Prosperity with the Help of "Villains," 1776-1799: A Review of the Heshen Clique and Its Era

Abstract

The late Qianlong period (ca. 1776-1795) has mostly been seen as the time when the Qing empire went from its pinnacle into its decline as the bureaucracy became bogged down in corruption. Heshen has come to epitomize late Qing venality and mismanagement. This article argues that, in reality, the Qianlong emperor employed Heshen and his associates in order to overcome the political crisis that marred the middle years of his reign. A balance of power was established whereby the cliques respectively represented by Akedun and Liu Tongxun and by Heshen held each other in check. It is also shown that the wealth that Heshen is alleged to have accumulated through his corrupt activities was far less than commonly believed, and that Heshen could not significantly abuse his political authority until about the time of Qianlong's abdication, four years before his own demise.