Emperor Qianlong: Son of Heaven, Man of the World, 1st edition

During the 64 years of Qianlong’s rule, China’s population more than doubled, its territory increased by one-third, its cities flourished, and its manufactures — tea, silk, porcelain — were principal items of international commerce. Based on original Chinese and Manchu-language sources, and drawing on the latest scholarship, this is the  biography of the man who, in presiding over imperial China’s last golden epoch, created the geographic and demographic framework of modern China.

This accessible account describes the personal struggles and public drama surrounding one of the major political figures of the early modern age, with special consideration given to the emperor’s efforts to rise above ethnic divisions and to encompass the political and religious traditions of Han Chinese, Mongols, Tibetans, Turks, and other peoples of his realm.

In addition to becoming familiar with one of the most remarkable figures in world history, readers will find that learning about Emperor Qianlong will add greatly to their appreciation of China’s place in the world of the eighteenth century and will deepen their understanding of China’s place in the world today.

• The book contains extensive quotations from original Chinese and Manchu sources. No other textbook touching on the Qing period draws on both.

• The text will help students understand the empire through the eyes of the Chinese and through the Manchu masters.

• Each chapter consists of a larger thematic narrative supported by smaller episodes and anecdotes from the emperor’s personal life, making the book readable while also connecting the individual man with his empire’s history.

• The book is ideal even for students who only have a general idea of Chinese history – information concerning geography and the pronunciation of names and places is carefully provided.