Emperor Qianlong: Son of Heaven, Man of the World

Emperor Qianlong: Son of Heaven, Man of the World

Mark Elliott

This new entry in the Longman Library of World Biography series offers an intimate and provocative account of the Manchu emperor Qianlong (1711-1799), one of the world’s great empire-builders, who helped build the foundation of the modern Chinese nation.

During the 64 years of Qianlong’s rule, China’s population more than doubled, its territory increased by one-third, its cities flourished, and its manufactures — tea, silk, porcelain — were principal items of international commerce. Based on original Chinese and Manchu-language sources, and drawing on the latest scholarship, this is the biography of the man who, in presiding over imperial China’s last golden epoch, created the geographic and demographic framework of modern China.

This accessible account describes the personal struggles and public drama surrounding one of the major political figures of the early modern age, with special consideration given to the emperor’s efforts to rise above ethnic divisions and to encompass the political and religious traditions of Han Chinese, Mongols, Tibetans, Turks, and other peoples of his realm.

In addition to becoming familiar with one of the most remarkable figures in world history, readers will find that learning about Emperor Qianlong will add greatly to their appreciation of China’s place in the world of the eighteenth century and will deepen their understanding of China’s place in the world today.

這是美國新清史研究代表學者Mark Elliott的最新作品，是本小書，薄薄的不到兩百頁，講的是乾隆皇帝的一生。但Mark Elliott要說得不只是乾隆的生平或豐功偉業，還要以乾隆為中心，介紹整個十八世紀的中國。

這本書主要是寫給美國一般讀者看的，預設他們對中國史了解不多。如何在兩百頁的篇幅之內，讓他們了解乾隆，進入一個遙遠的、陌生的世界？因此，Mark Elliott在介紹乾隆盛世疆域時，特別拿來與美國本土的面積相提並論；又如提到乾隆在位六十年，他又說，這個數字不能小覷，想像一下，假如甘迺迪當年沒有被刺殺，而且一口氣連任十五屆總統，那會是如何？這種有趣的比喻，即便是稍知清代史的讀者，都能有耳目一新的感覺。本書目的原是讓讀者熟悉這個陌生的世界，對中文世界的讀者而言，這句話得反過來說：它將看似熟悉的歷史陌生化，我們因此得以從不同角度觀看這個猶如異邦（或的確是異邦）的往昔世界。這可能是本書最有意義之處。

兩百多頁的乾隆傳記，自然不能比中文世界裡動輒五、六百頁的「乾隆大傳」更加詳細。但本書的寫作手法卻可以讓我們重新思考，什麼是帝王傳記？如何書寫？怎樣閱讀？