From London’s harbors to Canton’s bustling hongs and the Qianlong Emperor’s Dragon Throne, Lord George Macartney’s 1792-94 mission to Great Qing unveils profound cultural divides, shaping centuries of Sino-Western relations. This series explores a pivotal diplomatic clash that redefined global history.

Time Period Covered:
1792-1794 CE

Major Historical Figures:
Qing Empire:
The Qianlong Emperor (Aisin-Gioro Hongli) [r. 1735–1796]
Chief Minister Heshen (1750–1799) 
Wang Wenxiong, mid-level imperial bureaucrat

British Empire:
Lord George Macartney, ambassador extraordinaire [1737–1806]
Sir George Staunton [1737-1801]
William Alexander [1767–1816]
John Barrow, Comptroller [1764-1848]
Sgt. Maj. Samuel Holmes, 11th Lt. Dragoons

Major Works Cited:
Berg, Maxine. The Birth of the Modern World, 1780–1914: Global Connections and Comparisons.
Cranmer-Byng, John. “The Chinese Documents Relating to the Macartney Embassy.” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1961.
Gao, Hao. Creating the Opium War: British Imperial Attitudes Toward China, 1792–1840.
Hevia, James L. Cherishing Men from Afar: Qing Guest Ritual and the Macartney Embassy of 1793.
Holmes, Samuel. Journal of the Macartney Expedition.
Macartney, Lord George. Journal of the Macartney Expedition.
Peyrefitte, Alain. The Immobile Empire: The First Great Collision of East and West. Knopf, 1992.
Qing Archival Records. Tr. in Presents and Tribute: Documents on the Macartney Embassy.
Staunton, George. An Authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://megaphone.fm/adchoices">megaphone.fm/adchoices</a>

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