Yongzheng Emperor

The Yongzheng Emperor (Chinese: 雍正帝; pinyin: yōngzhèngdì) (13 December 1678–8 October 1735), born Yinzhen (胤禛), was the fifth emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, from 1722 to 1735.

Yongzheng Emperor

Quotes

• The seditious rebels claim that we are the rulers of Manchuria and only later penetrated central China to become its rulers. Their prejudices concerning the division of their and our country have caused many vitriolic falsehoods. What these rebels have not understood is the fact that Manchuria is for the Manchus the same as the birthplace is for the people of the central plain. Shun belonged to the Eastern Yi, and King Wen to the Western Yi. Does this fact diminish their virtues? (在逆贼等之意，徒谓本朝以满洲之君入为中国之主，妄生此疆彼界之私，遂故为讪谤诋讥之说耳，不知本朝之为满洲，犹中国之有籍贯，舜为东夷之人，文王为西夷之人，曾何损于圣德乎。)
  • 大义觉迷录 [Record of how great righteousness awakens the misguided], 近代中国史料丛刊 [Collectanea of materials on modern Chinese history] (Taipei: 文海出版社, 1966), vol. 36, 351–2, 1: 2b–3a

Misattributed

• "朕以外國之君,主中國之事." (I am a barbarian foreign monarch, ruling China)
  • A forged quote by anti-Qing Han nationalists posted on internet forums. This cannot be found in any Qing document by Yongzheng.

Manipulated

• ...谓本朝以满洲之君，入为中国之主... (I am an emperor of Manchu, become the master of all China.)
  • Quote taken out of context by cutting off the first and last parts of the sentence to deliberately alter the meaning. In actuality, the complete quote is Yongzheng's rejection of this point of view and says 在逆贼等之意，徒谓本朝以满洲之君入为中国之主，妄生此疆彼界之私 (The seditious rebels claim that we are the rulers of Manchuria and only later penetrated central China to become its rulers. Their prejudices concerning the division of their and our country have caused many vitriolic falsehoods.) The quote was manipulated by anti-Qing Han nationalists posted on internet forums.