The Kangxi Emperor (Chinese: 康熙; pinyin: Kāngxī; Wae-Giles: K'ang-hsi; May 4, 1654 – December 20, 1722) was the third Emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, from 1661 to 1722. His reign of 61 years makes him the longest-reigning Chinese Emperor in history and one of the longest in the world, though it should be noted that having ascended the throne aged seven, he did not exercise much, if any, control over the empire until later, that role being fulfilled by his four guardians and his grandmother the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang. Kangxi, considered one of China's greatest Emperors, was a pivotal figure in Chinese history, having defeated the Three feudatories and the Zheng Jing government on Taiwan who previously would not submit to Qing rule, expanded the Qing empire in the northwest, and achieved such literary feats as the Kangxi Dictionary, Kangxi's reign brought about long-term stability and relative wealth after years of war and chaos.