The full text is about 3600 words and takes about 8 minutes
Foreword
In our Chinese history, there are many prosperous times, the most famous of which is the "Wen Jing Zhi" of the Western Han Dynasty. "Government", Emperor Taizong's "Government of Zhenguan", and the "Golden Age of Kangxi and Qianlong" in the Qing Dynasty.
The so-called prosperous age is easy to understand, that is, the country is prosperous, the economy is prosperous, science and technology are developed, the mind is active, and the culture is advanced; in addition, there is a strong army, foreign trade, and influence on neighboring countries. etc.
For example, in the Han Dynasty, China’s trade and influence in the Western Regions, not to mention the Tang Dynasty, Chang’an was considered a world-class big city, and in the “Kangxi and Qianlong Dynasties” of the Qing Dynasty, it was even more We have become "the pinnacle of prosperity."
But there is one particularly strange thing, which is the "Kangxi and Qianlong Dynasties" that we talk about most, the three emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong. Emperor Qianlong died in 1799, but it was less than half of the Century, in 1840, the British defeated the Qing Dynasty. Why did this prosperous era end so quickly?
So, what kind of prosperous age is this "Kangxi and Qianlong"? And what was the reason why the prosperous age died so quickly?
Today, let’s talk about the prosperous times of Kangxi and Qianlong.
The territory is vast
First of all, I have to say that the three emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong are all very accomplished emperors in Chinese history, compared to those weird ones in the Ming Dynasty We are countless times stronger, and the monarch is promising. This is at least the most basic prerequisite for the emergence of a prosperous age, right? Otherwise, why would there be no "Jiajing Wanli Prosperity"?
Coupled with the longevity of Kangxi and Qianlong, the three emperors of Kangxi, Yongzong and Qianlong reigned for 137 years. During this period, the Qing Dynasty indeed became the most powerful country in the world.
First, let’s take a look at the territory of the Qing Dynasty. During the Kangxi period, the Treaty of Nerchinsk was signed with Tsarist Russia, which determined the Qing Dynasty’s northeastern border, including the present-day Outer Khingan Mountains and Sakhalin Island. They were all Qing territory at the time, but of course they were later robbed by Tsarist Russia. Back then, that was a modern thing.
Later, Emperor Yongzheng signed the "Kyakhta Treaty" with the Tsar, which stipulated that the border between Mongolia and Russia was today's Kyakhta in Mongolia. At that time, Mongolia was still the territory of our Qing Dynasty. , later became independent at the instigation of the Soviet Union.
To the west we reach Lake Balkhash. We all know that Emperor Kangxi wiped out Galdan, but the Yongzheng and Qianlong dynasties also fought many wars with the aristocrats of the Junggar region until they were finally included in the territory of the Qing Dynasty.
The southern border reached today’s Spratly Islands. Overall, this is a perfect picture of "Autumn Leaves and Begonias". At this time, the Qing Dynasty can be said to be a unified multi-ethnic country with a vast territory, which is enough to surpass the previous Ming Dynasty by several streets. You must know that the Ming Dynasty even included Mongolia. None have been conquered.
Of course, the large territory does not mean anything. Why was the Yuan Dynasty still large? Why haven't you heard of "Kublai Khan's Prosperity"? But not only is the territory large, the economy is also very developed.
Developed Agriculture
We know that China has always been dominated by agriculture, so the area of ??cultivated land and grain output that best reflect China’s economic level are naturally the most important indicators.
Let’s talk about cultivated land first. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Chongzhen, what was the total area of ??cultivated land in the country? 670 million acres of land. In the second year of Yongzheng's reign, what was the area of ??cultivated land in the country? Nearly 900 million.
It was even worse during the Qianlong period. By the middle of the Qianlong period, it had grown to 950 million acres. When Jiaqing came to the throne, the total area of ??cultivated land in the country exceeded 1 billion acres.
With more farmland, in order to ensure harvests, you will naturally have more children. Because in ancient times, there were no machines, and people were the best labor force. If you have more children, you will naturally be able to plant more. of land.
When Yongzheng ascended the throne, the country's population exceeded 100 million, and by the end of Qianlong's reign, it exceeded 300 million. After calculation, each person occupies approximately 3.3 acres of land.
What about grain production? According to statistics, in the last years of Qianlong's reign, the annual grain output could reach approximately 200 billion catties, which averaged over 600 catties per person.
But these grains are not all for eating. You can’t just eat them, you have to drink some. You need grains to make wine. It’s not enough for people to eat them either. Horses, donkeys, mules, and cattle for plowing are all done for you. They couldn't live without food, but excluding these, the Qing Dynasty's grain output could still feed 300 million people.
Think about it, what does 300 million people mean? Before the Qing Dynasty, no dynasty dared to boast that it could feed 300 million people. Could Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty do that? Can Tang Taizong do it?
Financial prosperity
The highly developed agriculture naturally brought financial income. When the Qing Dynasty entered the customs in 1644, when Emperor Shunzhi was in power, life was still tight. Pass, resistance forces are still emerging in endlessly in various places, and the Nanming regime has not been completely eliminated. A lot of money is spent on fighting alone. In addition, there are a lot of waste to be renovated, and it is unable to make ends meet every year.
In the Kangxi Dynasty, as the national situation stabilized and the war ended, people could carry out production activities with peace of mind. The fiscal deficit gradually improved. In the later years of Kangxi, the national treasury inventory had reached 800 yuan. Wan Liang.
After Emperor Yongzheng came to the throne, he paid close attention to economic production. In five years, he turned 8 million into 50 million, an increase of nearly six times. Thanks to his father, Qianlong's inventory remained at 80 million taels all year round, 10 times more than his grandfather's time.
When the country is rich, it will naturally reduce and reduce the tax income of the people. However, the Qing Dynasty implemented a tax system of "land and dingyin". Land paid land tax according to the quantity of land, and people paid ding according to the population. Tax.
In the fiftieth year of Kangxi's reign, after conducting a census and counting the population of the country, he announced that "it will breed more people and never increase taxes." Simply put, it means that the census will be used as the basis for statistics. People born later do not have to pay anymore, which is the best proof that the national treasury is full.
In addition, various parts of the country were also exempted from money and food on a rotating basis. During the Kangxi period, a total of more than 100 million taels of silver were exempted from money and food across the country. During the Qianlong period, the country's money and food were exempted four times, amounting to 200 million taels of silver. Counting all the dynasties in Chinese history, none exceeded Emperor Qianlong.
Centralization of power
The wealth of the Qing Dynasty reached the peak of the previous dynasties, and the emperor's autocracy also reached its peak. However, in order to ensure that power can be effectively exercised, it is necessary to rectify officials. few.
During the Kangxi period, assessment and supervision of officials in the capital and local areas began. For example, Cao Xueqin’s grandfather was appointed by Emperor Kangxi to be Jiangnan Weaver. In addition to his official position, he was also responsible for Secretly monitor local officials.
Emperor Kangxi also established the South Study Room, which became the emperor’s secretariat. During the Yongzheng period, the Military Aircraft Department was established to handle military affairs in a timely manner. Later, it became the highest decision-making organ under the emperor. By the Qianlong period, it had already The "Conference of Kings and Ministers" that existed in name only was completely abolished.
Let’s briefly talk about this “Meeting of Princes and Ministers on Political Affairs”. To put it bluntly, it is an institution where princes and close ministers discuss military and state affairs. It was initially established by Nurhachi. After entering the customs, the emperor said alone After all, the elders have nothing to do.
And as early as the Kangxi period, secret memorials were implemented. The emperor used this secret method to strengthen control over ministers and the people, thereby better strengthening centralization. However, excessive concentration of power is not What a good thing, in the prosperous times, there are also dangers.
Cultural prosperity
In addition, the emperors of the three generations of Kangxi, Yongzong and Qianlong attached great importance to culture and education. For example, in the Kangxi Dynasty, Emperor Kangxi organized the compilation of the "Kangxi Dictionary". During that era, Ji Xiaolan, whom we are familiar with, was ordered to compile the "Sikuquanshu", as well as "The Great Qing Dynasty", "Ancient and Modern Books Collection", as well as the well-known "The Scholars", "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio" and the famous Works such as "A Dream of Red Mansions" were published.
These world-famous books are naturally a symbol of cultural prosperity in prosperous times. In addition to recording the emperor's "great achievements", on the one hand, compiling books is also the best way to control thoughts and eliminate negative voices.
Crisis in the prosperous age
When it comes to the prosperous age of Kangxi and Qianlong, in addition to the string of awesome numbers we just listed, there is one word that all of us must be familiar with. What is it? Literal prison.
Literary prisons have occurred in many dynasties in history, but the literary prisons of the Qing Dynasty, especially those during the "Kangxi and Qianlong Dynasties", can be said to be the most cruel.
In the eighth year of Yongzheng's reign, Minister Jun was accused of having treasonous intentions. The evidence is that his poems contained disrespectful words about the court, which is what we may have all heard: "The breeze is illiterate, why is it so chaotic?" "Turn over the book", so Xu Jun was executed by execution. During the Qianlong period, Hu Zhongzao, a Hanlin scholar, was also killed for saying, "One's heart can judge the turbid and the pure."
Today we feel that these poems have no meaning of rebellion, but there are so many cases like this. Countless people have been convicted for their words, and their families have also been implicated. Not only that, they have also used the excuse of compiling books to collect information from the public. Books, after inspection and review, many books that were not conducive to the rule were also burned. The cultural damage caused is immeasurable.
And the problem of corruption was an obstacle that could not be bypassed in the "Kangxi and Qianlong Dynasties". During the Kangxi period, official corruption was already very serious. We have watched the TV series "Kangxi Dynasty", in which there is an episode where Kangxi angrily denounced the officials, not just because of corruption.
And something happened later that made Kangxi even more heartbroken. The upright officials he originally thought were not really "breezes on two sleeves", such as Zhang Boxing. He liked to publish books, but he couldn't publish a book. The cost of books was extremely high, and his own salary was simply not enough, so he accepted bribes many times when he was working in Shandong.
In his later years, Emperor Kangxi gradually discovered that the more he rebelled, the more corrupt he became. Why couldn't he kill all the corrupt officials? Later, he also enlightened himself, people also want to live, so how can a large family live without making some "extra money".
However, Emperor Yongzheng was an "anti-corruption pioneer" and vigorously punished corruption during his tenure, which improved the officialdom. Unfortunately, he died after only thirteen years in office.
During the Qianlong period, corruption became even more serious. Needless to say, the corrupt official He Shen had his house confiscated. The treasures, gold, silver, and jade were equivalent to 15 years of the Qing government’s income. sum. Therefore, there is a proverb among the people: Heshen falls, Jiaqing is full.
Not only ministers were corrupt, but the emperor was also corrupt. Some friends asked, the world belongs to the emperor, but he still takes corruption and bribes? Because the country's money is under the control of the Ministry of Household Affairs, the emperor cannot spend it as he wants. So Emperor Qianlong said to officials and wealthy businessmen: "You have committed a crime, and you can spend money to redeem it." In today's terms, it is bail, and the money does not go to the Ministry of Household Affairs, but to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is the emperor's personal pocket.
What is good above is bound to be bad below. If the emperor behaves like this, the officials at all levels below him will become more arrogant and lewd, leading a sensual life. The officialdom is full of flattery, corruption, perversion of the law, and profit-seeking.
"The prosperous age of Kangxi and Qianlong" was luxurious for the upper class, but for the people at the bottom, they were still poor. The huge gap between the rich and the poor makes the prosperous times never the prosperous times for ordinary people.
Conclusion
The historical law of prosperity and decline is once again confirmed in the prosperous age of Kangxi and Qianlong. In 1793, the British envoy Macartney came to China with a variety of exquisite gifts, trying to establish equal trade relations and friendly commercial exchanges with the Qing Dynasty.
One is an empire that is about to rise, and the other is an ancient dynasty that is facing its doomsday. The two empires with completely different social systems are destined to have no intersection. Moreover, Emperor Qianlong is still immersed in In the beautiful dream of "Heavenly Kingdom".
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Half a century later, the British came to this ancient empire again, but this time it was not Macartney and he did not bring gifts.
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