Before the establishment of the Qing Dynasty, there was a regime called 'Latter Jin' that had been set up by Nurhachu, leader of the Man Ethnic Minority. Actually, Man people were the offspring of the Nuzhen people who had always been living in Northeast China. After reunifying all the Nuzhen tribes, Nurhachu proclaimed himself emperor in 1616. Thus a new regime called Latter Jin was founded in Hetu Ala (in current Liaoning Province) during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644).
In 1636, Huang Taiji, son of Nurhachu moved the capital to Shenyang (currently the capital city of Liaoning Province) and changed the regime title into 'Qing'. He thus established the Qing Dynasty. In 1644 when peasant's uprising leader Li Zicheng ended the Ming Dynasty and set up a new regime in Beijing, the Qing army seduced a general named Wu Sangui to rebel against Li Zicheng. With Wu's help, the Qing army successfully captured Beijing and rooted their regime there.
At the beginning, the Qing court carried out a series of policies to revive the social economy and alleviate the class contradiction. In politics, following the ruling pattern of the Ming Dynasty, the imperial rulers continued to strengthen the centralized system. Meanwhile, the Qing court resumed the 'Sheng' administrative system that originated in the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368). Especially, in the frontiers like Tibet, Xinjiang, Mongol and Taiwan Island, the Qing court set out to enhance the power of the imperial ruling.
By the middle of the 18th century, the feudal economy of the Qing Dynasty reached a zenith, spanning the reign of Emperor Kangxi, Emperor Yongzheng and Emperor Qianlong. So that period was usually called 'the golden age of three emperors'. In that period, both culture and science were much more prosperous than any other periods of the Qing Dynasty. The notable book, The Imperial Collection of Four, was edited in that period. Also, a group of scholars and artists such as Cao Xueqin (writer of A Dream of Red Mansions), Wu Jingzi (writer of The Scholars) and Kong Shangren (writer of The Peach Blossom Fan) gradually appeared. In the field of science, the achievements in architecture were outstanding.
After the middle period, all kinds of social contradictions increasingly surfaced and the Qing Dynasty began to decline. Under the corrupt ruling of the later rulers, various rebellions and uprisings broke out. In 1840 when the Opium War broke out, the Qing court was faced with troubles at home and aggression from abroad. During that period, measures were adopted by imperial rulers and some radical peasants to bolster their power. The Westernization Movement, the Reform Movement of 1898 and the Taiping Rebellion were the most influential ones, but none of them had ever succeeded in saving the dying Qing Dynasty.
Finally, the Revolution of 1911 led by Sun Yat-sen broke out and overthrew the Qing Dynasty, bringing two thousand years of Chinese feudal monarchy to an end.
Emperors of the Qing Dynasty
| Order | Name | Notes | Reign Time (years) |
| 1 | Emperor Taizu (Nurhachu) | Founder of the Latter Jin regime which later turned into the Qing regime; He created the military organization called Banner System. | 1616 - 1626 |
| 2 | Emperor Taizong (Huang Taiji) | The eighth son of Nurhachu; actually the first emperor of the Qing Dynasty. He moved the capital to Shenyang. | 1626 - 1643 |
| 3 | Emperor Shunzhi (Fulin) | Son of Huang Taiji; In his reign, the Qing army defeated the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) and moved the capital into Beijing. | 1643 - 1661 |
| 4 | Emperor Kangxi (Xuanye) | The third son of Emperor Shunzhi; One of the greatest emperors in the Qing Dynasty; His reign was the beginning of the heyday of the Qing Dynasty. | 1661 - 1722 |
| 5 | Emperor Yongzheng (Yinzhen) | The fourth son of Emperor Kangxi; A fairly wise and competent emperor who maintained the prosperity of the Qing Dynasty | 1722 - 1735 |
| 6 | Emperor Qianlong (Hongli) | Son of Emperor Yongzheng; Inheriting the prosperity brought by his predecessors, his reign reached the zenith of the Qing Dynasty. | 1735 - 1796 |
| 7 | Emperor Jiaqing (Yongyun) | Son of Emperor Qianlong; He prosecuted the infamous corrupt official, He Shen, who used to be a favorite chancellor of Emperor Qianlong. | 1796 - 1820 |
| 8 | Emperor Daoguang (Minning) | Son of Emperor Jiaqing; His reign saw the outbreak of the First Opium War in 1840, from which China entered the modern history. | 1820 - 1850 |
| 9 | Emperor Xianfeng (Yizhu) | Son of Emperor Daoguang; In his reign, the Qing Dynasty apparently began to decline. The well-known Taiping Rebellion broke out in that period. | 1850 - 1861 |
| 10 | Emperor Tongzhi (Zaichun) | Son of Emperor Xianfeng and Empress Dowager Cixi; died early | 1861 - 1875 |
| 11 | Emperor Guangxu (Zaitian) | Grandson of Emperor Daoguang; a progressive emperor who tried lots of methods to save the declining Qing Dynasty | 1875 - 1908 |
| 12 | Emperor Xuantong (Puyi) | The last emperor of the Qing Dynasty and the last feudal monarch of China; He was imprisoned at Shenyang till 1959 when Chairman Mao remitted him. | 1908 - 1911 |
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Travelers' Voices on Qing Dynasty
1.
Apr. 21,2009 11:50 Reply
Mr.Guangee(Mongolia) said:
what did the Qing do in Thailand, Burma, Laos, Nepal, Veitnam, S & N Korea, and China? all of these sights don't tell me anything that i want to hear. I want some really interesting facts about them. Sometimes i wake up in the middle of the night sceaming MANCHU!!!!!!!!!! and i don't know why. I want to know more of my heritage. My Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather was Emporer Guangxu. My father tells me that he was a wonderful person but i still want to know more. Someone please help me.
Apr. 21,2009 20:57
Mr.Vanquan(America) replied:
OH MY GOODNESS! Are you really the Great x 5 Grandson? That is amazing, we've been looking for you for many years. I can not wait to get in touch with you, so we could maybe talk. I would like to do a column in my hometown newspaper. I love studying the Qing Dynasty
May. 14,2009 20:57
Ms.helpme(USA) replied:
What are some achievements of the Qing dynasty? What are politics of the Qing dynasty? What are some cool facts of the Qing dynasty? Please help me!!!!!
May. 29,2009 02:13
Mr.drag(australia) replied:
mad, do you have ancient treasures?
Jul. 2,2009 02:42
Ms.yen(uk) replied:
you are Qing later generations, that is a good news. I am watching DVD of KangXi & QianLong and studing KangXi's history. I suppose you can tell me more about your family if there is a case.
2.
Jun. 2,2009 11:59 Reply
Mr.JKCS(Canada) said:
This is one of the best info sites yet!
3.
May. 11,2009 23:27 Reply
Mr.Campos(usa) said:
did the marriages have to be in a specific time in the qing dynasty?
May. 12,2009 04:45
Mr.Daniel(China) replied:
Yes, they did. Males should be aged 16 or above and females should be aged 14 or above.
4.
Apr. 2,2009 09:21 Reply
Mr.hihi(usa) said:
what events occurred to bring Qing dynasty to power?
Apr. 20,2009 20:21
Ms.Evelyn(China) replied:
The decline of the Ming Dynasty created a good chance for the Nuzhen people (i.e. Manchu). In the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1643), the imperial government became very corrupt. Government officials preyed peasants' farmland; the emperors were fatuous; eunuchs in league with some government officials wielded enormous power. The politics was corrupt;the economy was fragile. However, during this period, the Nuzhen People who lived in Heilongjiang (northeast of China) became more and more powerful. They defeated the army of Ming dynasty and became the rulers of China.
Apr. 21,2009 11:52
Mr.Huange Valley(China) replied:
They overthrew the Ming and expanded outward.
5.
Apr. 17,2009 14:27 Reply
Mr.uranus(pluto) said:
Can anyone tell me the impact it made on the world today? please thanks...
Apr. 20,2009 20:06
Ms.Evelyn(China) replied:
Well, in the late Qing Dynasty, China became very weak. Especially, after the Opium War (1840), the Qing imperial government became more and more corrupt and China became a bone of contention between Western colonists. A lot of natural resources of China were preyed by the colonists. At the same time, Chinese culture, arts and crafts and many local products were brought to the West. Many western countries set up factories in China. They took advantage of Chinese natural resources and plenty of labor force to develop the own capitalist economy. During this time, Chinese people lived a very hard life. Many of them emigrate to other countries to make a living. That's why today we can see the traces of Chinese in many countries.
6.
Apr. 11,2009 12:52 Reply
Ms.asdfghjkl said:
what did they do that brought such a big impact to china, today? I want to know more about the quing era, rather than the emperors...
Apr. 16,2009 22:33
Mrs.CAMPBELL(ENGLAND) replied:
IT'S QING NOT QUING OR QUIN!!! PEOPLE ALWAYS GET THAT WRONG.
7.
Apr. 16,2009 22:30 Reply
Mrs.cannon-Berg(USA) said:
I don't even know how to explain it. It's complicated. I don't understand the names of the emperors or anything, besides there is not proof of this research being checked by experts.
8.
Apr. 11,2009 18:10 Reply
Ms.avacado said:
what are the major impacts/significnce that the Qing Dynasty did to china? I think that this article should focus more on the economic, political, military, etc... things of china during the Qing dynasty, rather than on the empers
Apr. 12,2009 01:57
Ms.Evelyn(China) replied:
The Qing Dynasty is as important as Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming. It brought much significance and many impacts to the modern China. In the aspect of its significance, I want to talk about three points. First, it consolidated the territory of China; second, it assured the unity of 56 ethnic groups; third, it passes on traditional Chinese culture. Although the rulers of Qing are Man people (not the Han people), they still encourage to develop the culture of the Han. The negative impact, I think, should be its policy of 'closed cloorism', which made China isolated from other countries. As a result, China cannot have chances to get touch with the outside. Very quickly, China started to fall behind the other powerful countries. If a country is too weak, it will be bullied by other countries. So,you can read the history of Chinese modern times.
9.
Apr. 7,2009 20:35 Reply
Ms.Frazier said:
What are some major accomplishments that occured within the Qing Dynasty and the role it made it the greater world?
10.
Feb. 19,2009 00:12 Reply
Ms.Tashotta(tx) said:
Does anyone know about any cultural leaders they may have had???
I have to do this dateline thingi!
please and thank you!!!
P.S. and on the whole culture thing... anything that they might have done fro the culture.
Apr. 2,2009 15:56
Mr.j(USA) replied:
The aesthetics and clothing style changed radically during the manchu (qing) dynasty. and not for the better.