Kangxi Emperor
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| Kangxi Emperor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reign | 5 February 1661 – 20 December 1722 |
| Predecessor | Shunzhi Emperor |
| Successor | Yongzheng Emperor |
| Regent | Sonin (1661–1667)
Ebilun (1661–1667) Suksaha (1661–1667) Oboi (1661–1669) |
| Spouse | Empress Xiaochengren
(m. 1665; died 1674) Empress Xiaozhaoren (m. 1665; died 1678) Empress Xiaoyiren (died 1689) Empress Xiaogongren (before 1722) |
| Father | Shunzhi Emperor |
| Mother | Empress Xiaokangzhang |
The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654 – 20 December 1722) was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty. He was the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign of 61 years makes him the longest-reigning Chinese emperor. Kangxi was also one of the longest-reigning rulers in history.[1] He is considered one of China's greatest emperors.[2]
Kangxi was the third son of the Shunzhi Emperor. He was enthroned at the age of seven. After assuming personal rule, Kangxi's actions sparked the Revolt of the Three Feudatories. He suppressed the revolt. Kangxi also forced his neighbors to submit to Qing rule. He also launched an expedition that brought Tibet into the empire.
Kangxi initially welcomed the Jesuits and Catholicism. This came to an end as a result of the Chinese Rites controversy.
Later in his reign, Kangxi became involved in a prolonged succession dispute. Kangxi died in 1722 at the age of 68 and was followed by his fourth son.
The Kangxi Emperor's reign brought stability and wealth after years of war and chaos. He started the period known as the High Qing era. This era lasted for several generations after his death. His court also produced important literary works: Kangxi Dictionary, the Complete Tang Poems poetry anthology, and the Complete Classics Collection of Ancient China.
Early reign
[change | change source]The Kangxi Emperor was born on May 4, 1654, in Jingren Palace, Beijing. He became emperor at age seven (or eight by East Asian age counting) on February 7, 1661. The era name "Kangxi" began on February 18, 1662, the first day of the new lunar year.
Sinologist Herbert Giles described the Kangxi Emperor as "fairly tall and well proportioned, he loved all manly exercises, and devoted three months annually to hunting. Large bright eyes lighted up his face, which was pitted with smallpox."[3]
Before Kangxi became Emperor, the Grand Empress Dowager Zhaosheng had appointed powerful men as regents. After Sonin died, these men clashed. One of these men, Oboi, took sole control as regent, with the Kangxi Emperor and the court accepting his rule.
In the spring of 1662, the regents ordered a mass evacuation of southern China’s seacoast to deal with a resistance movement led by Koxinga, a Ming loyalist general based in Taiwan.
In 1669, the Kangxi Emperor, with help from his grandmother Grand Empress Dowager Zhaosheng, who had raised him, had Oboi arrested and started taking control of the empire. He focused on three main issues: managing floods on the Yellow River, repairing the Grand Canal, and dealing with the Revolt of the Three Feudatories in southern China. He was greatly influenced by his grandmother and cared for her until her death in 1688.[4]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1654–1722; reigned 1662–1722)", An Anthology of Chinese Discourse on Translation (Volume 2), Routledge, pp. 156–159, 2016-09-13, ISBN 978-1-315-54477-9, retrieved 2024-07-28
- ↑ Taylor, Larissa; Magill, Frank N., eds. (2006). Great lives from history. The 17th century, 1601-1700. Pasadena, Calif: Salem Press. ISBN 978-1-58765-222-6.
- ↑ Anderton, H. Orsmond (1912-09-01). "Giles Farnaby". The Musical Times. 53 (835): 578. doi:10.2307/907625. ISSN 0027-4666.
- ↑ Bennett Peterson, Barbara (2016-09-16). Notable Women of China. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-46373-3.