Rise of Qing Dynasty
Kate Perlioni
Before the Qing Empire, the Ming Empire lasted about 270 years and then collapsed mainly from within as rival groups carved up sections of the empire for themselves and fought for supremacy. Natural disasters, famine and economic chaos convinced many people that the Ming had lost the Mandate of Heaven. This encouraged people to rebel and encouraged the Mongols and Jurchens to attack. The Mandate of Heaven is an ancient political idea that Heaven selects an emperor and that an emperor's failure as a god spells disaster for his empire. Major natural disasters were often seen as signs of the loss of the Mandate.When the Ming dynasty fell, Manchus poured into China from their homeland Manchuria. Manchuria is north of the Great Wall of China. The Manchus then overwhelmed the Chinese rebel forces, seized Beijing, and continued to control the rest of China. The Manchus created a new dynasty, the "Qing Dynasty" which ruled from 1644-1911.
Manchus View of Chinese Society and Culture
The Manchus wanted to preserve their own ethnic and cultural identity. They did this very aggressively by outlawing intermarriage between the Manchus and Chinese, forbidding the Chinese of traveling to Manchuria, and learning the language. Qing authorities forced Chinese men to shave the front of their heads and grow Manchu-style queues as a sign of submission to the society. The Manchus disregarded the society, culture, and wants of the Chinese to keep their power and identity. The Manchu's forced the Chinese to adopt some of their style of dress and they established a dynasty and used leadership styles similar to those of the Chinese. The Manchus opposed the Chinese when it came to their society, their culture, and their people. They were cautious because they wanted to preserve their own ethnic and cultural identity. These tensions between the Manchu and Chinese people continued until the nineteenth century but finally ended after strong imperial leadership came to power.