#270 - Qing 14: From Russia, Rome, and Ningxia With Love

·41 min·4 clips

The Kangxi Emperor writes from his war camp about three grueling desert journeys to defeat Galdan, claiming heaven protected him.

The episode begins with a reading of the Kangxi Emperor's 1697 letter from his mobile war camp near Ningxia, celebrating his victory over the Mongol leader Galdan after three arduous desert journeys. It then backtracks to the aftermath of the War of the Three Feudatories in the 1670s, focusing on the story of Qing loyalist Fang Chengmo. Fang, a sickly scholar-official, was appointed governor-general of Fujian but was imprisoned when the feudatory Geng Jingzhong rebelled in 1674. During his 700-day captivity in Fuzhou, Fang Chengmo prepared for martyrdom, drawing inspiration from the ancient poet-official Qu Yuan and his suicide. He was executed in October 1676 after Geng Jingzhong surrendered to Qing forces. The episode then transitions to the Qing's northern frontier, where Russian expansion along the Amur River became a new threat. It outlines three phases of Qing-Russian relations: awareness, confrontation, and settlement. Key events include the Qing capture of the Russian fort at Albazin in 1685, its reoccupation, and the subsequent siege. The conflict was resolved diplomatically with the Treaty of Nerchinsk in 1689, negotiated with the help of Jesuit missionaries Jean-François Gerbillon and Tomé Pereira. The treaty established borders and trade protocols. With the Russian threat neutralized, the Kangxi Emperor turned his attention to Galdan of the Oirat Mongols. The episode describes the botched 1690 campaign and the Emperor's personal command in 1696, detailing his meticulous logistics and the decisive victory at Jao Modo. Galdan died in 1697, as noted in the opening letter. The final section examines the Kangxi Emperor's interactions with Western Catholic missionaries, particularly Jesuits. Their prestige peaked in the 1690s due to scientific contributions and diplomatic aid, leading to the 1692 Edict of Toleration. However, tensions arose over the Chinese Rites controversy, culminating in the 1705 mission of Bishop Maillard de Tournon and the Emperor's subsequent crackdown. The episode concludes by noting ongoing challenges with the Oirats in Tibet after Galdan's defeat, setting the stage for future episodes on the Kangxi Emperor's later reign.

As heard by us

Kangxi's border politics hinge on Galdan, the Amur, and difficult diplomacy.

The episode begins with Kangxi taking stock of his hard-won victory over Galdan from a mobile war camp outside Ningxia in June 1697, then shifts into the slower work of holding the frontier.

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If Qing border diplomacy with Russia sounds better than brunch, this is your lane.

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