Kangxi Emperor

The Kangxi Emperor faced a major rebellion led by three powerful Han Chinese feudatories in southern China, including Wu Sangui. He personally directed military campaigns, and by 1681 the revolt was crushed, consolidating Qing control over the south.

Kangxi ordered the invasion of Taiwan, then held by the Ming loyalist Zheng Keshuang. Qing naval forces defeated the Zheng fleet, and Taiwan was incorporated into the Qing Empire as a prefecture, ending the last major Ming resistance.

The Kangxi Emperor negotiated the Treaty of Nerchinsk with the Russian Empire, establishing the border between Siberia and Manchuria. This was China's first treaty with a European power and secured the northern frontier, allowing trade and diplomatic relations.

Kangxi personally met with Khalkha Mongol leaders at Dolon Nor, where they formally submitted to Qing authority. This brought Outer Mongolia under Qing control, ending the Dzungar threat and expanding the empire's northern borders.

Kangxi commissioned the Kangxi Dictionary, a comprehensive dictionary of Chinese characters. It became the standard reference for Chinese lexicography, containing over 47,000 characters and influencing scholarship for centuries.