D. Taiwan Conquest - Part 1

Kangxi obtained Taiwan by conquest and by force of arms negotiated a peace with Russia, which set the northeastern borders of today. Military campaigns in the northwest secured the provinces of Qinghai and Xinjiang. Kangxi utilized Jesuit missionaries in his court but prevented any mass conversions. A power struggle erupted in 1705-06. The Pope had forbidden the Catholics to obey Kangxi's orders under pain of excommunication and Kangxi expelled many Catholic missionaries, Franciscan, Dominicans and Jesuits who would give allegiance to the Catholic Pope. This mutual hardline destroyed the power base of the missions and effectively prevented the spread of Western teaching and science. If either side had been more flexible, the new knowledge might have made significant change in Chinese attitudes about thought and nature.

Kangxi continued to ignore proper taxation and died in 1722 without naming an heir from among his thirteen sons. Yongzheng succeeded him primarily because the rest had left the palace at the time of death and his good friend commanded the Beijing palace guards. He speedily dispatched the rest of his brothers except the thirteenth son who he promoted. Yongzheng took over power (1723-45) at the age of 45 with a sense of mission. He spent most of his time in tax reform.