The Patterns of Political Advancement of Suzhou Officials to the Highest Court Positions from Qianlong to Jiaqing Reign during the Qing

Abstract

This article examines the patterns of political advancement of Suzhou officials to the highest court positions from the Qianlong to Jiaqing reign.<BR> As the appointment of the highest ranking officials were dependent upon the imperial will and plan, the political fortune of Suzhou officials experienced ups and downs. Until the first thirty years of the Qianlong period, Suzhou produced many highest ranking officials, including grand secretaries, grand councilors, and board ministers. This success in the bureaucratic career for the Suzhou officials, however, suddenly came to a halt in the last thirty years of Qianlong’s rule. During this time, the emperor came to consolidate his negative perception of the Suzhou officials due to a series of incidents involving them. The term “evil Suzhou custom” which the emperor used to evaluate officials from Suzhou during this period succinctly encaptures the stigmatization the emperor came to attach to them.<BR> Beginning from the Jiaqing reign, however, Suzhou resumed placing its natives in the highest court positions, a trend that continued into the late 19th century. This article argues that this renewed political ascendance of Suzhou officials was the outcome of the amelioration of the stereotypical, negative image of Suzhou officials on the part of the 19th century emperors.