#102 Empires Collide: Qianlong and Macartney

Check for understanding.

Image analysis

“The reception of the diplomatique and his suite, at the Court of Pekin,” by James Gillray (1792). The National Portrait Gallery, London.

Consider:

• What does the document suggest about British views of Chinese and the Qianlong emperor?
• What does the document suggest about British views about themselves and Macartney?

A few important characters

• The Qianlong Emperor (r. 1735-96) was one of China’s best-known and most-respected emperors. His reign marked the end of the “flourishing period” (shengshi 盛世) that began with his grandfather, the Kangxi emperor. He was known for his military campaigns in the west and his grand southern tours (he liked Suzhou so much he rebuilt a stretch of it in Beijing).​ The Qianlong emperor was also the personification of “universal rule,” seen in the images below posing as a Manchu horseman, a Tibetan Buddhist, and the "Chinese Son of Heaven."

• Lord George Macartney (1737-1806) was an Irish-born aristocrat who had served a number of important roles, including as ambassador to Russia, governor of the British West Indies and Madras (a portion of British India). His trip to China marked the last posting in a respected career. His portrait is below to the left.
• ​King George III (r. 1760-1820) is best known to Americans as the addressee of the Declaration of Independence and to Britons as the monarch who oversaw the founding of the United Kingdom in 1801 and the symbol of tradition in the face of French republicanism. A portrait from 1779 is below to the right.

Working through context:

• How did the Canton System regulate European trade with China? What kinds of regulations did the British—and other Europeans—impose on the China trade?  
• How could the popularity of Chinese goods like tea, porcelain, and silk cause financial problems for both Chinese merchants and the British East India Company?
• Separately from the Macartney mission, what solution did the British end up settling on to reverse their financial fortunes in China? What are your initial thoughts on that decision?
• Was there any other aspects of the reading that were confusing?

Examine the exchange:

• First, read document excerpts of the Qianlong emperor’s exchange with George III (Google Doc).
• Consider:
  • What did the Chinese consider to be “normal” international relations? How did that vision differ from the British perspective at the time? Do you see a common logic to both positions?
  • What did the two sides seem to understand and misunderstand about one another?
  • Who is the audience for the Qianlong emperor’s reply to Macartney?
  • What analogies might be appropriate between this circumstance and today? Who would be the Qianlong emperor? Who would be Lord Macartney? What would they be discussing?

​Homework: Assignment #103.