Jiaqing Emperor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jiaqing Emperor嘉慶帝 |
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| Emperor of the Qing dynasty | |||||||||||||||||
| Reign | 9 February 1796 – 2 September 1820 | ||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Qianlong Emperor | ||||||||||||||||
| Successor | Daoguang Emperor | ||||||||||||||||
| Regent | Qianlong Emperor (1796–1799) | ||||||||||||||||
| Prince Jia of the First Rank | |||||||||||||||||
| Tenure | 1789 – 9 February 1796 | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | 13 November 1760 (乾隆二十五年 十月 六日) Imperial Gardens, Beijing |
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| Died | 2 September 1820 (aged 59) (嘉慶二十五年 七月 二十五日) Mountain Estate, Jehol |
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| Burial | Chang Mausoleum, Western Qing tombs | ||||||||||||||||
| Consorts |
Empress Xiaoshurui
(m. 1774; died 1797)Empress Xiaoherui
(m. 1790) |
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| House | Aisin-Gioro | ||||||||||||||||
| Dynasty | Qing | ||||||||||||||||
| Father | Qianlong Emperor | ||||||||||||||||
| Mother | Empress Xiaoyichun | ||||||||||||||||
| Seal |  |
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| Jiaqing Emperor | |||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 嘉慶帝 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 嘉庆帝 | ||||||||||
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The Jiaqing Emperor (born Yongyan) ruled China as the sixth emperor of the Qing dynasty. He was the fifth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. Born on 13 November 1760, he was the 15th son of the Qianlong Emperor. During his time as emperor, he worked to fix problems in the empire. He tried to stop corruption and bring peace after many rebellions.
Contents
Early Life and Becoming Emperor
Where Was the Jiaqing Emperor Born?
Yongyan was born in the Old Summer Palace, a beautiful garden estate near Beijing. His original personal name was "Yongyan" (永琰). Later, when he became emperor, his name was changed to "Yongyan" (顒琰). The new Chinese character for yong was less common. This was done because emperors' personal names usually avoided common characters. This tradition was called naming taboo.
Who Were His Parents?
Yongyan was the 15th son of the powerful Qianlong Emperor. His mother was Empress Xiaoyichun, who came from a Han Chinese family. Her family had become part of the Manchu Eight Banners, which were military and administrative groups.
How Did He Become the Next Emperor?
The Qianlong Emperor had other sons he thought about making emperor. However, they sadly passed away early. So, in December 1773, he secretly chose Yongyan to be his successor. In 1789, Yongyan was given the title "Prince Jia of the First Rank."
Taking the Throne and His Early Reign
When Did Jiaqing Become Emperor?
In October 1795, after ruling for 60 years, the Qianlong Emperor decided to step down. He felt it was respectful not to rule longer than his grandfather, the Kangxi Emperor, who ruled for 61 years. Prince Jia officially became emperor in February 1796. He chose the era name "Jiaqing," which is why he is known as the Jiaqing Emperor.
Who Was in Charge at First?
For the first three years, the Jiaqing Emperor was only emperor in name. His father, the Qianlong Emperor, still made all the important decisions. The Qianlong Emperor became a Taishang Huang, which means "emperor emeritus" or retired emperor.
What Happened After His Father Died?
When the Qianlong Emperor passed away in February 1799, the Jiaqing Emperor finally took full control. His first big action was to deal with Heshen. Heshen was a very powerful official and a close friend of his father. However, Heshen was also known for being very corrupt and misusing his power.
The Jiaqing Emperor charged Heshen with corruption. Heshen lost all his titles and his property was taken away. He was then ordered to take his own life. Heshen's daughter-in-law, who was the Jiaqing Emperor's half-sister, was not punished. She was given some of Heshen's properties. The emperor also showed mercy to a scholar named Hong Liangji. This scholar had criticized the policies of the Qianlong Emperor and Heshen. The Jiaqing Emperor first sent him away to a distant part of China, but then fully pardoned him in 1800.
Did His Reforms Work?
Heshen was seen as a major problem for the empire. After Heshen was removed, the Jiaqing Emperor tried to make many changes. He wanted to improve the court, the government workers, and the treasury. He believed in traditional Manchu leadership and followed strict court rules. He also promoted officials who supported a pure approach to Confucianism.
However, some historians believe that the Jiaqing Emperor's changes didn't have a huge impact. They suggest he used more words than actual new policies to fix the empire. Heshen's group was soon replaced by other groups of officials.
Challenges During His Reign
Internal Rebellions and Financial Troubles
The Qing Empire faced many problems during the Jiaqing Emperor's rule. There were large rebellions, like the White Lotus Rebellion (1796–1804) and the Miao Rebellion 1795-1806 (1795–1806). The imperial treasury was also empty. The Jiaqing Emperor worked hard to stop these rebellions and bring peace. However, this cost a lot of money. He wanted to bring China back to its strong and wealthy state from the 18th century.
In 1813, the Jiaqing Emperor also faced the Eight Trigrams uprising of 1813. This was a group that believed in a special Buddhist prophecy. They tried to attack the Forbidden City to assassinate the emperor. This happened while he was away on a hunting trip. The emperor was interested in the leader of this uprising, Lin Qing. He even questioned Lin Qing in private. Lin Qing was later executed.
Foreign Relations During His Rule
In 1816, a British ambassador named William Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst visited China. He wanted to improve trade between China and Great Britain. However, this visit failed because Amherst refused to perform the kowtow. The kowtow was a deep bow that showed respect to the emperor. This event greatly changed how the British viewed China and the Qing dynasty.
The Jiaqing Emperor also had a request from the Vietnamese ruler Gia Long. Gia Long wanted to change his country's name to Nam Việt. But the emperor changed the name to Việt Nam instead.
What About Christianity?
The Qing dynasty had laws about religion. In 1811, a rule was added to the law about Christianity. It was changed a few times over the years. This rule said that Europeans who spread Catholicism among Han Chinese and Manchus could face severe punishment. Chinese Christians who did not give up their new faith were sometimes sent to distant cities in Xinjiang. There, they were given as servants to local leaders.
Interests and Legacy
What Did the Jiaqing Emperor Enjoy?
The Jiaqing Emperor was very interested in learning. He spent a lot of time studying the Confucian classics, especially in his early years when his father was still making decisions. He was also a talented poet, with over 15,000 poems written by him. He ordered the printing of many court collections. These collections help us understand Qing court art today.
Death and Burial
On 2 September 1820, the Jiaqing Emperor passed away at the Chengde Mountain Resort. This was a summer palace located northeast of Beijing. The official history books do not say how he died. Some people thought he was struck by lightning. Others believe he had a stroke, as he was quite overweight. His second son, Mianning, became the next emperor, known as the Daoguang Emperor.
The Jiaqing Emperor was buried in the Chang (meaning "splendid") mausoleum complex. This tomb is part of the Western Qing Tombs, southwest of Beijing.
Family
Empress
- Empress Xiaoshurui (孝淑睿皇后) of the Hitara clan (2 October 1760 – 5 March 1797)
- Second daughter (2 June 1780 – 6 September 1783)
- Minning (旻寧), the Daoguang Emperor (道光帝; 16 September 1782 – 26 February 1850), second son
- Princess Zhuangjing of the First Rank (莊靜固倫公主; 20 October 1784 – 27 June 1811), fourth daughter
- Married Manibadala (瑪尼巴達喇; ? – 1832) of the Mongol Tumed Borjigin clan in November/December 1802
- Miscarriage at three months (18 August 1785)
- Empress Xiaoherui (孝和睿皇后) of the Niohuru clan (20 November 1776 – 23 January 1850)
- Seventh daughter (2 August 1793 – 16 July 1795)
- Miankai (綿愷), Prince Dunke of the First Rank (惇恪親王; 6 August 1795 – 18 January 1838), third son
- Mianxin (綿忻), Prince Ruihuai of the First Rank (瑞懷親王; 9 March 1805 – 27 September 1828), fourth son
Imperial Noble Consort
- Imperial Noble Consort Heyu (和裕皇貴妃) of the Liugiya clan (9 January 1761 – 27 April 1834)
- Prince Mu of the Second Rank (穆郡王; 4 February 1780 – 10 June 1780), first son
- Princess Zhuangjing of the Second Rank (莊敬和碩公主; 30 January 1782 – 4 April 1811), third daughter
- Married Sodnamdorji (索特納木多布濟; ? – 1825) of the Mongol Khorchin Borjigin clan on 24 December 1801 and had issue (one daughter)
- Imperial Noble Consort Gongshun (恭順皇貴妃) of the Niohuru clan (28 May 1787 – 23 April 1860)
- Eighth daughter (8 March 1805 – 14 January 1806)
- Princess Huimin of the First Rank (慧愍固倫公主; 18 February 1811 – 28 June 1815), ninth daughter
- Mianyu (綿愉), Prince Huiduan of the First Rank (惠端親王; 8 March 1814 – 9 January 1865), fifth son
Consort
- Consort Shu (恕妃) of the Wanyan clan (? – 1792)
- Consort Hua (華妃) of the Hougiya clan (? – 3 August 1808), personal name Liuniu (六妞)
- Sixth daughter (2 August 1789 – June/July 1790)
- Consort Zhuang (莊妃) of the Wanggiya clan (? – 9 March 1811)
- Consort Xin (信妃) of the Liugiya clan (26 April 1783 – 26 November 1822)
Concubine
- Concubine Jian (簡嬪) of the Guangiya clan (? – 14 May 1780)
- First daughter (14 May 1780 – 24 November 1783)
- Concubine Xun (遜嬪) of the Shen clan (? – 31 December 1786)
- Princess Hui'an of the Second Rank (慧安和碩公主; 31 December 1786 – June/July 1795), fifth daughter
- Concubine Chun (淳嬪) of the Donggiya clan (? – 30 November 1819)
- Concubine En (恩嬪) of the Uya clan
- Concubine Rong (榮嬪) of the Liang clan
- Concubine An (安嬪) of the Gūwalgiya clan (1 March 1785 – 29 July 1837)
Noble Lady
- Noble Lady Yun (芸贵人)
- Noble Lady Yu (玉贵人)
First Class Attendant
- First Class Attendant Hui (慧常在)
See also
- Chinese emperors family tree (late)
