In 1793, George Macartney became Britain’s first envoy to imperial China, and set off one of the greatest power shifts in history. The impasse that resulted from Macartney’s refusal to agree to kowtow to the Emperor Qianlong causes great reverberations even today, and is still a source of tension between Beijing and the West.
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Summary
In 1793, George Macartney became Britain’s first envoy to imperial China, and set off one of the greatest power shifts in history. The impasse that resulted from Macartney’s refusal to agree to kowtow to the Emperor Qianlong causes great reverberations even today, and is still a source of tension between Beijing and the West.
Description
In 1793, George Macartney introduced two of the leading empires of his age, and set off one of the greatest power shifts in history. ‘Kowtow: Georgian Britain, Imperial China and the Irishman who Introduced Them’ tells the story of Macartney, Britain's first Ambassador to China, and his career that spanned the globe, from the Caribbean to India, from Brazil to Indonesia, and then finally through China to Peking. Kowtow explains why Macartney’s embassy was needed, and examines the nature and personalities of the Ambassador and his imperial host, the Emperor Qianlong. The reader will journey with Macartney across the world into Peking’s Summer Palace, before crossing over the Great Wall to Qianlong’s summer hunting grounds in Rehe. The story of the Macartney mission provides significant lessons for modern diplomatic engagements and trade relations, and still causes great reverberations today. As a result, his mission represents one of the major missed opportunities in history and the challenges faced by Macartney still finds echoes in relations between China and the West.
About the Author
Eoin McDonnell is a former Director of the Ireland China Institute, and previously handled Chinese investment for IDA Ireland, the Irish Government’s investment promotion agency. He holds an MPhil in Chinese Studies from Oxford, a BA in History and Political Science from Trinity College, Dublin, and was formerly Senior Researcher on China at the IIEA. He now works for Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs.
In 1793, George Macartney introduced two of the leading empires of his age, and set off one of the greatest power shifts in history. 'Kowtow: Georgian Britain, Imperial China and the Irishman who Introduced Them' tells the story of Macartney, Britain's first Ambassador to China, and his career that spanned the globe, from the Caribbean to India, from Brazil to Indonesia, and then finally through China to Peking. Kowtow explains why Macartney's embassy was needed, and examines the nature and personalities of the Ambassador and his imperial host, the Emperor Qianlong. The reader will journey with Macartney across the world into Peking's Summer Palace, before crossing over the Great Wall to Qianlong's summer hunting grounds in Rehe. The story of the Macartney mission provides significant lessons for modern diplomatic engagements and trade relations, and still causes great reverberations today. As a result, his mission represents one of the major missed opportunities in history and the challenges faced by Macartney still finds echoes in relations between China and the West.
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