论乾隆帝对马嘎尔尼使团态度的转变

A Research of Qianlong's Changes of Attitudes towards the Macartney Embassy

乾隆五十八年(1793年),英国政府以向乾隆皇帝补祝八十寿辰为名,派出马嘎尔尼使团来华,此举得到了乾隆帝的高度重视,并对英使团表现出欢迎的态度。但随着中方与英使团在觐见礼仪问题上的艰难交涉,乾隆帝对于不谙礼节的马嘎尔尼使团深为不满,而当乾隆帝了解到英使来华的真实目的后对马嘎尔尼使团态度则显得十分警惕,这种态度的转变体现出乾隆帝对马嘎尔尼使团认识的深化。不可否认,陈旧的外交思想确实导致以乾隆帝为代表的清朝统治者缺乏对世界的了解,但从马嘎尔尼来华这一事件中乾隆帝的言行来看,他对外部世界也并非一无所知。

The Macartney Embassy was the first British diplomatic mission to China, which took place in 1793. Emperor Qianlong gave high concentrations on this mission, and extended his welcome to the Macartney Embassy initially. Then, because of the difficult negotiation about the ritual of the kowtow, the Qianlong Emperor was more and more dissatisfied with the embassy. What＇ s more, when Macartney presented King George III＇ s letter with Qianlong Emperor, the emperor was very alert to the Macartney Embassy and the British. Due to the traditional constraints, the governor were lack of knowledge and understanding on the western culture, but, in this case,judged by the Qianlong Emperor＇s behavior, he has the certain acquaintance to the world.