The Qing Dynasty

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The Qing Dynasty

• 1644 - 1914

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Essential Questions

• How were the Ming and the Qing dynasties similar?
• Discuss how the Chinese empire changed
  politically, economically, and culturally from
  the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty through the Qing
  (Manchu) dynasty.

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The Consolidation of Qing Rule

• Nomadic people from region known as Manchuria
• Ethnic Manchurian, not considered Chinese because
  not of Han descent
• Intermarriage and living under Chinese rule they
  adopted Chinese culture and agricultural methods

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The Consolidation of Qing Rule

• Qing (Ching) means pure, clear adopted Chinese
  name because of ambition to rule all of China
• Conquered regions of Korea, Ming territories
  northeast of Great Wall and all eastern Mongol
  tribes.
• Manchus became efficient military machine under
  banner system

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The Consolidation of Qing Rule

• Banner system compulsory military service in
  one of eight banners, military groups named for
  distinctive banners or flags
• Banner groups formed basis of social organization
  that had been in place before Manchu conquest
• Military groups were warrior families that were
  given educational opportunities and agricultural
  land
• Non-Manchus conquered freed Manchu males from
  agricultural work and trade
• Manchu males were restricted to fighting and
  government administration
• As power expanded eight Mongol and eight Chinese
  banners were added provided for families and
  instilled loyalty to the Manchu or Qing dynasty

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The Consolidation of Qing Rule

• Nurhachi and Abahai adopted traditional Chinese
  bureaucracy to rule state, recruited Chinese to
  fill posts
• Ming officials and officers defected to Manchus
  because Chinese admired leadership and discipline
  of government and military
• Rebellion in Beijing opened door for Manchus to
  take power, Ming supporters in south continued to
  oppose Manchu rule

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The Consolidation of Qing Rule

• 1661 first Manchu ruler dies and young son,
  Kongxi (Kang-hs) comes to throne
• Uncle acts as regent, removed corruption and
  retains much of Ming administration

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Kongxi (Kang-his)(1661-1722)

• Considered one of Chinas greatest rulers
• Had intellectual curiosity, spoke Manchu and
  Chinese, learned Latin, music, astronomy, and
  mathematics
• Survived smallpox and so regarded as long-lived

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Kongxi

• Fathered 56 children with 20 sons vying for
  succession
• No wars of succession plagued Qing dynasty
• Chose fourth son, Yongzheng (Yung-chen) as heir,
  broke with tradition of primogeniture

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Kongxi

• Revolt of 3 generals in 1670 showed loyalty to
  new dynasty was not automatic
• Brought Chinese intellectuals to his aid by
  commissioning an official history of the Ming
  dynasty
• 1679, brought Chinese scholars into official
  service and commissioned scholarly works such as
  Tang poetry and a dictionary with 49,000
  characters
• Inspected southern China with attention paid to
  flood control and irrigation schemes to encourage
  agriculture

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Kongxi

• Relaxed oppressive regulations on Chinese, ended
  inequalities of rank and salary between Manchus
  and Chinese who held parallel government
  positions
• Good horseman and archer and active in military
  campaigns of his reign

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Kongxi

• Intense curiosity in science and math and
  appointed Jesuit to head the Imperial Board of
  Astronomy to teach him mathematics and science

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Yongzheng Emperor1723-1736

• According to Manchu tradition, Kangxi was
  succeeded by his fourth son, Yongzheng
• He was less conciliatory than his father, he
  acted firmly against corruption within the
  Forbidden City
• He was an extremely hard worker and created a
  system Palace Memorials that provided him with
  private information

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Qianlong(1736-1796)

• Great Successor, favorite of Kongxi
• Reign considered height of Qing dynasty as he
  brought much of central Asia under Qing rule
  through Ten Great Campaigns which increased size
  of empire

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Qianlong

• Costs of campaign were met by an increase in
  cultivated land, new crops of maize and peanuts
  and a firm control of revenue collection

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Qianlong

• Wrote over 42,000 poems regarding Chinese
  culture, developed an imperial collection of
  commissioned paintings and artifacts from Chinese
  and foreign artists.
• He ordered the cataloguing of ancient artifacts,
  paintings and calligraphy

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Qianlong

• Made tours of inspection to southern China,
  reversed tradition of Ming emperors who rarely
  left the Forbidden City
• He was educated by the Jesuits, was very
  regimented in his daily routine which included
  reading government documents, holding court,
  meeting with government officials, writing poetry
  and calligraphy