The story of the national seal 98 fake seals has emerged
In the third year of Qianlong, that is, in 1738 AD, when Gao Bin governed the Yellow River, he got an ancient seal, and after Qianlong inspected, he personally wrote the edict: "The jade seal obtained, Gu Ze is lovely, although the text coincides with Cai Pingzhong's book in the "Dropout Record", but I think it is a good thing to imitate the carving, and the seal is stored in the other hall, as a good old vessel. Qin Xi simmering embers, the ancients have been very detailed, even if it still exists, how can the things of winning politics and Li Si's tyranny be stored together with the national seal of this dynasty? Yu Yi is inappropriate! If Lourdes is insufficient, the danger of mountains and rivers, the wealth of the soil, give it to others, and the people without virtue will not benefit the country if they hold this area. If you can diligently cultivate the order and make the people happy, then the government order will be unified and run thousands of miles. Who dares to be disrespectful? Therefore, the treasure is not a treasure, but the treasure is virtuous! ”
The Qing Emperor had this understanding, so the good deeds did not take Qin Xi as his intention, and no one reported that he had found the seal of the country.
Emperor Qianlong, influenced by the times, history, geography and philosophy, faced with Western civilization, did not know much.
Lao Tzu said that the shadows and shadows are sufficient, always floating in front of him: "Small countries and widows, so that there are hundreds of weapons and do not use, their people die heavily and do not travel far, although there are boats and vehicles, there is no use, although there are soldiers, there is nothing to show." Its people use the rope again, they are willing to eat, they are beautiful, they live in peace, they are happy, their neighbors look at each other, the voices of chickens and dogs are heard, and the old and dead do not interact with each other. ”
(Zhao Mengfu's calligraphy "Tao Te Ching")
After repeated pleas from foreigners, the state reluctantly agreed to open Guangzhou in 1757 to trade with Westerners, and added many cumbersome rules, which made Westerners laugh.
(Guangzhou 13 Lines)
In 1792, the queen of Great Britain, the initiator of modern civilization, sent a special envoy, Lord Macartney, to come to China in the name of wishing Qianlong a birthday, but Qianlong refused several times.
What kind of country Britain was at that time was at a loss for the Chinese at that time.
Later, we learned that since 1763, a man named Watt improved the steam power unit of the blacksmith Newcomen, creating a steam engine that could move continuously.
The advent of the steam engine has freed human beings from relying on manpower, animal power, wind power, and water power as power sources, and has used their own power to drive the machine, releasing huge productivity. This is another epoch-making event in human history after artificial fire, and it is a historic leap.
(Hargreaves "Jenny Spinning Machine")
Watt applied Blake's discoveries and principles in thermal, which was the germ of the combination of science and technology. The original steam engine could only move in one direction, and Watt was supported by the button manufacturer Bolton in the process of rebuilding the steam engine. In 1782, Watt made a double-acting steam engine, also known as a universal steam engine, and completed the whole process of steam engine manufacturing. Bolton became the first manufacturer of the steam engine, a combination of capital and technology, and the first industrial capitalist in human history, who promoted large-scale industrial production. The original steam engine was produced by hand, each one was different, and the degree of precision was not high, and with the deepening of production, the machine manufacturing industry that used machines to make machines was applied.
In the thirties of the 19th century, the British machine manufacturing industry completed the mechanization, and Britain became the first country in human history to realize the industrial revolution. After the invention of the steam engine in Britain, European and American countries competed to use it, and mankind entered the era of industrial steam. This is the evolution of mankind from agricultural civilization to industrial civilization, and from traditional society to modern society.
During this period, Britain, which accounts for 2 percent of the world's population and 10 percent of Europe's population, produced more than half of the world's industrial products and enjoyed the reputation of "the world's factory".
(Inventor of the First Industrial Revolution)
The vast sea can no longer block the people of all countries, and the society of "small countries and widows" who have never interacted with each other can no longer exist alone.
With the growth of national power, Britain began a large-scale colonial conquest to replace Spain and become a real "empire on which the sun never sets". In 1711, there was a massive immigration to Australia and New Zealand, and in 1733, thirteen colonies were established in North America. In 1757, he gained control of East Hindusan, in 1763, he conquered the French Nova Scotia Peninsula, the Newfoundland and Hudson coasts, conquered Canada and the area east of the Mississippi River, in 1784, he conquered Sumatra and Malacca from the Netherlands, and in 1786, ceded Penang from the Sultan of Kedah.
The accumulation of capital, largely dependent on colonization, was a process of blood and fire.
Marx appraised and pointed out: "The barbaric and brutal crimes committed by the so-called Christian race against all the peoples they can enslave in all parts of the world are unmatched by any barbaric and brutal race in any period in the world!"
The colonialists were guilty of the slave trade and the massacre of the indigenous population. This is what Marx said: "Capital is born, and every pore is dripping with filthy blood."
And all this seems to be very far away from China.
King George III appointed the Governor of Bangladesh, Earl Magalni, as his envoy to establish stable commercial relations with China and conduct trade negotiations.
Britain longed for friendship with China, and the British king thought he had the strength. Magalny chose Sir George Staunton, who was more familiar with China, as his lieutenant and secretary, and carried gifts worth £15,000 worth of £19, 600 boxes, and 590 pieces, reflecting the advanced culture of Britain and the world.
In order to teach these civilizations to the Chinese, there was also an astronomer, Dr. Ding Weiti, in the mission.
On September 26, 1792, Magarny set out from Plymouth Harbour with a 60-gun warship "Lion", together with five ships, including "Jackal" and "Hindustan", from Plymouth Harbor to China.
At that time, there were Chinese fans in Europe, and the legend was that the Chinese were "the smartest and most polite people in the world." China is governed by the teachings of Confucius, and Leibniz said, "Obey the elders and respect the elderly." Voltaire said: "Morally, Europeans should become Chinese apprentices."
Magalny was also an Englishman who held the same view, and he tried his best to accomplish the task of friendly trade between China and Britain. "Britain is strong, but it doesn't affect respect for China," he said. Before leaving, British Foreign Secretary Henry Dundas instructed Magalny: "Be flexible and compromised."
On August 5, 1793, the delegation arrived at Baihekou in Tianjin and was received by Guo Shixun, the governor of Zhili.
In his report to the emperor, Guo Shixun said that "Yingyi" had come to "pay tribute" and "wish" long live, which was approved by the emperor and could be received.
Emperor Qianlong believed that the "Four Yi came to the court" was an ordinary "tributary gift", and in line with the principle of "thin and thick exchanges", he dealt with the matter with the envoys of various countries.
Magalny presented gifts to the Chinese side, one is astronomical instruments, such as celestial orbiters, globes, telescopes, lenses, barometers; One is industrial equipment, including steam engines, cotton spinning machines, carding machines and looms; The military armament was a running musket and a two-section air gun, flowering ammunition, as well as a howitzer and a model of the giant battleship "Sovereign".
A dispute arose over how to salute the emperor, and Magalny almost did not see the emperor.
George III's letter to Emperor Qianlong, written in Alain Perrefit's The Stagnant Empire: The Collision of Two Worlds, states: "Brotherly because of our respective thrones." "If a brotherhood is built between us forever, we will be extremely happy."
George III and Emperor Qianlong "called each other brothers," which was a great taboo in China. The Chinese emperor was a "lonely man" and a "widow," and no one could be his equal. Therefore, Emperor Qianlong was "deeply uncomfortable with this!"
The dilemma of the "liturgical controversy" is that the British "do not bow down to anyone but God." Magalny said: "Even when you see the king, you just kneel down on one knee and kiss your hand." It is obviously not in line with the national character of the British to ask the British to bow down to the Chinese emperor according to the Chinese etiquette norms.
For the Chinese court, "three kneels and nine knocks" is the discourse system of China's external consciousness and maintenance of domestic order, and the Qing court cannot give up the etiquette of kneeling and worshipping! In the end, the Qianlong Emperor agreed to bow down on one knee on the grounds that the barbarians did not understand Chinese etiquette.
On September 14, Emperor Qianlong received Magarni in the Wanshuyuan of the Rehe Palace, and Magarni knelt on both knees.
A minister immediately wrote a poem: "Once you arrive at the palace to the knees, the power of heaven can make ten thousand hearts descend." Later, in China, it was falsely spread that Westerners had eagle noses, cat's eyes, no kneecaps, straight legs and could not bend, and if they did not eat Chinese rhubarb and tea, they would rot their intestines and become blind.
Today, this first formal diplomatic exchange between China and Britain is an opportunity for China to integrate into and embrace the modern international community, and the initiative is in the hands of Emperor Qianlong. Emperor Qianlong believed, "The Celestial Empire is rich in products and has everything, and it is not through foreign goods, so as to pass through nothing." ”
He replied to the King. His words said: "The Emperor of Fengtian carried the edict to King Yingkali to know that the king of Shier, far away in the ocean, devoted himself to the transformation, the special envoy respectfully bowed to the court, sailed to the court, bowed long live, and prepared the prescription things, with the general's heart." I reviewed the text, and the words were sincere, and I was deeply commended for the deferential sincerity of the king. "The Celestial Empire has four seas, and it is not expensive KitKat."
(Decree of Emperor Qianlong, collection of the British Museum.) ）
The envoy and his entourage were rewarded with a large number of enamels, treasures, jadeware, lacquerware, satin, picture albums, snuff bottles, fans, Pu'er tea, tea paste, and food, and were escorted out of Beijing by Songyun, the minister of the Imperial Mission.
On September 6, 1794, Magalny returned to England and saw that "China is a theocratic and autocratic empire, and it is only a majestic ruin." The people live under the most vile tyranny, in fear of being beaten by the board, they bind the feet of women, they kill babies, and the rulers are cruel but cowardly. China will eventually degenerate into a state of barbarism and poverty. His opinion was: "There is no way to make it a great nation except to be conquered by a civilized nation."
In 1815, Britain defeated Napoleon and again wanted to make peace with China. In the twenty-first year of Jiaqing, in 1816 of the Gregorian calendar, Britain once again sent Lord Amsterd to China, and his deputy was still George Staunton. Foreign Minister Gasol River gave a special instruction to Amster: "In view of the fact that Magalny has not completed his mission, you should be received as soon as you arrive at the Emperor's court, and in accordance with all the etiquette of that court."
After Amsterd came to China, he had a long-term etiquette dispute with the minister who received him, Su Leng'e, which led to Su Leng'e being dismissed from his post and questioned. Amsterd changed from "take off your hat three times and bow nine times" to "kneel on one knee, bow your head nine times, and repeat three times." The successor minister and Shitai really couldn't get along, so they gave the emperor a recital, saying that the British envoy agreed to kneel three times and bow nine times. In fact, he wanted to take advantage of the exhaustion of the British envoy to forcibly complete the etiquette.
At the end of the day, Amsterd arrived at the Old Summer Palace and still insisted on his opinion. Seeing this, He Shitai beckoned the guards to rush up, wanting to set up Amster and drag him into the palace, but the two sides pushed and shoved up, which was like a riot. Helplessly, he reported to the emperor with Shitai, saying that the British envoy had a tired journey and was sick and could not be a gift. In this way, He Shitai was also dismissed and questioned, and the British envoy was sent out of the country. Amsterd and Staunton believed that even if they knelt three times and bowed nine times, it would be impossible to complete the mission, and it could only be a process of saluting first and then soldiering.
Marx said: "The British cannons undermined the authority of the Chinese emperor and forced the Celestial Empire to come into contact with the earthly world."
(Qing and British generals)
In the twenty-first year of Jiaqing, that is, in 1816 of the Gregorian calendar, the British sent Amsterd to China, but because of the dispute over court etiquette, Ah Shi did not see the Chinese emperor at all.
On June 29, 1873, envoys from Japan, Russia, the United States, Britain, France, and the Netherlands met with Emperor Tongzhi at the Ziguang Pavilion. This time, the method of discussion was to change the kneeling salute to a bow and a bow, and the specific method was to bow five times, and the Japanese suggested that after the five bows, three more bows should be added.
The change in the prostration was a major turning point in the Qing Dynasty and modern Chinese history.