Kaozheng (Chinese: 考證; lit. 'search for evidence'[1]), alternatively called kaoju xue (考據學; 'evidential scholarship') was a Chinese school of thought emphasizing philology that was active during the Qing dynasty (1644–1912) from c. 1600 to 1850. It was most prominent during the reigns of the Qianlong Emperor and Jiaqing Emperor; because of this, it is often also referred to as the Qian–Jia school (乾嘉學派).[2] Their approach corresponds to that of modern textual criticism, and was also associated with empiricism as regards scientific topics.