In 1706, at the height of the Chinese Rites Controversy, the Kangxi Emperor appointed two Jesuit missionaries, Fathers Antonio de Barros and Antoine de Beauvollier, as his special envoys to Rome.

When he ascended to the throne, Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) inherited an affluent monarchy from his industrious grandfather, Emperor Kangxi, and father, Emperor Yongzheng.

He was not only a teacher of Emperor Kangxi but also the chief editor of the Kangxi Dictionary, a Chinese dictionary published in 1716 and considered from the time of its publishing until the ...