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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Sep 7, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Wade-Giles romanization: Ch’ing (Show more) Also called: Manchu dynasty or Pinyin: Manzu (Show more)Ask the Chatbot a Question
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Top Questions What is the Qing dynasty?The Qing (or Ch’ing) dynasty, also called the Manchu (or Manzu) dynasty, was the last of the imperial dynasties of China, spanning from 1644 to 1911/12.
Where was the Qing dynasty located?The Qing dynasty was primarily located in what is now China and Mongolia, along with parts of Russia.
When was the Qing dynasty established?The Qing dynasty was established in 1636 by the Manchus to designate their regime in Manchuria, in what is now northeastern China. It became the imperial dynasty of all of China in 1644 after the reigning Ming dynasty called upon the Manchus for military assistance. The Manchus used that opening to declare their own imperial rule.
What did the Qing dynasty accomplish?Under the Qing dynasty the territory of the Chinese empire expanded greatly, and the population grew from some 150 million to 450 million. Many of the non-Chinese minorities within the empire were Sinicized, and an integrated national economy was established. The dynasty’s cultural accomplishments included work with jade carving, painting, and porcelain; philological developments; and the development of jingxi (Peking opera).
Qing dynasty, the last of the imperial dynasties of China, spanning the years 1644 to 1911/12. Under the Qing the territory of the empire grew to treble its size under the preceding Ming dynasty (1368–1644), the population grew from some 150 million to 450 million, many of the non-Chinese minorities within the empire were Sinicized, and an integrated national economy was established.
The Qing dynasty was first established in 1636 by the Manchus to designate their regime in Manchuria (now the Northeast region of China). In 1644 the Chinese capital at Beijing was captured by the rebel leader Li Zicheng, and desperate Ming dynasty officials called on the Manchus for aid. The Manchus took advantage of the opportunity to seize the capital and establish their own dynasty in China. By adopting the Ming form of government and continuing to employ Ming officials, the Manchus pacified the Chinese population.
More From Britannica China: The early Qing dynastyTo guarantee Manchu control over the administration, however, the Qing made certain that half the higher-level officials were Manchus. Chinese military leaders who surrendered were given ranks of nobility, and troops were organized into the Lüying, or Army of the Green Standard, which was garrisoned throughout the country to guard against local rebellions. The regular Manchu Banner System troops (Qibing, or Baqi) were kept at the capital and in a few selected strategic spots throughout the country.
Under Kangxi (reigned 1661–1722), the second Qing emperor, the Manchus forced the Russians to abandon their fort at Albazin, located along the Manchurian border on the Amur River. In 1689 a treaty was concluded with Russia at Nerchinsk demarcating the northern extent of the Manchurian boundary at the Argun River. Over the next 40 years the Dzungar Mongols were defeated, and the empire was extended to include Outer Mongolia, Tibet, Dzungaria, Turkistan, and Nepal. Under the two succeeding emperors, Yongzheng (reigned 1722–35) and Qianlong (reigned 1735–96), commerce continued to thrive, handicraft industries prospered, and Roman Catholic missionaries were tolerated and employed as astronomers and artists. In addition, painting, printmaking, and porcelain manufacture flourished, and scientific methods of philology were developed.
Subsequent rulers, however, were unable to meet the problems caused by increased population pressure and concentration of land ownership. The Manchu armies deteriorated, and popular unrest, aggravated by severe floods and famine, were factors contributing to the Taiping (1850–64) and Nian (1853–68) rebellions in the south and north, respectively. Efforts at modernization and Westernization met opposition from conservative officials especially through the efforts of the dowager empress Cixi. Bureaucratic inefficiency and corruption became widespread, a notable example being the diversion of funds intended for building a Chinese navy to instead construct an ornamental marble warship at the imperial Summer Palace outside Beijing.
The first Opium War (1839–42), the Anglo-French War (1856–58), the Sino-Japanese War (1894–95), and the Boxer Rebellion (1900) all resulted in defeats for China and the granting of major concessions to foreign powers. By 1900 revolutionary groups had begun to form throughout the country. The October 10, 1911, Republican Revolution led to the abdication of the boy emperor Xuantong (better known as Puyi) and the transfer of authority to the provisional republican government under Yuan Shikai.
