Qing Dynasty

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

大清
Great Qing
←
 
←
1644–1912 →

Flag (1890–1912)

Anthem
Gong Jin'ou (1911)
Territory of Qing China in 1820
Capital Shengjing
(1636–1644)
Beijing
(1644–1912)
Language(s) Chinese
Manchu
Government Monarchy
Emperor
 - 1626–1643 Huang Taiji
 - 1908–1912 Xuantong Emperor
Prime Minister
 - 1911 Yikuang
 - 1911–1912 Yuan Shikai
History
 - Establishment of the Late Jin 1616
 - Renamed from "Later Jin" to "Great Qing" 1644
 - Captured Beijing June 6, 1644
 - Complete conquest of China 1662
 - Xinhai Revolution February 12, 1912
Population
 - 1740 est. 140,000,000 
 - 1776 est. 311,500,000 
 - 1790 est. 300,000,000 
 - 1812 est. 360,000,000 
 - 1820 est. 383,100,000 
Currency Chinese yuan, Chinese cash
House of Qīng
Country China
Parent house —
Titles Emperor of China
Founder Emperor Nurhaci
Final ruler Emperor Xuāntǒng (Pǔyí)
Current head Prince Héngzhèn
Founding year 1644
Deposition 1912: Monarchy dissolved
Ethnicity Manchu
History of China
ANCIENT
3 Sovereigns and 5 Emperors
Xia Dynasty 2100–1600 BCE
Shang Dynasty 1600–1046 BCE
Zhou Dynasty 1045–256 BCE
 Western Zhou
 Eastern Zhou
   Spring and Autumn Period
   Warring States Period
IMPERIAL
Qin Dynasty 221 BCE–206 BCE
Han Dynasty 206 BCE–220 CE
  Western Han
  Xin Dynasty
  Eastern Han
Three Kingdoms 220–280
  Wei, Shu & Wu
Jin Dynasty 265–420
  Western Jin 16 Kingdoms
304–439
  Eastern Jin
Southern & Northern Dynasties
420–589
Sui Dynasty 581–618
Tang Dynasty 618–907
  ( Second Zhou 690–705 )
5 Dynasties &
10 Kingdoms
907–960 Liao Dynasty
907–1125
Song Dynasty
960–1279
  Northern Song W. Xia
  Southern Song Jin
Yuan Dynasty 1271–1368
Ming Dynasty 1368–1644
Qing Dynasty 1644–1911
MODERN
Republic of China 1912–1949
People's Republic
of China
1949–present
Republic
of China
(Taiwan)
1945–present

The Qing Dynasty (Chinese: 清朝; pinyin: Qīng Cháo; Wade-Giles: Ch'ing ch'ao; IPA: [tɕʰiŋ tʂʰɑʊ̯]; Manchu: , Von Möllendorff: Daicing gurun), also known as the Manchu Dynasty, was the last ruling dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 (with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917). It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China.

The dynasty was founded by the Manchu clan Aisin Gioro in what is today northeast China, (also known as Manchuria). Starting in 1644 it expanded into China proper and its surrounding territories, establishing the Empire of the Great Qing (simplified Chinese: 大清国; traditional Chinese: 大清國; pinyin: Dà Qīng Guó; Wade-Giles: Ta Ch'ing Kuo, or simplified Chinese: 大清帝国; traditional Chinese: 大清帝國; pinyin: Dà Qīng Dì Guó; Wade-Giles: Ta Ch'ing Ti Kuo). Complete pacification of China was accomplished around 1683 under the Kangxi Emperor.

Originally established as the Later Jin Dynasty (simplified Chinese: 后金; traditional Chinese: 後金; pinyin: hòu jīn) Amaga Aisin Gurun () in 1616, it changed its name to "Qing", meaning "clear" or "pellucid" in 1636, and captured Beijing with the help of Ming rebels in 1644.

During its reign the Qing Dynasty became highly integrated with Chinese culture. The dynasty reached its height in the 18th century, during which both territory and population were increased. However, its military power weakened hereafter and faced with international pressure, massive rebellions and defeats in wars, the Qing Dynasty declined after the mid-19th century. The Qing Dynasty was overthrown following the Xinhai Revolution, when the Empress Dowager Longyu abdicated on behalf of the last emperor, Puyi, on February 12, 1912.

History

Formation of the Manchu State

The Dynasty was founded not by the Han who form the majority of the Chinese population, but the Manchus, who are today an ethnic minority of China. The Manchus are descended from Jurchens (Ch: 女真, Man: Jušen), a Tungusic people who lived around the region now comprising the Chinese provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning and the Russian province of Primorsky Krai. What was to become the Manchu state was founded by Nurhaci, the chieftain of a minor Jurchen tribe in Jianzhou, in the early 17th century. Originally a vassal of the Ming emperors, Nurhaci in 1582 embarked on an inter-tribal feud that escalated into a campaign to unify the Jianzhou Jurchen tribes. By 1616 he had sufficiently consolidated Jianzhou region to proclaim himself khan of "Great Jin" in reference to the previous Jurchen dynasty. Historians refer to this pre-Qing entity as "Later Jin" to distinguish it from the first Jin Dynasty. Two years later Nurhaci announced Seven Grievances and openly renounced the sovereignty of Ming overlordship in order to complete the unification of those Jurchen tribes still allied with the Ming emperor. After a series of successful battles he relocated his capital from Hetu Ala to successively bigger captured Ming cities in the province of Liaodong, first Liaoyang (Man: dergi hecen) in 1621 and again in 1625 to Shenyang (later renamed Shengjing; Ch: 盛京; Man: Mukden).