JIAQING EMPEROR

The 'Jiaqing Emperor' (November 13, 1760 – September 2, 1820) was the sixth emperor of the Manchu Qing dynasty, and the fifth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1796 to 1820.
Son of the famous Qianlong Emperor, he is remembered for his prosecution of Heshen (和珅), the infamously corrupt favorite of Qianlong Emperor (Gaozong), as well as for attempts to restore the state and curb the smuggling of opium inside China.

Contents

Early years

Accession to the throne

Family

Consorts

Empress

Imperial Noble Consorts

Consorts

Imperial Concubines

Children

Sons

Daughters

Death and burial

Early years

He was born at the Old Summer Palace (圆明园/圓明園), 8km (5 mi) northwest of the walls of Beijing, and was given the name Yongyan (永琰), changed into Yongyan (顒琰) when he became emperor: the first character of his private name was changed from 永 to 顒, both pronounced Yong, so that his brothers and cousins of the same generation would not have to change the first character of their names (a character identical for all relatives of the same generation), which they should normally have done given that the private name of an emperor is taboo and cannot be written or pronounced. This novelty was introduced by his father the Qianlong Emperor who thought it not proper to have a whole generation of people changing their names on his son's accession to the throne.
He was the fifteenth son of the Qianlong Emperor. His mother was a Han Chinese concubine, Concubine of the second rank Ling (令贵妃/令貴妃), who became a favorite of Qianlong. She was posthumously made Empress Xiao Yi Chun (孝仪纯皇后/孝儀純皇后) when her son became emperor. She was the daughter of Wei Qingtai (魏清泰), an official in the Qing administration whose Han Chinese family had long been integrated in the Manchu elites. In 1818 Emperor Jiaqing made his mother's family officially Manchu, and changed their Chinese family name Wei into the Manchu clan name Weigiya.
After the first two original choices for heir to the throne succumbed early to disease, in December 1773 Yongyan was secretly chosen by Qianlong to be the next emperor. In 1789 he was made Prince of the 1st rank Jia (嘉亲王/嘉親王).
At the end of his reign, Gaozong worked closely with a Manchu government minister called Heshen. Prince Jia hated the notoriously corrupt Heshen for his abuse of power, and vowed to punish the minister once he became emperor.

Accession to the throne

In October 1795, in the 60th year of his reign, Emperor Qianlong announced his intention to abdicate in favor of Prince Jia, because he did not think it proper to rule longer than his grandfather, the late Kangxi Emperor. Prince Jia acceded to the throne and proclaimed the era name of 'Jiaqing' in February 1796. For the next three years however, Jiaqing ruled as Emperor in name only. Decisions were made by his father, the Grand Emperor Qianlong.
At the death of Qianlong at the beginning of February 1799, Jiaqing took control of the government and prosecuted Heshen. Heshen was charged with corruption and abuse of power. He was stripped of his titles and properties, and he was ordered to commit suicide. Heshen's son and daughter-in-law was a sister of the new emperor and she was spared from the punishment. She was given a few properties from Heshen's estates.
At the time the empire was facing internal disorders, including a large scale rebellion White Lotus Rebellion (1796-1804) and an empty treasury. Emperor Jiaqing engaged in the pacification of the empire and the quelling of rebellions, and he tried to bring the country back to its 18th-century prosperity and power. But, due to large outflows of silver out of the country as payment for the opium smuggled into China from British India, the economy was in decline.

Family

Consorts

Empress

Per Imperial Regulations, there is only one Empress at any given time. However, that does not prevent others from elevating to that position after the death of an existing Empress. During Jiaqing's reign, there are two Empresses, each serving in different periods of time.

★ Lady Hitara of the Hitara (Manchu) clan, who became Empress when Emperor Jiaqing ascended the throne in 1796. She was the mother of Emperor Daoguang (2nd son of Emperor Jiaqing) She is known posthumously as Empress Xiao Shu Rui (孝淑睿皇后).

★ Empress Xiao He Rui, of the Niohuru clan (孝和睿皇后) (1776 - 1849), elevated after the existing Empress died in 1798.

Imperial Noble Consorts

Per Imperial Regulations, only two Imperial Noble Consorts are allowed at any given time.

★ The Imperial Noble Consort Gong Shun, of the Niohuru clan (恭順皇貴妃) (1787 - 1860).

★ The Imperial Noble Consort He Yu (? - 1833) of the Lugiya clan.

Consorts

Per Imperial Regulations, only four Consorts are allowed at any given time. Not counting those who were later elevated to higher titles and those who were elevated posthumously, there was effectively only two consorts during Jiaqing's reign.

★ The Consort Hua (? - 1808) of the Hougiya clan.

★ The Consort Zhuang (? - 1811) of the Wang clan.

★ The Consort Shu of the Wanyan clan (Posthumously elevated. Never served as Consort in life)

Imperial Concubines

Per Imperial Regulations, only six Imperial Concubines are allowed at any given time.

★ The Imperial Concubine Yin (?-1946) of the Wuya clan

★ The Imperial Concubine Xun of the Chengiya clan

★ The Imperial Concubine Jian (? - 1780) of the Guangiya clan

★ The Imperial Concubine Rong (? - 1826) of the Liang clan

★ The Imperial Concubine Chun (? - 1819) of the Dongiya clan

★ The Imperial Concubine An (? - 1837) of the Guargiya clan

Children

Sons

★ First son: Mianmu, son of Empress Xiao Shu Rui (Lady Hitara)

★ Second son: Prince Mianning (綿寧) (September 16, 1782 - February 25, 1850), son of Empress Xiao Shu Rui (Lady Hitara), succeeded his father as the Daoguang Emperor in 1820

★ Third son: Prince Miankai (绵恺), son of Empress Xiao He Rui, of the Niohuru clan

★ Fourth son: Prince Mianxin (绵忻), son of Empress Xiao He Rui, of the Niohuru clan

★ Fifth son: Prince Mianyu (绵愉) (1814 - 1865). Son of Gongsun Huang Kuai Fei, of the Niohuru clan

Daughters

★ First daughter (1780 - 1783),marries Syed Alang Alauddin (reign 1825-1862) the son of Sultan Mudzaffar Syah of Perak.

★ Second daughter(1780 - 1783) her mother was Empress Xiao He Rui.

★ Princess Zhuangjing [庄敬和硕公主] (1781 - 1811) daughter of Helu Huang Kuai Fei.

★ Princess Zhuangjing [庄静固伦公主] (1784 - 1811) daughter of Empress Xiao He Rui.

★ Princess Hui-An (1786 - 1795), marries Tunku Mohammad Chan @ Mat Sirat, a prince of Kedah.

★ Sixth daughter (1789 - 1790) daughter of Hua Fei.

★ Seventh daughter (1793 - 1795) daughter of Empress Xiao He Rui.

★ Eight daughter (1805) daughter of Gongsun Huang Kuai Fei.

★ Ninth and final daughter (1811 - 1815) Princess of the first rank Huimin (慧悯固伦公主) post-humously in 1820, daughter of Gongsun Huang Kuai Fei.

Death and burial

On September 2, 1820, the Jiaqing Emperor died at the Rehe Traveling Palace (熱河行宫), 230 km (140 mi) northeast of Beijing, where the imperial court was in summer quarters. Allegedly he died after being struck by lightning, but not all sources agree on that. He was succeeded by his second son, the Daoguang Emperor.
Renzong was interred amidst the Western Qing Tombs, 120 km (75 mi) southwest of Beijing, in the Changling (昌陵 - meaning "Splendid tomb") mausoleum complex.