The Kangxi Emperor
3 min readThe Kangxi Emperor（Wade-Giles:Kang-hsi；1654-1722）was the fourth Emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty，and the second Qing emperor to rule over all of China，from 1661 to 1722.He is known as one of the greatest Chinese emperors in history.His reign of 61 years makes him the longest-reigning Emperor of China in history，though it should be noted that having ascended the throne aged eight，he did not exercise much，if any，control over the empire until later，that role being fulfilled by his four guardians and his grandmother the Dowager Empress Xiaozhuang.
Technically，the Kangxi Emperor inherited his father Shunzhi throne at the age of eight.His father died in his early twenties，and as Kangxi was not able to rule in his minority，the Shunzhi Emperor appointed Sonin，Suksaha，Ebilun，and Oboi as the Four Regents.
The Beginning of the Reign
In a fierce power struggle，Oboi had Suksaha put to death，and seized absolute power as sole Regent.In 1669 the Emperor arrested Oboi with help from the Xiaozhuang Grand Dowager Empress and began to take control of the country himself.
In the spring of 1662，Kangxi ordered the Great Clearance in southern China，in order to fight the anti-Qing movement，begun by Ming Dynasty loyalists under the leadership of Zheng Chenggong（also known as Koxinga），to regain Beijing.This involved moving the entire population of the coastal regions of southern China inland.
He listed three major issues of concern，being the flood control of the Yellow River，the repairing of the Grand Canal and the Revolt of the Three Feudatories in South China.The Revolt of the Three Feudatories broke out in 1673 and Burni of the Chakhar Mongols also started a rebellion in 1675.
Kangxi crushed the rebellions and incorporated the Chakhar into the Eight Banners.After the surrender of the Zheng family，the Qing Dynasty annexed Taiwan in 1684.Soon afterwards，the coastal regions were ordered to be repopulated，and to encourage settlers，the Qing government gave a pecuniary incentive to each settling family.
In a diplomatic success，the Kangxi government helped mediate a truce in the long-running Trinh-Nguyen War in the year 1673.The war in Vietnam between these twopowerful clans had been going on for 45 years with nothing to show for it.The peace treaty that was signed lasted for 101 years.
Russia and the Mongols
At the same time，the Emperor was faced with the Russian advance from the north.
The Qing Dynasty and the Russian Empire fought along the Sahaliyan ula（Amur，or Heilongjiang）Valley region in 1650s，which ended with a Qing victory.The Russians invaded the northern frontier again in 1680s.After series of battles and negotiations，the two empires signed the Treaty of Nerchinsk in 1689 giving China the Heilongjiang valley and fixing a border.
In 1688 Galdan，the Zungar chief，invaded and occupied the Khalkha homeland.The Khalkha royal families and the first Jebtsundamba Khutughtu，sought help from the Qing Dynasty and，as a result，submitted to the Qing.In 1690，the Zungar and the Manchu Empire clashed at the battle of Ulaan Butun in Inner Mongolia，during which the Qing army was severely mauled by Galdan.In 1696，the Kangxi Emperor himself led the campaign against the Zungars.The Western section of the Qing army crushed Galdan’s army at the Battle of Dsuunmod and Galdan died in the next year.
Cultural Achievements
The Kangxi Emperor ordered the compiling of the most complete dictionary of Chinese characters ever put together，The Kangxi Dictionary.He also invented a very useful and effective Chinese calendar.
The Kangxi Dictionary was a dictionary，compiled under an edict from the Qing Dynasty Emperor Kangxi of China in 1710.
The dictionary contains some 47000 plus entries，with Chinese characters ordered under 214 Radical（Chinese character）with the pronunciation in traditional spelling，together with references to books，works and dictionaries which contain the entry character.
It also contained rime tables with characters ordered under rime classes，Tonal language，and initial syllable sounds.
