Qianlong referred to himself as “old man of the ten completed great campaigns”.  He was referring to his military exploits. Some of the great campaigns he was referring were disasters for China and him. He was everywhere, North, South, East, and West.  Some of these military expeditions exceeded geographical distances accomplished by Napoleon's famous march on Russia.

Heshen was a Manchu guardsman that befriended and impressed Qianlong.  He eventually became a Dynasty manager for the Emperor.

Late in Qianlong’s reign, in 1792, King George III of England sent Earl George McCartney to China seeking a treaty. The English wanted a trade agreement with China and a permanent embassy in Peking. The English ambassador, however, refused to kowtow in front of the Emperor Qianlong.  All the English demands were denied. 

Qianlong retired on Chinese New Year in 1796.  He did this because he did not want to overshadow the reign of his grandfather Kangxi. He appointed one of his sons to succeed him.  The Emperor died in 1799.

Support the show