Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/382

Rh in Taiwan (1787–88, see under ); of subjugating the Burmese (1766–70, see under ); of bringing under his suzerainty the Annamese (17 87–89, see under ); and of twice conquering the Gurkas (1790–92, see under ). Several of these campaigns can hardly be called victories in any far-reaching sense; the only victories of great import were the conquests of Ili and Turkestan which resulted in an increase of about six million square miles to the empire and the elimination of possible invasion by the Mongols and Turks—a menace that had existed from ancient times. Partly in consequence of these victories, the Torguts in Russia (see under ) were able to migrate back to the depopulated Ili region (1771–72).

The conquest of Ili and Turkestan cost about twenty-three million taels and the conquest of the Chin-ch'uan tribes about three times that amount. The other wars also made heavy drains on the treasury. Moreover on special occasions taxes were not exacted from famine-stricken regions and from other areas of the country. These losses in revenue, coupled with the expense of six tours to the Yangtze valley (1751, 1757, 1762, 1765, 1780, 1784) are estimated at two hundred million taels. Despite these drains the national treasury was far from being exhausted. At the beginning of his reign, the treasury reported a surplus of twenty-four million taels, but in 1786 the surplus was three times that amount. This apparent prosperity is in part attributable to the efficient readjustment of national finances by Yin-chên and in part to an enormous increase in population and in arable land. Simultaneously, however, the cost of government increased, as did also the corruption among high officials (see under ). In 1782, Hung-li ordered an increase of sixty thousand men in the regular army, which meant an annual additional expense of three million taels. Owing to expenditures of this kind, and to others incurred in the suppression of various rebellious sects in the succeeding Chia-ch'ing period (1796–1821), the reserve funds became so depleted and the annual revenues so diminished that the government was financially unable to withstand later foreign encroachments (see under ).

Hung-li, like his grandfather, patronized not only the scholars but the artists and literary men of his day. He supported a number of painters at Court and was particularly pleased with the art of such European missionaries as Castiglione and Jean-Denis Attiret (for both see under ). Though he himself painted with indifferent success, he was a confident critic and accumulated an enormous collection of masterpieces both in painting and calligraphy (see under ). In his own calligraphy he imitated successfully the style of. He was also interested in music and the drama. Owing to his encouragement, porcelain and cloisonné wares made advances, particularly in decorative design. Workmanship in jade and ivory also improved. European mechanics were employed to assemble and repair the clacks and other machines brought to him as gifts from Europe. Several Jesuit missionaries served as architects in constructing the buildings and landscape garden in Italian style which formed a part of the Old Summer Palace, Yüan-ming Yüan 圓明園. This palace was originally a country villa given to Yin-chên by his father, and there (after about 1725) Yin-chên resided several months each year. During his reign Hung-li made the villa one of his three main residences—the other two being in Peking and Jehol. Gradually his yearly sojourn at the Yüan-ming Yüan grew longer, and he made it a unique garden supplied with many treasures. He selected forty scenic spots to be painted by Sun Hu 孫祜 and Shên Yüan 沈源. These paintings, each with a poem composed by the emperor, were reproduced in 1745 under the title, Yüan-ming Yüan Ssŭ-shih ching shih ping t'u (四十景詩並圖), 2 chüan. In or about 1747 a fountain in the Western style was constructed by Michel Benoist 蔣友仁 and it thereafter became the nucleus of a group of buildings in the Italian style designed by Castiglione. These buildings were destroyed when the Yüan-ming Yüan and other gardens in the neighborhood were pillaged and burnt by the allied British and French troops in 1860.

Throughout his life Hung-li was interested in literary pursuits. Before he ascended the throne, he had made notes on his studies which were printed in 1736 under the title, 日知薈說 Jih-chih hui-shuo, 4 chüan; and had produced a collection of prose and verse, entitled 樂善堂全集 Lo-shan t'ang ch'üan-chi, 40 chüan, which was printed in 1737—a definitive edition appearing in 1758 in 30 chüan, under the title of Lo-shan t'ang ch'üan-chi ting-pên (定本). His writings in prose, which he composed after he became emperor, make a total of 92 chüan and bear the titles, 清高宗御製文初集 Ch'ing Kao-tsung yü-chih wên ch'u-chi, 30 chüan, printed in 1763; Êr (二) chi 44 chüan, printed in 1785; San (三) 370