May
30
/ 2018
Read Part I Here The Kangxi Emperor ascended the throne in 1661, at the age of seven, after his father, the Shunzhi Emperor, died suddenly from smallpox at just 23 years old. Kangxi would go on to rule the Qing Dynasty until his death in 1722. Kangxi’s reign of 61 years makes him the longest-reigning emperor in Chinese history, and he is also reckoned to be one of its most illustrious. At the beginning of Kangxi’s reign, four regents were chosen to run the actual affairs of state. Eventually, one of them, Oboi, obtained absolute power as sole regent, and this was a threat to the young emperor. This problem was resolved in 1669, when Oboi was arrested, and actual
