I. Teachers’ Guide

Qing Emperors

Roberta H. Martin, Columbia University

This section introduces the Qing emperors who commissioned the scrolls that are the basis of the web module and provides background on each of the emperors: the Kangxi Emperor, who reigned from 1662-1722 and was a contemporary of Louis XIV of France, and his grandson, the Qianlong Emperor, who reigned from 1736-1796 and was a contemporary of King George III of England (of American Revolution fame).

Study Questions:

1. Explain who the Kangxi Emperor and the Qianlong Emperor are.
   1. How are they related to one another?
   2. What are the dates of their reign years? (that is, what dates did each serve as emperor of China).
   3. Who else served as emperor in the time between them? What was his reign name? How was he related to the Kangxi and Qianlong emperors?
   4. Why were the Kangxi and Qianlong emperors important?
2. On a map, identify the following places and explain their significance as you read the text of this section:
   1. Manchuria
   2. Beijing
   3. Suzhou
3. Look at the map of China’s borders under the Qing. Explain the significance of the change that took place between the Ming dynasty and the Qing.
4. Why and how did the Qianlong Emperor portray himself as a "Universal Ruler"?
5. For what else is the Qianlong Emperor famous?
6. How are the dates of the Qianlong Emperor and that of George Washington similar?
7. Compare and contrast the “tours of the realm” made by the Kangxi and Qianlong emperors with those that the text notes were made by previous emperors.
8. Why did each of these two emperors choose to have a tour recorded? What was the method used to record the tour?