The Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty was once called the greatest government of its time. The Manchu leaders started many good things for the Chinese people, and enhanced their lives. But because it was a dynasty ruled by foreigners (the Manchu), the government was mistrusted. This led to uprisings and the downfall of the last imperial dynasty of China.

The Manchu began as a nomadic tribe in the northwestern area of China. They formed a bond with the Chinese rulers, and helped the Chinese guard their borders. Near the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Chinese government began to fail, and the Manchu became stronger and stronger. They created an excellent military, and began to conquer parts of China one by one. By 1644, the Manchu had taken over almost all of China, and began to create laws. This was the beginning of the Qing Dynasty.

The Manchu stayed very separate from the Chinese during their rule, keeping their own customs and not adapting any of the Chinese ways. Chinese-Manchu marriages were banned, and the Chinese men had to shave their heads and wear Manchu clothing. For many years the Manchu were good leaders; they lowered everyone’s taxes and made sure that poorer people’s taxes were lowered even more. During the first 200 years of the Qing Dynasty agriculture grew and the people flourished. China was praised by Europe for its fair and strong government, and some called the Dynasty the “most glorious dynasty of their time”.

Everything seemed to be going well from an outside perspective, but the dynasty was constantly having to deal with internal rebellions and uprisings. Not all of the people trusted the foreigners that were ruling their country, and started to go against the government. During this time, Britain began to import Opium into China. Many people quickly became addicted, and many Chinese farms changed from food plantations to Opium plantations. The Manchu spent huge amounts of money to continue importing Opium, and the country started to go into decline. Finally, in 1839, China banned the import of Opium, but it was too late. This greatly angered the British, and so began the Opium Wars.

After losing the wars, the Manchu rulers were forced to sign treaties with the British, opening many ports to British trade. Many emperor’s had died or were killed, and they began getting younger and younger. This left the power in the hands of empresses and advisors, many who were unfair and uneducated. In 1909, a two year old took the throne, and there were more and more internal uprisings. His two-year rule ended in 1911, when revolutionaries finally won. They created the Republic of China, and ended the 286-year rule of China’s last imperial dynasty.

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/later_imperial_china/qing.html
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761557160/Qing_Dynasty.html