describing the life of a Han cavalry, “We fight south of the wall, we die north of the wall---We sally forth at dawn, but do not return at dusk.”(Life of Han Cavalry Poem) While the author and date of the poem are unknown, the poem does describe a Han cavalry fighting the enemy to protect the wall, only to die as a part of the enemy, which fits the idea of defection. If defection really did occur amongst the border population, that is evidence that the wall had almost the opposite effect to the purpose it served. The defections that occurred as a result of poor living conditions contributes to the idea that the Great Wall of China was not worth the cost as it was meant to protect the people that defected to the enemy side because of it.

The Great Wall of China overall had both beneficial and negative effects but the costs were unable to be outweighed by the benefits. The failure to protect against the Xiongnu that resulted in increasing tributes, the harsh working and living conditions that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, and the defections that occurred as a result were simply very heavy costs of the Wall that could not be reimbursed. Despite this, the Great Wall in the modern-day is very well worth for the modern state of China. It is a major tourist attraction popular to visit from around the world, bringing in billions of dollars every year. For over 2000 years, the Great Wall of China has stood as a testament to the power that mankind has to achieve gargantuan goals, and still stands mightily today.