The Kangxi Emperor, helped by his grandmother and several royal advisors, began ruling China when he was only 7 years old. He began ruling by himself at age 15.
He is the longest-ruling emperor in Chinese history, and one of the most successful. He protected China from attacks from the Mongols and Russians, and helped to unify its many provinces. The Kangxi Emperor also supported culture and the arts. Under his reign, scholars created the the Kangxi Dictionary, the most complete dictionary of Chinese characters.
Cool facts:
1. The Kangxi Emperor had more children than any other Chinese emperor—more than 30!
2. In 1696, the emperor personally led three armies, totalling about 80,000 troops, against the Dzungars in Mongolia.
3. The Kangxi Emperor liked to read and appreciated books and poetry. He wrote a preface to a collection of 50,000 poems by over 2,200 writers in 1707.
