(Brigham Young University)
Poetry of Ministers and Generals on Emperor Qianlong’s Military Victory in Taiwan
68th Annual Meeting of the PIAC, Bangkok 2026
Emperor Qianlong (乾隆) of the Qing Dynasty (1711-1799) considered the suppression of the rebellions in Taiwan (1786-1788) one of his major military achievements during his rule. Not only was he personally involved in drawing up the battle plans with the generals before they were sent to the island, he also wrote numerous poems describing the conditions of the ongoing battles and reflecting on some of his decisions that had directly affected the outcomes of those battles. When the war finally ended, the emperor held a grand banquet in his palace to welcome those generals freshly returning from Taiwan in celebration of their victories over the rebels. At the banquet, those generals as well as the accompanying high officials were asked by the emperor to each compose a poem expressing their knowledge and thoughts about the battles. In his paper I will analyze the works of some of the most prominent figures at the banquet in order to find out their inner feelings and understanding about the war in Taiwan.