Emperor of China Jonathan D. Spence Essay Example

capturing Galdan thereafter. He also stated that Galdan was overconfident and unable to think far ahead.

K’ang-Hsi was right in my opinion of how he described Galdan based on the specific tactics that he initiated when trying to capture and kill him. K’ang-Hsi relies very much off of his officials and higher ranking people within his army, he takes advice from the right people on how to proceed and initiate tactics. A proper king should rule respectively in accordance with his own civillians and more harshely in accordance with soldiers of his own army. K’ang-Hsi exhibited respect to civillians every time that his army would pass through a town.

He would warn his own soliders not to disturb them nor sleep in their churches or townhouses, but rather wherever they set up camp. Acts like that would exhibit substantial privacy and respect to his own citizens and conversely exhibiting the strict discipline that a proper ruler ought to disperse towards his own army. Another place in the book that proves my point is when he states that “good government depended on letting the people live at rest, that the way in good government was in not hurting them”. Good governing and proper ruling is based a lot upon the reputation of the people.

You should have the people of your government/society love you as a child would love his mother, that is K’ang-Hsi’s description of a proper king. The past few quotes that I stated on how a king ought to rule creates my basis for the certain traits that a king should have in order to be a proper ruler. A

proper ruler should exhibit discipline towards his army, respect among citizens, patience and thought when making important decisions, and reputation. A proper ruler shouldn’t base their reputation solely on the consent of the governed, but rather of higher ranking officials and enemies.