Contact us on (02) 8445 2300
For all customer service and order enquiries

Woodslane Online Catalogues

9780295752921 Academic Inspection Copy

Three Impeachments

Guo Xiu and the Kangxi Court
Description
Author
Biography
Sales
Points
Google
Preview
A probe into corruption in late Imperial China At the beginning of China's long eighteenth century or "High Qing" era, a time of peace and prosperity when the foundations of Manchu rule under the Qing dynasty were established, a courageous official named Guo Xiu reported on corruption at court. Guo Xiu's findings resulted in the impeachment of five of the most powerful figures of his day: the director of river conservancy, the chief grand secretary, and three scholars who advised the Manchu emperor on matters of Chinese culture. Weighing the officials' accomplishments against their corruption and violations of Confucian norms, the emperor dismissed all five from office-only to reappoint all five within ten years. Bringing together a rich trove of sources, including writings by the accused officials, Guo Xiu's impeachment comments, and court diaries, historian R. Kent Guy's Three Impeachments traces the process of impeachment, condemnation, and restoration to provide unique insights into the Kangxi golden age. Part 1 reveals that the highly lauded accomplishments of the Kangxi emperor were not his alone but the result of collaboration between Manchu elite, the newly formed Chinese Martial Banner Army, and Chinese scholars. Part 2, which focuses on Guo Xi's impeachments, sheds new light on dynastic history and political agency. Three Impeachments is a rich and enticing portal into a key moment in late imperial Chinese history. The open access publication of this book was made possible by a grant from the James P. Geiss and Margaret Y. Hsu Foundation. DOI: 10.6069/9780295752945
R. Kent Guy is professor of history emeritus at the University of Washington. He is author of Qing Governors and Their Provinces: The Evolution of Territorial Administration in China, 1644-1796 and The Emperor's Four Treasuries: Scholars and the State in the Late Ch'ien-lung Era.
A probe into corruption in late Imperial China
Google Preview content