#302 - Qing 37: The Library and the Bonfire

The Qianlong Emperor, at the height of his power and glory, decides to build the greatest library that the world has ever known. A total collection of every book and writing worth remembering in the Empire. There’s only one catch – in order to determine what’s worth preserving for eternity, one must also decide what - and who - belongs in the burn pile. The story of the Siku Quanshu: The Complete Library of the Four Treasuries.

Time Period Covered:
~1772-1782 CE

Major Historical Figures:
The Qianlong Emperor (Aisin-Gioro Hongli) [r. 1735–1796]
The Yongzheng Emperor (Aisin-Gioro Yinzhen) [r. 1722–1735] Ji Yun (Ji Xiaolan)[1724–1805] Wang Xihou [c. 1713–1777] Zeng Jing [d. 1735]
Gong Zizhen [1792–1841]

Major Works Cited: Goodrich, L. Carrington. The Literary Inquisition of Ch'ien-lung.
Guy, R. Kent. The Emperor's Four Treasuries: Scholars and the State in the Late Ch'ien-lung Era.
Elman, Benjamin A. From Philosophy to Philology: Intellectual and Social Aspects of Change in Late Imperial China.
Spence, Jonathan. Treason by the Book.

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