The compilation of the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries (Ssu-k'u ch' an-shu) was one of the most ambitious intellectual projects of the Ch'ing dynasty. I

Preliminary Material -- Introduction -- The Imperial Initiative -- The Scholars' Response -- Scholars and Bureaucrats at the Ch'ien-lung Court: -- Reviewing the

Qianlong, the great 18th-century Emperor, ruled China for 60 years, during which time the country became the mot wealthy and populous nation in the world. An op