Qing Literati’s Quiet Resistance against Qianlong’s Condemnation of Qian Qianyi

Abstract

The deeds and words of the well-known Ming–Qing historical figure Qian Qianyi (1582–1664), as well as his name, suddenly turned into taboos in local histories during the high Qing due to the Qianlong emperor’s condemnation of Qian for serving two dynasties. Nevertheless, the sources in the gazetteers reveal that the imperial measures could hardly achieve the emperor’s goal, neither eradicating the non-censored publications during the Qianlong literary inquisition nor prohibiting the use of Qian’s works in the gazetteers compiled after the edict. This phenomenon discloses how everyday resistance was practiced by some local Chinese literati during and after the Qianlong reign in their struggle against the cultural hegemony of the imperial court.