In the long history of the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Qianlong is undoubtedly a famous figure in history. During his sixty-year reign, he greatly expanded his power and territory, and he was himself a learned and far-sighted monarch.
But despite Qianlong's astonishing achievements, some historians believe that it was his own ambition and mismanagement that ultimately led to the fall of the Qing dynasty.
So, what exactly caused the fall of the Qing Dynasty? There is a decree that may give us some inspiration. This decree is known as the "Sacred Decree of Qianlong's Southern Tour", and it was a policy in the 56th year of Qianlong aimed at solving the problems left over from the history of the south.
In 17th-century China, the Qing Dynasty had gradually unified most of the land. However, in the south, there are still a large number of rebellions and popular uprisings.
Most of these people were peasants or displaced people from the Central Plains, who were displaced to the south due to their displacement and war.
These people often have no homes or land, and have to work as tenants in the countryside or in urban handicraft factories. They were oppressed and exploited by local landlords and **, and their lives were extremely difficult.
Emperor Qianlong was well aware of the great threat posed by the historical legacy of the south to the stability and unity of the country. So, in the fifty-sixth year of Qianlong, he issued a holy decree for the southern tour.
This decree is of great historical significance. It shows that Qianlong attaches great importance to the problems of people's livelihood in the south, and proposes a series of measures to solve these problems.
For example, he stipulated that landlords must pay rents on time and could not increase rents without authorization, and at the same time mediated disputes between landlords and tenants.
He also encouraged people to grow food to solve the problem of food shortage in the south, and prohibited the abuse of power for personal gain, which increased the income of farmers.
These policies seem to be very beneficial to the people of the South, but the reality is often harsher than ideal. Although Qianlong used this decree to express his conscience and the idea of the supremacy of the people, these policies were not implemented at all as time passed.
On the contrary, rebellions and popular uprisings in the south became more rampant, and social contradictions intensified, leading to the gradual weakening of the power of the Qing Dynasty.
More importantly, Qianlong also had some serious problems in all aspects of governing the Qing Dynasty. He pursued totalitarianism and held political power firmly in his own hands.
He also carried out large-scale water conservancy projects in the south of the Yangtze River, integrated the territory, spread overseas, and vigorously supported the Han culture, so that the minority and local culture gradually disappeared. He also attached great importance to etiquette and religion, and imposed various backward feudal etiquette and religion.
As a result of these measures, the country's finances have become increasingly strained, the oppression and exploitation of the peasants have become more and more obvious, and huge cracks have appeared in the social structure. The people's discontent and revolt are also gradually heating up.
Against this backdrop, the Qing Dynasty's rule was increasingly fragile, and external forces were constantly infiltrating and invading. In the later period of Qianlong, the British opened the door to China through the Opium War and obtained forced unequal treaties, which made it difficult for China to fall and get up.
Returning to the Southern Tour Decree itself, although it showed Qianlong's importance to the livelihood of the people in the south, it was not fully implemented in the end. Qianlong was a very talented and far-sighted emperor, but there were some limitations and problems with his way of rule.
Although he raised the cultural and economic level of the country, at the same time, he also increased the burden and fatigue of the people and failed to truly solve the social contradictions in the country. Eventually, these contradictions and problems accumulated to an uncontrollable level, leading to the collapse and fall of the Qing Dynasty.
Therefore, there is no doubt that Qianlong played a very important role in the fall of the Qing Dynasty. Although he witnessed the prosperity and glory of China during his reign, his mistakes also ultimately accelerated the decline and demise of the Qing Dynasty.
The Southern Patrol Decree is a historical artifact worth pondering, which reminds us that in governing and governing, a leader must have the right moral outlook and code of conduct in order to truly serve the people and the country.
At the same time, history also tells us that in the face of many complex problems at home and abroad, a ruler must have an open mind and carry out reforms and innovations in order to truly maintain the long-term peace and stability of the country.