The Boy Emperor’s Ascent to Power

In the seventh day of the first lunar month of 1661, the Shunzhi Emperor passed away, leaving behind an empire in transition. His third son, the eight-year-old Aisin Gioro Xuanye (1654-1722), ascended the throne as the Kangxi Emperor, marking the beginning of what would become one of China’s most remarkable imperial reigns. The young emperor’s accession edicts swiftly disseminated throughout the Qing bureaucracy, signaling both continuity and the promise of change.

Even in childhood, Kangxi displayed extraordinary perception. At age six, when asked by his father about his aspirations alongside his elder brother Fulin, Fulin modestly wished to become “a virtuous prince,” while young Xuanye boldly declared his intention to “emulate my imperial father.” This early demonstration of ambition and political acumen foreshadowed his future as one of China’s greatest rulers.

The Regency Crisis and Oboi’s Downfall

The early years of Kangxi’s reign unfolded under the shadow of regency rule, with power concentrated in the hands of four appointed ministers. Among them, Oboi emerged as particularly formidable. A decorated military commander who had risen to become Guardian of the Heir Apparent by 1657, Oboi systematically eliminated political rivals following Kangxi’s accession. By 1667, he had orchestrated the execution of fellow regent Suksaha and dozens of his family members, establishing unchallenged dominance at court.

For the young emperor, Oboi’s unchecked power presented both a personal threat and a challenge to imperial authority. Kangxi bided his time, carefully preparing his move against the powerful minister. In a masterstroke of political maneuvering in May 1669, the sixteen-year-old emperor suddenly ordered Oboi’s arrest. Kangxi had secretly trained a group of young, physically strong palace guards in martial arts specifically for this confrontation. The swift apprehension of the formidable warrior-minister stunned the court and announced the emperor’s coming of age.

Administrative Reforms and Land Policies

Learning from the Ming dynasty’s collapse, Kangxi prioritized administrative reforms and anti-corruption measures. He continued his predecessors’ policies of cultural integration while addressing economic grievances. In 1669, he ordered the return of lands previously seized by Ming princes to their original cultivators as hereditary property (“Gengming Tian”). The following year, he exempted these farmers from special levies, placing them under standard taxation—a move that both curbed Manchu aristocratic excesses and won popular support.

The emperor maintained strict standards for imperial princes, insisting on rigorous education in both literary classics and martial skills. His governance philosophy blended Confucian statecraft with Manchu traditions, creating a distinctive Qing approach to rulership.

The Revolt of the Three Feudatories

Having consolidated central authority, Kangxi turned to eliminating regional power centers. The “Three Feudatories”—military governors in southern China—had become virtually autonomous rulers. Wu Sangui in Yunnan, Shang Zhixin in Guangdong, and Geng Jingzhong in Fujian commanded private armies and controlled local economies, operating beyond Beijing’s effective oversight.

In 1673, Kangxi seized upon Shang Kexi’s request to retire to Manchuria as an opportunity to dismantle the feudatory system. His order for complete withdrawal of these forces triggered Wu Sangui’s rebellion the following November. Wu, claiming to restore the Ming dynasty under the banner of the mythical “Zhu Third Prince,” initially gained momentum with support from other feudatories and Taiwan’s Zheng regime.

The rebellion tested Kangxi’s strategic acumen. Focusing first on Wu Sangui’s core forces in Hunan, the emperor exploited divisions among rebel leaders. By 1678, the tide had turned. An aging Wu Sangui proclaimed himself emperor of the “Zhou” dynasty in a desperate bid to rally support, but died shortly thereafter. The Qing pacification of Yunnan in 1681 marked the rebellion’s end after eight years of warfare.

The Incorporation of Taiwan

Kangxi’s unification efforts extended to maritime frontiers. Since 1662, Taiwan had served as a base for Ming loyalists under the Zheng family, who expelled Dutch colonists that year. In 1683, Kangxi dispatched admiral Shi Lang with a powerful fleet that captured the Penghu Islands before landing on Taiwan proper. Facing inevitable defeat, Zheng Keshuang surrendered in October.

The Qing administration established Taiwan Prefecture under Fujian Province, marking the island’s formal incorporation into Chinese territory. This achievement completed the Ming territorial reunification and secured China’s southeastern coastline.

Frontier Expansion and Border Security

Kangxi’s military campaigns extended Qing control across Inner Asia. He personally led three expeditions against Galdan’s Dzungar Khanate between 1690-1697, securing Mongolia for the Qing empire. The 1689 Treaty of Nerchinsk with Russia delineated borders in Manchuria, while later campaigns in Tibet (1720) stabilized the western frontiers.

These military achievements expanded and consolidated Qing territory, creating the foundation for what would become modern China’s geographical extent. Kangxi’s combination of diplomatic skill and military force established a template for Qing frontier policy that subsequent emperors would follow.

Cultural Patronage and Scholarly Projects

Beyond his military and political accomplishments, Kangxi emerged as a significant cultural patron. He reinstituted the Han-style Grand Secretariat system and immersed himself in Confucian classics through intensive study sessions with scholarly advisors. His reign produced monumental intellectual projects including:

– The Kangxi Dictionary (1716), a foundational lexicographical work
– The Complete Tang Poems (1705), preserving China’s poetic heritage
– The Comprehensive Atlas of the Imperial Territory (1718), advancing cartography
– Initiation of the Ming History compilation project

To staff these projects, Kangxi revived the “Eminent Scholars” examination in 1679, recruiting 50 top scholars from 183 candidates nationwide. While respecting the principled refusal of Ming loyalists like Gu Yanwu and Huang Zongxi to serve, he secured participation from their disciples—a pragmatic approach that balanced ideological purity with talent recruitment.

Governing Philosophy and Legacy

Kangxi’s reign reflected a distinctive governing philosophy blending pragmatism with Confucian ideals. He frequently cited historical lessons, warning against the complacency that doomed earlier dynasties. In his later years, he emphasized:

“Even one careless matter may bring worry to the realm; one moment of negligence may create problems for centuries to come.”

His public celebrations, like the 1713 banquet for over 500 elderly subjects, demonstrated Confucian virtue while reinforcing social harmony. The emperor’s meticulous attention to administration—reviewing memorials, personally interrogating prisoners, and supervising military campaigns—set a standard for Qing governance.

Kangxi’s 61-year reign (1661-1722) transformed China. He inherited a fragile conquest dynasty and left a consolidated empire stretching from Taiwan to Mongolia, from Manchuria to Tibet. His blend of military prowess, cultural patronage, and administrative innovation created the framework for the High Qing era, earning him recognition as one of imperial China’s most accomplished rulers—a monarch who, while technically a successor, effectively refounded the dynasty through his achievements.