Why did the past matter so greatly in ancient China? How did it matter and to whom? This presentation will consider the production of historical narratives in early China as effects of changing relations of power under the rise of empires. Moving beyond the historiographical canon, this is a study of how in early China, the past was mobilized as powerful ideological capital in diverse political debate and ethical dialogue from the late Bronze Age to the rise of the Qin and Han empires. More specifically, this presentation will focus on the case of the Qin empire and how the First Emperor reworked the past to argue for his empire as the very end of history. Appeals to the past in early China were more than a matter of cultural attitude, but were rather deliberate ways of articulating political ideals during periods of crises. Significant power lies in the retelling of the past.