A Flourishing but Starving Age: Gains and Losses in the Qianlong Reign
- Description:
- Impressions:
Zhang Hongjie’s A Flourishing but Starving Age reconsiders the Qianlong era, often seen as the Qing dynasty’s golden age. While outwardly prosperous, the reign hid deep fiscal, social, and demographic crises. Zhang shows how “flourishing” and “starving” coexisted, painting a paradoxical picture of power and decline. Drawing on economic data, political records, and cultural analysis, he demonstrates that the Qianlong prosperity carried within it the seeds of the dynasty’s long-term weakness. This book is both a penetrating historical study and a reflection on governance, reform, and the dangers of unchecked authority.
