The reigns of Qing emperors Kangxi (1661
- 1722), Yongzheng (1722 - 1735) and Qianlong (1735 - 1796) marked a period of unprecedented
prosperity both politically and economically.
Kangxi enjoyed the longest reign in Chinese history. He was also the wisest emperor
of Qing Dynasty. When he ascended the throne in 1661 as a child, the rule of Qing
Dynasty was unstable. Many officials of the old regime wanted to overthrow Qing
Dynasty and resume Ming's rule. Kangxi promoted a program of Sinicization of his
government, including instituting Confucianism as the state ideology, appointing
Han officials and promoting Han culture among the ruling Manchu class. It was also
he who proposed to compile the Kangxi Dictionary and the first on-the-spot
surveying map named the Map of China in Kangxi's Reign.
Kangxi also attached great importance to the restoration of agricultural production,
which had been devastated by years of war. He adopted a series of measures to lighten
the burden of the farmers. He often took imperial tours of inspection to know the
conditions and sufferings of people.
Kangxi suppressed the Revolt of the Three Feudatories (Wu Sangui, Geng Jingzhong
and Shang Kexi), separatist activities in Mongolia and Tibet, and wrested the control
of Taiwan from the descendants of Zheng Chenggong. In addition, encroachment from
tsarist Russia was halted. Kangxi thus made great contributions to the territorial
integrity of the country, as well as to its security and prosperity.
Emperor Yongzheng proved a worthy successor to Kangxi's policies. Emperor Yongzheng,
succeeded to the throne in 1735. He encouraged farmers to cultivate waste land,
and lightened their tax burden. He mitigated the intense relations between the central
and regional officails caused in Yongzheng's reign. He also strengthened the central
government's control over the ethnic-minority areas, particularly in Tibet.
During Qianlong's reign, economy developed fast, the population also increased,
and Qing Dynasty entered its strongest phase.
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Dalai and Panchen Lamas
In 1653, Qing government officially recognized the fifth Dalai Lama as the head
of the Gelugpa of Tibetan Buddhism, and in 1713, it recognized the fifth Panchen
Lama as the head of the Tashilhunpo Monastery, the headquarters of a powerful sect
of Tibetan Buddhism. From that time on, both Dalai and Panchen Lama had to be confirms
by the central authority.
Closed-door Policy
Early in Qing Dynasty, the government adopted stricter policy against foreign communication
in order to keep away the force against Qing government along the coastal areas,
Qing Dynasty had only one treaty port, Guangzhou, where traditional goods such as
silk and tea were severely restricted. Bans on oversea commerce were also included
in this policy which was called "Closed-door Policy". Due to the lack of knowledge
about the current negative policies different from free-trade system of the West,
causing China to lose opportunities to make the same progress with the developed
countries.
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