Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912) - The Last Dynasty of China

Introduction

The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China. It was founded in Manchuria which is a vast region that lies in the northeast of China. The dynasty was founded by Nurhaci who was a Manchu. The Manchus are now ethnic minority in China. The Qing Dynasty was originally founded in 1616 during the time period of Ming Dynasty. In its early days the dynasty was called Later Jin Dynasty. However, the Dynasty changed its name to "Qing" Dynasty which means "clear", in 1936. The Dynasty was founded when Nurhaci a chieftain of a small Jurchen tribe decided to unite all the Jurchen tribes in northeastern China. By 1616 he had control over the whole Jianzhou region where these small tribes were. Due to this, Nurhaci labeled himself the Khan of "Great Jin" and established the Later Jin Dynasty. With the possession of enough men and resources under him; Nurhace began to threaten the Ming Dynasty even more. With the collaboration of the Mongols he was able to get the latest weapons in fighting the Ming Dynasty. Due to the advanced technology many major Ming cities fell into the hands of Nurhaci. By 1625 Ming Dynasty had lost a lot of its land to Nurhaci. However, towards his death the Later Jin Dynasty had to suffer military defeats to the Ming due to the advanced cannons they used which they got from Europe. After the death of Nurhaci, Huang Taiji took over. Huang Taiji addressed the military issues by strengthening the artillery and armed forces. He also captured Korea and brought his Mongolian allies under his control. With the help of the Koreans and Mongolians he was able to capture the remaining Ming strong holds. Seeing Taiji's troop advance quickly, the remaining Ming soldiers and officials surrendered. Taiji also renamed the Dynasty into Qing Dynasty. By 1644 the Qing had also captured Beijing , and now had full control over the almost the whole of present China. The Qing Dynasty was officially established and recognized in 1644 after taking over Beijing the "forbidden city." Beijing became the capital and the Qing now had control over the whole China. Beijing fell to Emperor Shunzhi, who took power after the death of Taiji. Shunzhi became the Third Emperor of Qing Dynasty and the First Emperor to rule over China proper after taking over Beijing ("Qing Dynasty).

(The map shows the amount of land under the Qing Dynasty.
The dark green shows Qing China while light green shows affiliated states.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qing_Dynasty

Reasons for Takeover

The Qing Dynasty was able to takeover power from the Ming Dynasty because of the rapid rise of a Manchu leader named Nurhaci. Nurhaci united various tribes in Manchuria under him. He then asked the Ming Army if his tribe can help support and help then. His offer was turned down and later he decided to break all his ties with the Ming Court. Nurhaci continued to exploit the weaknesses of the Ming government and he took control over all the tribes near Manchuria. Later Nurhaci declared war on the Ming Empire and fierce battles took place. The Ming Army was led by Yuan Chinghuan a brilliant field marshal. Under Yuan the Ming Army was able to keep out the Manchus. Yuan got the Ming Army to win many crucial battles and with the cannons imported from Europe he was able to defend key cities and passages to keep Nurhaci and his men out. Despite his heroics and brilliance in war against the Manchus; Yuan was executed in 1630. Yuan was accused for helping the Manchus in carrying our raids on the Ming Army. After the execution of Yuan, the job got a lot easier for the Qing Army as the generals after him were very incapable and inexperienced. After Yuan the Qing Army found a lot of success in key battles and many key cities fell to them. After Yuan the army was caught in a dilemma. The Ming Army was unable to keep the Manchus (Qing) out of their territory and their weaknesses helped motivate other rebells in the Ming Empire. The peasants were no longer afraid of the weak and defeated Ming Army, and due to this a peasant soldier Li Zicheng staged a rebellion. Li Zicheng staged a rebellion against the Ming government because they were unable to provide much needed supplies to the soldiers in Shaanxi. The Ming Army captured Li and released him only after he promised to return to service. However the Ming generals later slaughtered all his fellow rebels which angered Li. Li then decided to launch a rebellion with his fellow soldiers. Li took over key Ming cities with the help of his fellow soldiers. His influence spread rapidly and the poor peasants who had nothing to loose decided to join him. Li and his men marched into Beijing where the city was surrendered to him and the last Ming emperor committed suicide. This ended the Ming Dynasty forever. On the other hand, the hungry unpaid Ming forces who couldn't control issues in the empire and outside were quickly defeated by the Qing as they tried to march in through the Great wall of China. The Qing faced no opposition as the remaining Ming troops fled. After hearing the Ming advances Li and his men fled Beijing. Beijing was left unguarded for Qing emperor, and he quickly took over it. On the other hand, Li committed suicide and his supporters were hunted down and executed. The simple reason to why Qing Dynasty took over the Ming was because the Ming Dynasty became too weak. The Ming had no control over the vast land and they suffered economic problems. The Ming were unable to feed the peasants or prevent the Manchus from increasing their power. Furthermore, the task got easier for Qing due to Li Zicheng who took over Beijing and defeated the Ming internally like a termite ("Qing Dynasty").

(A portrait of Li Zicheng)

www.chinatourguide.net/3_1.htm

Leaders of the Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty had a total of 12 emperors ruling between 1616 to 1912. Of the 12 emperors, 10 were the emperors of proper China while the first two were the leaders that helped establish and begin the Qing Dynasty, and get it to rule proper China. All the 12 leaders and the years from which to which they ruled are listed below ("List of Emperors of the Qing Dynasty").

1. Emperor Nurhaci (1616-1626) - Founded the Qing Dynasty by combing tribes in Manchuria and first named it as "Later Jin Dynasty." He fought the Ming Empire for control over China ("Qing Dynasty").


2. Emperor Huang Taiji (1626-1643) - Came to power after the death of Emperor Nurhaci. Taiji continued the battle against the Ming Dynasty. Got a lot of success against the Ming and conquered some important cities. He also changed the name of the Dynasty from "Later Jin Dynasty" to "Qing Dynasty" ("Qing Dynasty").


3. Emperor Shunzhi (1643-1661) - Under him Qing Dynasty took over Beijing. He became the first Qing emperor to rule proper China ("Qing Dynasty").


4. Emperor Kangxi (1661-1722) - The longest ruling Emperor in Chinese history. Ruled for 61 years and he became the second emperor to rule proper China. China flourished under him and his reign is celebrated as "Kang-Qian Golden Age." China prospered in all sectors in his time period ("Qing Dynasty").


5. Emperor Yongzheng (1722-1735) - China continued to prosper under his rule. Qing Dynasty was the most powerful under his rule and governed more than 13 million sq km of territory ("Qing Dynasty").


6. Emperor Qianlong (1735-1796) - The son of Emperor Yongzheng. China continued to prosper under him as well. He was a very fine general and helped put down many revolts in southern China ("Qing Dynasty").


7. Emperor Jiaqing (1796-1820) - Son of Emperor Qianlong. he tried to stop the smuggling of Opium in China. He also tried to make China corruption free ("Jiaqing Emperor").


8. Emperor Daoguang (1820-1850) - Daoguang tried to stop the increasing Opium Trade in China. He also lost the First Opium War to Europe. Due to the loss in the First Opium War; he had to give Hong Kong to Europe, and therefore became the first Qing emperor to loose territory ("Daoguang Emperor").


9. Emperor Xianfeng (1850-1861) - Xianfeng had good ability in literature. He came to thrown when the Qing Dynasty was crumbling. A lot of rebellions started under his rule. Xianfeng found very little success in crushing the rebellions ("Xianfeng Emperor").
   
10. Emperor Tongzhi (1861-1875) - Tongzhi was the son of Xianfeng. He tried to make political reforms but didn't recieve much success ("Tongzhi Emperor").


11. Emperor Guangxu (1875-1908) - Emperor Guangxu rulled indirectly under Empress Dowager Cixi. Cixi influenced his decisions and controlled him. Guangxu introduced the 100 days reform, but they couldn't be carried out since Cixi put him under house arrest after a coup ("Qing Dynasty").


12. Emperor Xuantong: commonly known as Puyi (1908-1924) - Puyi was the last Emperor of China ("Qing Dynasty").

(Emperor Nurhaci: The founder of Qing Dynasty)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Qing-Nurhaci.jpg/240px-Qing-Nurhaci.jpg

(Emperor Kangxi: The longest ruling emperor in Chinese history)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Portrait_of_the_Kangxi_Emperor_in_Court_Dress.jpg

(Emperor Puyi and Empress Wan rong)

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/d/d3/Puyi_and_Wanrong.jpg

Another Leader From the Same Time Period

Czar Nicholas II

Czar Nicholas II was the last Czar of Russia. Czar Nicholas II was a very weak leader. He was a good man but didn't have leadership qualities. During his period Russia and the people of Russia struggled a lot. Russia faced a lot of economic problems. The Czar was unable to govern such a huge nation and due to this a lot of rebellions stood up against him. Czar Nicholas II also failed to provide enough food and shelter to majority of the population of Russia. The peasants in particular were very upset with him as they had to wait in long lines to get a loaf of bread in winter. Further to add to his problems, Czar Nicholas II faced defeat in Russo-Japanese War over Manchuria. This was just not a defeat for Russia but a huge setback since they lost over 400,000 soldiers in the war. This war further worsened the economic status of the nation. However, to ignite the spark into a big fire the Bloody Sunday occurred. During the Bloody Sunday hundreds of women and children gathered outside the Winter Palace of Czar Nicholas II to ask for food. In return the guards standing outside the palace surrounded these people and slaughtered all of them. This news spread across Russia like a wildfire. People stopped working and started protesting. Rebellions started to rise and people asked for reforms. Eventually this event caused the Russian Revolution. Throughout the Russian Revolution Czar Nicholas II tried to keep things under his control, but it was too late and he failed. The revolution and the protest against him became too strong, and he was eventually forced to step down from his throne ("Nicholas II of Russia").

(A portrait of Czar Nicholas II)

http://centralpark-ny.us/pix/czarnicholasII.jpg

Accomplishments

The Qing Dynasty had made some major accomplishments during their rule over China. The Qing dynasty made important contributions in the fields of technology, economy, politics, arts, society, and religion. A lot of their accomplishments came during the time period between the establishment of Qing Empire and the First Opium war. Most of the accomplishments were made between this time period because there was hardly any war or major military battle. This time period was a time of long peace under the Qing Empire.

Technology: One of the key areas of focus for the Qing Dynasty was technology. European traders and missionaries who visited China during the rule of Qing Dynasty described the Chinese technology far more advanced than theirs.. The only way they leveled China was through an Industrial Revolution. The Europeans were impressed by the indigenous Chinese medicines which were made by the Chinese people under the Qing Dynasty. Not only that, what most impressed the Europeans was the improved suspension bridges, iron chains, a push cart with a sail, and the concept of magnetism. All these new discoveries and improvements in technology occurred under the Qing Dynasty ("Qing science, technology and inventions").

Arts: Under the Qing Dynasty arts and pottery flourished. The Qing Dynaty can be thanked for the typical rice bowls, tea pots, and tea cups we use today. The Qing pottery and art work was very different from the once of previous dynasties. The artists under the Qing Dynasty used a lot more color in their paintings and they used a variety of techniques that they learned from the previous dynasties. The Qing artists made beautiful flower vases and small boxes to keep valuables in. Later, due to the western influence; their paintings also showed some European techniques ("Qing Fine Arts").

Economy: The Qing Dynasty focused a lot on agriculture. A lot of the population of China under the Qing dynasty was dependent on agriculture. This caused a rapid increase in the agriculture sector. Due to this the Qing Dynasty placed a all time low taxes on agriculture. Under the Qing Dynasty the agriculture taxes were at their lowest ever. The Qing Dynasty also focused on trades with India and Europe. The Qing Dynasty traded tea, peanuts, potatoes, and corn. Great canal systems were also dug to connect the rivers with other parts of China. These canals helped quicken transport across China. Silk industry also prospered under the Qing due to its increase demand in Europe ("Qing Economy").

Religion: Majority of the people under the Qing Dynasty believed in Confucianism. Many missionaries from France and America tried to convert them into Christians; however they failed as the Chinese were strict followers of Confucianism ("Qing Religion").

Politics: Each position in the central government had a Han and a Manchu assigned to it under the Qing Dynasty. To help the guards distinguish members of his own family from the Hans, Emperor Qianlong came up with a clever idea. Emperor Qianlong got the manchus to wear garments with a circle at the back. The circle at the back showed the guards that the person was from a Manchu family. On the other hand, Emperor Qianlong asked the Hans to wear garments with a square at the back to show the guards that they are Hans and not Manchus or king;s relative. The Qing Dynasty also developed an advance military to help secure its territory. Seeing the power of the Western Military the Qing rulers decided to westernize their military and make it more powerful. The Qing Dynasty was the first dynasty of China who first decided to modernize and westernize their army. In order to do so they created a new Beiyang army which had all the modern equipments and was similar to European Army ("Qing Dynasty").

Society: Unlike other dynasties the Qing Dynasty valued the people they captured in wars. The Qing Dynasty just didn't put the people captured in war into prison. Soldiers captured in war under the Qing Dynasty were given a second chance to help the dynasty govern China. These people were given social status as well for serving the country. After Beijing feel to the hands of the Qing Dynasty; the soldiers caught many Ming government officials. Instead of putting them in jail, the Qing Dynasty asked them to retain their positions and help govern China ("Qing Dynasty").

(A small box made and designed by the artists of Qing Dynasty)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:FFM-QingRotlackDose.JPG

(Flower vases from the Qing Dynasty)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Qing-dynasty-vases.jpg

(A painting made by an artist under the Qing Dynasty)

http://www.xabusiness.com/images/china-resources/classic-paintings/large/1-10-7.jpg

REASON OF FALL

Towards the end of the 19th century the Qing rule over China started to weaken dramatically. The Qing Dynasty failed to come with a strong emperor after Emperor Qianlong. After Emperor Qianlong the Qing Dynasty started to crumble. The two Opium Wars that were fought against the Europeans resulted in big defeats for the Qing. The Qing army had to suffer heavy causalities and a lot of civilians also were killed. China's infrastructure was damaged heavily, and above all, China lost Hong Kong to the Europeans. All these events led to the rise of a lot of rebellions but majority of them were crushed successfully. However, one rebellion which hurt the Qing the most and eventually let to their downfall was the Xinhai Revolution. The Revolution happened in the city of Wuchang which was the home to China's latest modernized army. The revolution itself was a mistake. The revolution started when some Russian revolutionaries were making bombs in Wuchang, and one of their bomb exploded. This explosion caused the local cops to do an investigation, and as a result of the investigation they arrested soldiers of the "New Army." These arrests angered the soldiers of the "New Army" which was China's most modern and well trained army at the time. The soldiers decided to follow the teachings of Sun Yat-sen, a great leader and philosopher whose teachings of a revolution really inspired the soldiers. The soldiers decided to do arrange a coup, and within a day Wuchang fell to them as the local policemen fled. Soon after that; the soldiers sent messages to the other provinces for their support and to ask them to announce their independence from the Qing rule. The news spread quickly and soon 15 provinces had announced their independence from the Qing declaring themselves republic. All these rebellions could have been put down if the Qing would have taken them seriously and acted quickly. Their delay in acting caused the rebellion to spread wisely and when they tried to put it down, it became too late. Seeing the situation worsen the Qing government decided to bring back general Yuan Shikai whom they fired earlier. Yuan Shikai was brought back to crush the rebellion however he had some other plans. Yuan decided to become the Prime Minister and he created his own cabinet. Yuan then decided to rule the Qing politics by playing poitical games. Yuan convinced the people and the government that going into war with Sun Yat-sen will be too expensive and a waste of time. Eventually Yuan decided to ally with Sun who was his fellow commander of the Beiyang Army. Both Yuan and Sun discussed the future republic and both made an agreement that Yuan will be the president of the republic. After a round of negotiations between the two leaders; they decided to form a republic and bring the abdication of the child leader Puyi. With the abdication of Puyi; the Qing Dynasty and Imperialism came to an end in China, and China became a republic. However, the republic government didn't last for long as Communism soon took over ("Wuchang Uprising").

(Yuan Shikai the president of China after it became a republic. He played a part in the downfall of Qing Dynasty.)

http://www.dictatorofthemonth.com/Shikai/Okt2006ShikaiDE.htm

Bibliography

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7. "Qing science, technology and inventions." 15 Jan 2008 http://jds.cass.cn/english/20061130105745.asp.
8. "Nicholas II of Russia." Wikipedia. 14 Jan 2008. Wikipedia. 15 Jan 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_II_of_Russia.
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