Great Qing

Great Qing 大清
1636–1936
Flag
Capital	Mukden (1636-1644) Beiging (1644-1930) Sian (1930-1936)
Largest city	Beiging
Official languages	Manchu Standard Chinese
Common languages	Mandarin dialects Cantonese Hakka Hokkien Mongolian Turkic Others
Demonym	Chinese
Government	Monarchy
Establishment	1636
History
• Established	1636
• Disestablished	1936
Currency	Mace (cin, 錢)
Today part of	China Serindia Poeja Corea Tibet Mongolia Russia

The Qing dynasty, officially the Great Qing (大清, da ćing, /ta.t͡ɕʰiŋ/), was an imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 1636 to 1936. It emerged from the Jurchen Gim state (located in modern Corea) which unified several Manchu tribes and invaded the Ming dynasty, eventually bringing all of China under their control by the 18th century. The country was partitioned in the Canton War, only maintaining control of the northern plains. Thus, the dynasty is often split into two periods: the Western period before 1850, and the Eastern period after. In 1936, the Qing were invaded and annexed by the modern Chinese Republic from the south, putting an end to the three-century old empire.

Etymology

The country was named da ćing 大清 upon its founding, with ćing literally meaning 'pure'. It is often rendered as Qing in English and numerous other European languages, mirroring the empire's preferred romanization since the late 19th century. In modern Standard Chinese romanization, the official name of the country is spelled Da Ćing.

Establishment: 1636—1671

Hwang Taići proclaimed the Qing dynasty in 1636 at Mukden. In 1644, the Qing armies along with rebel leader Li Zićeng conquered the Ming dynasty capital Beiging. Soon after, Li Zićeng and other defectors were suppressed. On 30 October, the Sunzi Emperor succeeded Taići, solidifying the supremacy of the Aisin Gioro family. He began ruling in his own right in 1650, with his reign being marked by wars against Ming loyalists (such as Koxinga), the establishment of diplomatic relations with neighboring nations, and the creation of an imperial bureaucracy. He would die at the age of thirty-three in 1671.

Conquest of southern China

By the time of his ascent to the throne, the Qing armies had reached the Giang River. Dorgon served as the young Emperor's regent for several years and is often called the 'mastermind' of the Qing invasion. In 1645, two years after the death of Taići, the second imperial city of the Ming, Namging, was conquered. Muslim rebellions in the northwestern Gamsu province and bandit insurgencies in the Sićwan basin were subdued by the year 1650; the same year Dorgon would unexpectedly die, allowing the teenage Sunzi Emperor to rule as an autonomous monarch.

In the 1652 Battle of Giangdong Bridge in Hokkien province, infamous pirate and revolutionary Koxinga and the Ming loyalist Zeng family fleet were summarily defeated by the invading Qing forces, leading to their flight to Japan and the Loetsjoe islands. The family, which had strong ties to western Japan, played a significant role in the Ōmura Rebellion.

Antebellum: 1830—1850

Main articles: Canton War and History of China after 1850

List of monarchs

Name		Reign		Lifespan	Notes
Taići	太極	1636	1643	28 November 1592 – 21 September 1643
Sunzi	順治	1643	1671	15 March 1638 – 3 August 1671
Kangsi	康熙	1671	1729	4 May 1654 – 11 July 1729
Dawtong	道同	1729	1734	29 January 1700 – 16 March 1767
Gwangzi	光智	1734	1788	1 October 1702 – 27 November 1788
Gaiging	改警	1788	1817	18 June 1757 – 3 February 1817
Wanle	萬樂	1817	1830	16 October 1788 – 22 April 1830
Zawlong	造隆	1830	1858	6 September 1799 – 14 December 1870
Tiansun	天順	1858	1863	14 July 1798 – 6 March 1863
Gianzeng	建禎	1863	1902	20 May 1840 – 30 April 1902
Cengćang	成昌	1902	1936	19 December 1891 – 9 June 1956