Rebecca Lewis
The Emperor Who United a Country and Created a Vast Empire
Kangxi ruled as Emperor of China from 1661 to 1722. Kangxi was part
of the Qing Dynasty1. The Qing Dynasty took power when Kangxis greatgrandfather and grandfather created one Manchu tribe2. At the defeat of the
Ming Dynasty Shunchih, Kangxis father, was named emperor3. When he died
Kangxi ascended to the title of emperor. Kangxi managed to unite China and
create a vast Empire through hunt-like tactics during war and with his ability
to be both a strong, no nonsense leader as well as a very compassionate
one.
Kangxi loved to hunt. In his lifetime he killed over 442 various animals which
did not include the everyday stags and deer one would see4. Kangxi lived in
the hunt. The hunt was also a part of tactics and training he used to advance
his military. He saw this as a way to train his military for war by using
discipline and organization while on the hunt5. Military men took two major
expeditions a year6. On these expeditions they would practice with boats and
mounted archery as well as a number of other aspects of war7. The most
1 Jonathan D. Spence, Emperor of China: Self-Portrait of Kang-hsi (New York:
Vintage Books, 1979), xiv.
2 IBID, xiv.
3 IBID, xiv.
4 IBID, 9.
5 IBID, 13.
6 IBID, 13.
7 IBID, 13.
1
Rebecca Lewis
important of these being the placement of the troops during the hunt. The
hunt was Emperor Kangxis strong point. It is said that during the Galdan
campaigns of 1696 and 1697 Kangxi stalked Galdan like he would have
stalked his prey during a hunt8.
During the Galdan campaigns the soldiers were required to pitch their
tents in neat little rows a certain distance apart and to always keep their
horses saddled and their boots on9. During down time the soldiers were
required to either practice shooting or fix weapons10. Kangxi always made
sure that the soldiers were always ready so that they would never be
surprised with an ambush. While using these tactics he managed to unite
China and defeat any opposition to his rule.
Kangxi excelled very eloquently at being the kind of ruler China needed.
Jonathan D. Spences first sentence in the Ruling section of the book fully
encompasses the struggles of an emperor. Giving life to people and killing
peoplethose are the powers that the emperor has.11 This was Kangxis
major struggle. Who should live and who should die? How do we determine
who should live and who should die? Although he struggled with this he
believed that the best way to retain control was to persuade into morality
by the example of execution and punish in order to avoid the need for
8 IBID, xv.
9 Jonathan D. Spence, Emperor of China: Self- Portrait of Kang-hsi (New York:
Vintage Books,1979),19.
10 IBID, 20.
11 IBID, 29.
2
Rebecca Lewis
further punishing.12 He used this philosophy on numerous people
throughout his reign. One example being Hu Chien-ching who, with the help
of his family, seized lands and murdered people using false accusations
among many other things13. Although the Board of Punishment advised
Kangxi to sentence Chien-ching to exile, Kangxi instead sentenced him and
his family to execution14. Another example is the corruption in the shipyards
by Corporal Yambu15. Kangxi sentenced Corporal Yambu to death in front of
the shipyard to eliminate the further corruption of the shipyard16. And it did
work. Other reasons for execution were cowardice, disobedience and
treason. These examples as well as others informed the citizens of China that
the Emperor Kangxi meant business and this also allowed for the Emperor to
remain in control for as long as he did.
Although Kangxi was harsh in some aspects of his ruling he did have a softer
more compassionate side that allowed his subjects to see him in a more
human light. While out on his hunts he would often ride through the nearby
cities or towns and allow the townsfolk to see him and watch him eat17. He
would also pardon some execution sentences such as murder in cases of
12 IBID, 29.
13 IBID, 30.
14 IBID, 30.
15 IBID, 30.
16 Jonathan D. Spence, Emperor of China: Self-Portrait of Kang-hsi (New York:
Vintage Books, 1979), 30.
17 IBID, 17.
3
Rebecca Lewis
drunken brawls, mistresses and in some cases crimes committed during
peacetime18. He also allowed some people of opposing forces to convert to
the Qing army in exchange for amnesty19.
Another example of the Emperor being human is his reaction to his
grandmother getting sick. He sat with her for thirty-five days, not eating or
sleeping, until she died20. Allowing the Chinese people to see this side of him
helped them see a more human quality in the Emperor. One that had not
been seen in the previous emperors. Kangxi held Confucian ideals to the
highest importance. This is shown in his respect for his ancestors, which is
called filial piety. His ability to hold true to Confucian ideals made him a great
and compassionate ruler in the eyes of the Chinese.
After reading Jonathan D. Spences book about Emperor Kangxi I gained a
greater knowledge and appreciation of Chinese culture and appreciation for
Emperor Kangxi himself who managed to unite a broken China and create a
vast and prosperous empire through not only his unbelievable hunt-like
tactics he used in war but also his ability to be both the semi-harsh ruler that
he needed to be in order to maintain control of China and the compassionate
ruler who believed in the Confucian ideals that the Chinese needed to once
again believe in their country.
18 IBID, 34.
19 IBID, 34.
20 IBID, 105.
4
Rebecca Lewis
Works Cited
Spence, Jonathan D. Emperor of China: Self-Portrait of Kang-hsi. New York:
Vintage Books,
1979.
