The Kangxi Emperor ( 康熙大帝 ) was the third Emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty ( 清朝 ) , and the second Qing emperor to rule over China , from 1661 to 1722 . He is known as one of the greatest Chinese emperors and outstanding politician in history. He made great contribution to Chinese history by his vigorous measures to make the country strong.

Emperor Kangxi studied Confucian classics in his childhood and he worked hard. Thanks to his efforts to incorporate Chinese cultural tradition in his administration, the early Qing Dynasty was a prosperous time.

He began to attend to political affairs at his age of fourteen. He made it a regular institution to handle administrative affairs in person. Every morning he would attend to political affairs in the Gate of Heavenly Purity. Even if he was out of the palace, the memorials submitted from different ministries must be sent to his temporary residence. He persisted in this way of work and this started a tradition of personal attending to politics for emperors in the Qing Dynasty.

In the spring of 1662, Kangxi ordered the Great Clearance in southern China , in order to fight the anti-Qing movement, began by Ming Dynasty loyalists to regain Beijing . He also listed three major issues: the flood control of the Yellow River ( 黄河 ) , the repairing of the Grand Canal ( 大运河 ) and the Three Feudatories ( 三番 ) in South China.

The Revolt of the Three Feudatories was raised in 1673 and Burni of the Chakhar Mongols also started a rebellion in 1675. The revolt of the three feudatories proved to be hard to clear. Wu Sangui's ( 吴三桂 ) emerging forces had overran most of southern China and began allying himself with local generals. He crushed the latter within two months and incorporated the Chakhar into the Eight Banners ( 八旗 ) . After the surrender of the Zheng family, the Qing Dynasty annexed Taiwan in 1684.

Emperor Kangxi commanded the most complete dictionary of Chinese characters ever put together at the time, The Kangxi Dictionary ( 康熙词典 ) . He also invented a very useful and effective Chinese calendar.

In 1722 A.D, Kangxi assembled all of his Imperial Princes in Beijing at the time for a word with him, thereafter allowing his trusted official Zhang Tingyu ( 张廷玉 ) to announce the heir to the throne. But once the box containing Kangxi's will arrived, Kangxi himself had died. Therefore never confirming that the decision for Yinzhen to be Emperor was Kangxi's will.

fter Emperor Kangxi, Emperors Yongzheng ( 雍正 ) and Qianlong ( 乾隆 ) carried down his ruling principles and brought about a period of prosperity. This, however, was only a flourishing time in a Chinese feudal society.