Jesuits, Kangxi Emperor, and the Compilation of European Mathematics

The Kangxi period (1662–1722) is a pivotal time in the history of Chinese science. Deeply influenced by the conflict between Yang Guangxian (1597–1669) and the Jesuits in the 1660s, the Kangxi emperor (1654–1722) began to study European sciences. He not only learned Western science himself but also encouraged his sons to learn from the Jesuits. In 1713, he established the Academy of Mathematics to promote the calendar reform. Using both Chinese and European sources, I will reconstruct the activities of the Academy of Mathematics within a global and social context, as well as its connection to the grand celebration of Kangxi’s sixtieth birthday in 1713. I also aim to highlight the roles of the Jesuits, the Kangxi Emperor, Prince Yinzhi (1677–1732), and the scholars involved in the translation and compilation of the mathematical encyclopedia Shuli jingyun (數理精蘊, Imperially Commissioned Basic Mathematical Principles) from an institutional perspective.