Kangxi the Great Emperor

Author: Meng Zhaoxin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Kangxi Emperor Aisin Gioro Xuanye (1654-1722) was the second emperor of the Qing Dynasty after it moved its capital to Beijing. He was a political leader, military strategist, and thinker with great talent and foresight during the later period of China's feudal society. During his 61-year reign, he achieved numerous accomplishments, making outstanding contributions to the restoration and development of China's socio-economy and culture at the time, as well as to the formation and consolidation of China's unified multi-ethnic nation. As a Manchu monarch, he was no inferior to the famous Han Dynasty emperors of past generations and was one of the few outstanding emperors in ancient Chinese history. Properly evaluating Kangxi is an important topic and an integral part of the study of Qing and Manchu history. This book is a rewrite of the author's earlier work, Kangxi Emperor, published by Jilin Literature and History Press in 1993. The writing principles remain unchanged, and the author strives to achieve the following three points: First, select historical events directly related to Kangxi and focus on reflecting his thoughts, actions, and role in those events. Other events during the Kangxi era are either omitted or briefly mentioned; second, be objective and balanced, presenting both the strengths and weaknesses of Kangxi. Although he had many achievements, he also made mistakes. His policies had both merits and flaws, and the author makes every effort to distinguish between them, presenting them truthfully without exaggeration, understatement, or concealment; third, summarize as many thoughts, principles, and lessons learned as possible for future generations to draw upon.