The Jiaqing Emperor (13 November 1760 – 2 September 1820), also known by his

temple name Temple names are posthumous titles accorded to monarchs of the Sinosphere for the purpose of ancestor worship. The practice of honoring monarchs with temple names began during the Shang dynasty in China and had since been adopted by other dyna ...

Emperor Renzong of Qing, born Yongyan, was the sixth

emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( ...

of the

Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) an ...

-led

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

, and the fifth Qing emperor to rule over

China proper China proper, Inner China, or the Eighteen Provinces is a term used by some Western writers in reference to the "core" regions of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty of China. This term is used to express a distinction between the "core" regions pop ...

, from 1796 to 1820. He was the 15th son of the

Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, born Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1735 ...

. During his reign, he prosecuted

Heshen Heshen (; ; 1 July 1750 – 22 February 1799) of the Manchu Niohuru clan, was an official of the Qing dynasty favored by the Qianlong Emperor and called the most corrupt official in Chinese history. After the death of Qianlong, the Jiaqing Em ...

, the corrupt Manchu favorite of his father, and attempted to restore order within the Qing Empire while curbing the smuggling of

opium Opium (or poppy tears, scientific name: ''Lachryma papaveris'') is dried latex obtained from the seed capsules of the opium poppy '' Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid morphine, which ...

into China.

Early years

Yongyan was born in the

Old Summer Palace The Old Summer Palace, also known as Yuanmingyuan () or Yuanmingyuan Park, originally called the Imperial Gardens (), and sometimes called the Winter Palace, was a complex of palaces and gardens in present-day Haidian District, Beijing, China. ...

, 8 km (5 mi) northwest of the walls of

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the Capital city, capital of the China, People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's Li ...

. His personal name, "Yongyan" (永琰), was later changed to "Yongyan" (顒琰) when he became the emperor. The

Chinese character Chinese characters () are logograms developed for the writing of Chinese. In addition, they have been adapted to write other East Asian languages, and remain a key component of the Japanese writing system where they are known as ''kanji' ...

for ''yong'' in his name was changed from the more common 永 to the less common 顒. This novelty was introduced by the Qianlong Emperor, who believed that it was not proper to have a commonly used Chinese character in an emperor's personal name due to the longstanding practice of naming taboo in the imperial family during ancient China period. Yongyan was the 15th son of the Qianlong Emperor. His mother was Noble Consort Ling, the daughter of Wei Qingtai (魏清泰), an ethnic

Han Chinese The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive v ...

official whose family had been long integrated into the Manchu

Eight Banners The Eight Banners (in Manchu: ''jakūn gūsa'', ) were administrative and military divisions under the Later Jin and Qing dynasties of China into which all Manchu households were placed. In war, the Eight Banners functioned as armies, but the ...

as part of a Han Banner. The Qianlong Emperor originally had two other sons in mind for succeeding him, but both of them died early from diseases, hence in December 1773 he secretly chose Yongyan as his successor. In 1789, the Qianlong Emperor instated Yongyan as "Prince Jia of the First Rank" (嘉親王; or simply "Prince Jia").

Accession to the throne

In October 1795, the 60th year of his reign, the Qianlong Emperor announced his intention to abdicate in favour of Prince Jia. He made this decision because he felt that it was disrespectful for him to rule longer than his grandfather, the

Kangxi Emperor The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654– 20 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, born Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1661 to ...

, who was on the throne for 61 years. Prince Jia ascended the throne and adopted the

era name A regnal year is a year of the reign of a sovereign, from the Latin ''regnum'' meaning kingdom, rule. Regnal years considered the date as an ordinal, not a cardinal number. For example, a monarch could have a first year of rule, a second year of ...

"Jiaqing" in February 1796, hence he is historically known as the Jiaqing Emperor. For the next three years, however, the Jiaqing Emperor was emperor in name and rite only because decisions were still made by his father, who became a ''

Taishang Huang In Chinese history, a ''Taishang Huang'' or ''Taishang Huangdi'' is an honorific and institution of a retired emperor. The former emperor had, at least in name, abdicated in favor of someone else. Although no longer the reigning sovereign, ther ...

'' (emperor emeritus) after his abdication. After the death of the Qianlong Emperor in the beginning of February 1799, the Jiaqing Emperor took control of the government and prosecuted

, a

favourite A favourite (British English) or favorite (American English) was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In post-classical and early-modern Europe, among other times and places, the term was used of individuals delegated s ...

official of his father. Heshen was charged with corruption and abuse of power, stripped of his titles, had his property confiscated, and ordered to commit suicide. Heshen's daughter-in-law, Princess Hexiao, a half-sister of the Jiaqing Emperor, was spared from punishment and given a few properties from Heshen's estates. At the time, the Qing Empire faced internal disorder, most importantly the large-scale

White Lotus The White Lotus () is a syncretic religious and political movement which forecasts the imminent advent of the "King of Light" (), i.e., the future Buddha Maitreya. As White Lotus sects developed, they appealed to many Han Chinese who found sol ...

(1796–1804) and

Miao Miao may refer to: * Miao people, linguistically and culturally related group of people, recognized as such by the government of the People's Republic of China * Miao script or Pollard script, writing system used for Miao languages * Miao (Unicode ...

(1795–1806) rebellions, as well as an empty imperial treasury. The Jiaqing Emperor engaged in the pacification of the empire and the quelling of rebellions. He endeavored to bring China back to its 18th-century prosperity and power.

Renaming Vietnam

The Jiaqing Emperor refused the Vietnamese ruler

Gia Long Gia Long ( (''North''), ('' South''); 8 February 1762 – 3 February 1820), born Nguyễn Phúc Ánh (阮福暎) or Nguyễn Ánh, was the founding emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty, the last dynasty of Vietnam. His dynasty would rule the unifi ...

's request to change his country's name to Nam Việt. He changed the name instead to

Việt Nam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making it ...

. Gia Long's Đại Nam thực lục contains the diplomatic correspondence over the naming.

Opposition to Christianity

The

Great Qing Legal Code The Great Qing Legal Code (or Great Ching Legal Code), also known as the Qing Code (Ching Code) or, in Hong Kong law, as the ''Ta Tsing Leu Lee'' (大清律例), was the legal code of the Qing empire (1644–1912). The code was based on the Min ...

includes one statute titled "Prohibitions Concerning Sorcerers and Sorceresses" (禁止師巫邪術). In 1811, a clause was added to it with reference to Christianity. It was modified in 1815 and 1817, settled in its final form in 1839 under the Daoguang Emperor, and abrogated in 1870 under the

Tongzhi Emperor The Tongzhi Emperor (27 April 1856 – 12 January 1875), born Zaichun of the Aisin Gioro clan, was the ninth Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the eighth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign, from 1861 to 1875, which effectively lasted ...

. It sentenced Europeans to death for spreading

Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

among Han Chinese and Manchus. Christians who would not repent their conversion were sent to

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

cities in

Xinjiang Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwes ...

, to be given as slaves to Muslim leaders and beys.

Chinese nobility

The Jiaqing Emperor granted the title '' Wujing Boshi'' () to the descendants of Tang essayist

Han Yu Han Yu (; 76825 December 824), courtesy name Tuizhi (), and commonly known by his posthumous name Han Wengong (韓文公), was a Chinese essayist, poet, philosopher, and politician during the Tang dynasty who significantly influenced the devel ...

Death and burial

On 2 September 1820, the Jiaqing Emperor died at the Rehe (Jehol) Traveling Palace (熱河行宫), 230 km (140 mi) northeast of

, where the imperial court was in summer quarters. The ''

Draft History of Qing The ''Draft History of Qing'' () is a draft of the official history of the Qing dynasty compiled and written by a team of over 100 historians led by Zhao Erxun who were hired by the Beiyang government of the Republic of China. The draft was publ ...

'' did not record a cause of death. Some have alleged that he died after being struck by lightning, but others prefer the theory that he died of a

stroke A stroke is a disease, medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemorr ...

, as the emperor was quite obese. He was succeeded by his second son, Mianning, who became known as the Daoguang Emperor. Renzong was interred amidst the

Western Qing Tombs The Western Qing tombs (; ) are located some southwest of Beijing in Yi County, Hebei Province. They constitute a necropolis that incorporates four royal mausoleums where seventy-eight royal members are buried. These include four emperors of th ...

, 120 km (75 mi) southwest of

, in the Chang (昌; lit. "splendid") mausoleum complex.

Family

Empress *

Empress Xiaoshurui Empress Xiaoshurui (孝淑睿皇后), of the Manchu Plain White Banner Hitara clan (喜塔臘氏) was a posthumous name bestowed to the wife and first empress consort of Yongyan, the Jiaqing Emperor. She was Empress consort of Qing from 1796 ...

(孝淑睿皇后) of the Hitara Clan (喜塔臘氏)
Titles: Primary Consort of the Fifteenth Prince (十五王子福晋) → Princess Consort Jia of the First Rank (嘉親王妃) → Empress (皇后) ** Second daughter (2 June 1780 – 6 September 1783) ** Minning (宣宗旻寧; 16 September 1782 – 26 February 1850), the Daoguang Emperor (道光帝), 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; d. 1832) of the Tumed Borjigit clan in November/December 1802. ** Miscarriage at three months (18 August 1785) *

Empress Xiaoherui Empress Xiaoherui (20 November 1776 – 23 January 1850), of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Niohuru clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the wife and second empress consort of Yongyan, the Jiaqing Emperor. She was Empress consort of Qin ...

(孝和睿皇后) of the

Niohuru The Niohuru (Manchu: ; in Manchu) were a prominent Manchu clan during the Qing dynasty. The clan had inhabited the Changbai Mountains since as early as the Liao dynasty. The clan was well known during the Qing dynasty for producing a variety o ...

Clan (鈕祜祿氏)
Titles: Secondary Consort (侧福晋) → Noble Consort (貴妃) → Imperial Noble Consort (皇貴妃) → Empress (皇后) → Empress Dowager Gongci (恭慈皇太后) ** Seventh daughter (2 August 1793 – 16 July 1795) **

Miankai Aisin Gioro Miankai (瑞懷親王綿愷; 6 August 1795 – 18 January 1838), was a prince of the Qing Dynasty. He was the third son of the Jiaqing Emperor and was made the first holder of Prince Dun of the First Rank peerage. He was the elder ...

, Prince Dunke of the First Rank (惇恪親王綿愷; 6 August 1795 – 18 January 1838), third son **

Mianxin Aisin Gioro Mianxin (瑞懷親王綿忻; 9 March 1805 – 27 September 1828) was Qing dynasty imperial prince as the fourth son of the Jiaqing Emperor. Mianxin was made the first holder of the Prince Rui of the First Rank title in 1819. In con ...

, Prince Ruihuai of the First Rank (瑞懷親王綿忻; 9 March 1805 – 27 September 1828), fourth son Imperial Noble Consort * Imperial Noble Consort Heyu (和裕皇貴妃) of the Liugiya Clan (劉佳氏)
Titles: Mistress (格格) → Consort Xian (諴妃) → Noble Consort Xian (諴貴妃) → Dowager Imperial Noble Consort Xianxi (諴禧太皇貴妃) ** 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; d. 1825) of the Khorchin Borjigit clan on 24 December 1801.(one daughter) *

Imperial Noble Consort Gongshun Imperial Noble Consort Gongshun (恭順皇貴妃) of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Niohuru clan (鈕祜祿氏) was a consort of the Jiaqing Emperor. She was 27 years his junior. Life Family background Imperial Noble Consort Gongshun's perso ...

(恭順皇貴妃) of the

Clan (鈕祜祿氏)
Titles: Noble Lady Ru (如貴人) → Imperial Concubine Ru (如嬪) → Consort Ru (如妃) → Dowager Noble Consort Ru (如貴太妃)→ Dowager Imperial Noble Consort Ru (如太皇貴妃) ** ''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 Aisin Gioro Mianyu ( 綿愉; 8 March 1814 – 9 January 1866) was Qing dynasty imperial prince as the fifth son of the Jiaqing Emperor and the first holder of the Prince Hui of the first rank title. As Prince Hui of the First Rank peerage was not ...

, Prince Huiduan of the First Rank (惠端親王綿愉; 8 March 1814 – 9 January 1865), fifth son Consort * Consort Shu (恕妃) of the

Wanyan The Wanyan (; Manchu: ''Wanggiyan''; Jurchen script: ) clan was among the clans of the Heishui Mohe tribe living in the drainage region of the Heilong River during the time of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty. Of the Heishui Mohe, the clan was coun ...

Clan (完顏氏)
Titles: Secondary Consort (侧福晋) *

Consort Hua Consort Hua (; died 3 August 1804), of the Han Chinese Hougiya clan belonging to the Bordered Yellow Banner, was a consort of Jiaqing Emperor. Life Family background Consort Hua was a booi of Han Chinese Hougiya clan belonging to the Bo ...

(華妃) of the Hougiya Clan (侯佳氏), personal name Liuniu (六妞)
Titles: Servant (管女子) → Mistress (格格) → Imperial Concubine Ying (莹嫔) → Consort Hua (华妃) ** ''Sixth daughter'' (2 August 1789 – June/July 1790) * Consort Zhuang (莊妃) of the Wanggiya Clan (王佳氏)
Titles: Mistress (格格) → First Class Female Attendant Chun (春常在) → Noble Lady Chun (春貴人) → Imperial Concubine Ji (吉嬪) → Consort Zhuang (莊妃) * Consort Xin (信妃) of the Liugiya Clan (劉佳氏)
Titles: Noble Lady Xin (信贵人) → Imperial Concubine Xin (信嫔) → Dowager Consort Xin (信太妃) Imperial Concubine * Imperial Concubine Jian (簡嬪) of the Guangiya Clan (關佳氏)
Titles: Mistress (格格) ** ''First daughter'' (14 May 1780 – 24 November 1783) * Imperial Concubine Xun (遜嬪) of the Shen Clan (沈氏)
Titles: Mistress (格格) ** Princess Hui'an of the Second Rank (慧安和碩公主; 31 December 1786 – June/July 1795), fifth daughter * Imperial Concubine Chun (淳嬪) of the Donggiya Clan (董佳氏)
Titles: Noble Lady Chun (淳贵人) → Imperial Concubine Chun (淳嫔) * Imperial Concubine En (恩嬪) of the Uya Clan (烏雅氏) * Imperial Concubine Rong (榮嬪) of the Liang Clan (梁氏) * Imperial Concubine An (安嬪) of the

Gūwalgiya Gūwalgiya ( Manchu Chinese: ; ) was one of the most powerful Manchu clans. It is often listed by historians as the first of the eight prominent Manchu clans of the Qing dynasty. After the demise of the dynasty, some of its descendants siniciz ...

Clan (瓜爾佳氏)
Titles: First Class Female Attendant An (安常在) → Dowager Imperial Concubine Kaoan (皇考安嫔). Noble Lady * Noble Lady Yun (芸贵人) of a certain clan
Titles: Noble Lady Yun (芸贵人) * Noble Lady Yu (玉贵人) of a certain clan
Titles: Noble Lady Yu (玉贵人) First Class Female Attendant * First Class Female Attendant Hui (慧常在) of a certain clan
Titles: First Class Female Attendant Hui (慧常在)

Ancestry

In fiction and popular culture

* Portrayed by Yu Yang in '' War and Beauty'' (2004) * Portrayed by Xin Baiqing ''Legend of Jiaqing'' (2005) * Portrayed by Shaun Tam in '' Succession War'' (2018) * Portrayed by Tang Jiatong in ''

Story of Yanxi Palace ''Story of Yanxi Palace'' () is a Chinese historical series recounting the struggles of a palace maid in the court of the Qianlong Emperor. It was created by Yu Zheng, with original screenplay written by Zhou Mo, and later developed into a novel ...

'' (2018) * Portrayed in ''

Throne of Jade ''Throne of Jade'' is the second novel in the ''Temeraire (series), Temeraire'' alternate history/fantasy series written by American author Naomi Novik. It was published by Del Rey Books, Del Rey first in the United States on April 25, 2006, and ...

'' (2006), a historical fantasy novel by

Naomi Novik Naomi Novik (born April 30, 1973) is an American author of speculative fiction. She is known for the ''Temeraire'' series (2006–2016), an alternate history of the Napoleonic Wars involving dragons, and her ''Scholomance'' fantasy series (2020 ...

References

Citations

Sources

* * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jiaqing Emperor 1760 births 1820 deaths Qing dynasty emperors 18th-century Chinese monarchs 19th-century Chinese monarchs Persecution of Christians 1790s in China 1800s in China 1810s in China Qianlong Emperor's sons