Wanpu

Emperor Shengzu Xuanyu, whose Manchu name was ᡥᡳᠣᠸᠠᠨᠶᡝᡳ, was born on May 4, 1654, in Jingren Palace within the Forbidden City. His mother was the Empress Dowager Xiaokangzhang (Tongjia Shi). After the death of Emperor Shunzhi, Xuanyu was named crown prince in 1661; he ascended the throne at the age of just 8, receiving the temple name Shengzu. His reign era was Kangxi. Initially, his rule was assisted by four Grand Councillors: Soni, Suksa Ha, Ebilun, and Aobai. In 1667, the Kangxi Emperor began ruling personally, and in 1669, he ordered Aobai's imprisonment, gradually regaining control of the government.

During his reign, Kangxi promoted lenient and benevolent governance, focusing on light taxation, agricultural development, and improving canal transportation. He reformed official administration and conducted multiple personal inspections to understand the people's conditions. He made six southern inspections, three eastern inspections, one western inspection, and numerous tours within the capital and to Mongolia, enhancing his understanding of local conditions and frontier governance. Militarily, he quelled the Revolt of the Three Feudatories by 1681, consolidating control over the region, and ended the separatist regime in Taiwan by 1683, thus bringing Taiwan under central authority. Diplomatically, he established control over the Heilongjiang River basin through the Treaty of Nibuzhutu and formalized border and trade relations with Russia. He repelled the Zunghar Khanate's invasions, strengthening the northwest frontier. In Mongolia, he pacified various tribes through alliances like the Daur League and other measures. He also directed efforts in Tibet to consolidate central rule and expel invading forces, incorporating Tibet into the Qing Empire.

Economically and in terms of maritime policies, Kangxi initially halted land confiscations, reformed tax systems, and later opened ports and customs to develop internal and external trade, establishing key ports such as Guangzhou, Zhangzhou, Ningbo, and Yuntai Mountain. In sciences, he actively welcomed Western missionaries, promoting advancements in cartography, astronomy, medicine, and other fields. He appointed many missionaries and scholars to assist with map-making, culminating in the 1718 completion of the Kangxi Imperial Panorama. Culturally, he revered Confucianism, established the Nanshu Study, and edited important texts like the Kangxi Dictionary and the Complete Collection of Ancient and Modern Books.

In his later years, governmental affairs slowed, and conflicts over fiscal policy and bureaucratic control grew, leading to social issues. The controversy over succession, with multiple foundations and disputes over the heir apparent, affected Qing politics. On December 20, 1722, Kangxi died at the Qingxi Study in Changchun Garden in Beijing at the age of 68. He was buried in Jingling. Posthumously, he was given the temple name Heitian Hongyun Wuwen Wuzhe Gongjian Kuanyu Xiaojing Chenggong Decheng Rende Emperor, and was further honored with the posthumous title "Saengzu Renhuang" (Emperor Shengzu). His reign lasted for over 61 years and 10 months, making him one of China's longest-reigning emperors. His son, Yongzheng Emperor Yinzhen, succeeded him. He had a total of 35 sons and 20 daughters, of whom 20 sons and 8 daughters reached adulthood; among his 55 children, 27 died early.