Qianlong Emperor (Hongli)

The Qianlong Emperor (born Hongli, 1711–1799) was the sixth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty and ruled from 1735 until his formal abdication in 1796 in deference to his grandfather Kangxi, continuing de facto supreme rule until his death in 1799. His lengthy reign represented the high-water mark of Qing wealth, geopolitical dominance, and territorial expanse.

Under Qianlong, the Ten Great Campaigns consolidated imperial hegemony over Xinjiang, Tibet, Burma, and Central Asia, establishing borders that closely mirror modern China. A passionate collector, poet, and patron of traditional scholarship, he commissioned the Siku Quanshu (Complete Library of the Four Treasuries), the largest literary compendium in pre-modern history. His later reign faced domestic inflation, bureaucratic corruption led by the court favorite Heshen, and the first major challenges of Western maritime diplomatic contact, including the famous Macartney Embassy of 1793.