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When did Qianlong order the compilation of the Sikuquanshu?
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Qianlong
Chinese emperor Qianlong.
In 1772, the Qianlong emperor ordered the compilation of the Sikuquanshu ("Complete Library in the Four Branches of Literature").1
This massive project involved selecting and organizing the most significant texts across the four traditional divisions of Chinese learning: classical, historical, philosophical, and belles lettres. The compilation process spanned 10 years under the direction of scholars Ji Yun and Lu Xixiong, with the emperor personally intervening in the selection of texts. Seven handwritten series of the 36,275-volume work were distributed between 1782 and 1787.1