A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/K'ang Hsi
941 K'ang Hsi 康熙. A.D. 1655-1723. The title of the reign of 玄燡 Hsüan-i, the third son of the Emperor Shun Chih. He succeeded to the throne when he was only eight years of age, and six years later he took up the reins of government. Fairly tall and well proportioned, he loved all manly exercises and devoted three months annually to hunting. Large bright eyes lighted up his face, which was pitted with smallpox. Contemporary observers vie in praising his wit, understanding, and liberality of mind. Indefatigable in government, he kept a careful watch on his Ministers, his love for the people leading him to prefer economy to taxation. He was personally frugal, yet on public works he would lavish large sums. His piety towards his grandmother endeared him to the Chinese; and his affability to foreigners, although he deemed foreign trade undesirable, won the good will of Europeans. He was hardly of age when the Three Feudatories rebelled; but though in 1675 only Chihli, Honan, and Shantung were leftin his peaceable possession, he never despaired. In 1681 his rule was re-established over China, and two years later over Formosa. His punitive expeditions against Galdan and Ts'ê Wang Arabtan carried the frontiers of the empire to the borders of Kokand and Badakshan and to the confines of Tibet. In 1679 the first treaty with Russia was made, and nine years later he firmly checked an attempt by his new allies at encroachment. He patronised the Jesuits whom he employed in surveying the empire, in astronomy, and in casting cannon; though latterly he found it necessary to impose restrictions on their propagandism. In 1677 the East India Company established an agency at Amoy, which though withdrawn in 1681 was re-established in 1685. His literary enterprise alone would suffice to render him illustrious. Daring his reign, and almost under his personal supervision, the following works were produced: — The great Imperial Dictionary containing 40,000 characters; the vast Concordance to all literature, known as the 佩文韻府; twoextensive Encyclopædias, the 淵監類函 and the 古今圖書集成, the latter of which fills 1628 volumes 8vo and is profusely illustrated; and the 駢字類編, a kind of Gradus toaid in literary composition. He had also begun the 子史精華, a collection of elegant extracts from the historical and philosophical writers, and the 分類字錦, a collection of selected phrases from renowned masterpieces. His own writings are considerable. In the 庭訓格言, which purports to be his familiar sayings jotted down by his son, the aged Emperor depicts his own character; and though a justifiable vanity and sense of his own importance are discernible, a very kingly character it is. Canonised as 聖祖仁皇帝.