The Kangxi Emperor, 1669–1699

A mong all Chinese autocrats, the Kangxi emperor has secured perhaps the best reputation. His reign was long, and while it was not perfectly peaceful, his rule was roundly accepted as legitimate and even sagely. In fact, it was probably the absence of peace, or stability, in the early years of Kangxi’s tenure, that contributed most significantly to his acceptance as a sage. While it may be a cliché to say that Kangxi was a political genius, he certainly proved to be a remarkably dexterous manager of shifting political landscapes, and his ascendency came during a time of great flux. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.