The Qing dynasty, also known as the Great Qing, was the last imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912. It was established by the Manchus, a non-Han Chinese ethnic group from Manchuria, who conquered the preceding Ming dynasty. The Qing period is notable for its territorial expansion, population growth, and significant cultural achievements, but also for its eventual decline and the challenges posed by Western imperialism. 

Here's a more detailed look:

Key Aspects of the Qing Dynasty:

Founding and Rule:
The Qing dynasty was founded in 1636 by the Manchus, who later conquered the Ming dynasty in 1644. The Qing rulers adopted many Ming administrative practices and integrated them into their own system of governance. 
Territorial Expansion:
Under the Qing, the Chinese empire expanded to its greatest extent, encompassing territories like Manchuria, Mongolia, Xinjiang, Tibet, and Taiwan. 
Population Growth:
The Qing dynasty witnessed a significant population boom, growing from an estimated 150 million to 450 million people. 
Cultural Achievements:
The Qing dynasty saw notable advancements in areas like jade carving, painting, porcelain production, philology, and the development of Peking opera (jingxi). 
Challenges and Decline:
The Qing dynasty faced numerous internal rebellions, economic stagnation, and increasing pressure from Western powers, leading to a period of decline in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 
End of the Dynasty:
The Qing dynasty ended with the Xinhai Revolution in 1911-1912, which led to the establishment of the Republic of China. 
Nurhaci (14 May 1559 – 30 September 1626), 
As the leader of the House of Aisin-Gioro, Nurhaci reorganized and united various Jurchen tribes (the later "Manchu"), consolidated the Eight Banners military system, and eventually launched attacks on both the Ming and Joseon dynasties. His conquest of Ming dynasty's northeastern Liaodong region laid the groundwork for the Qing conquest of the Ming by his descendants, who proclaimed the Qing dynasty in 1636. He is also generally credited with ordering the creation of a new written script for the Manchu language based on the Mongolian vertical script.
also known by his temple name as the Emperor Taizu of Qing, was the founding khan of the Jurchen-led Later Jin dynasty.^[1]
Huang Taiji  1592 - 1643
In 1612, Huang Taiji followed his father, Nurhaci, to attack Wu La. He was awarded Beile, a traditional title of Manchu nobility below prince. In 1616, he was ordered to deal with government affairs with another Beili, Dai Shan. Huang became the Khan (King) of the Manchu trible in n 1626.
In 1636, Huang took control of the southern part of Mongol, the north-eastern part of China and Korea. He started the Qing Dynasty. Huang Taiji died in 1643 of apoplexy.
List of Qing Emperors, 1644-1911
Ten emperors ruled during the Qing period:
• Shunzhi Emperor (1644–1661)
• Upon the death of his father Hong Taiji, a committee of Manchu princes chose the 5-year-old Fulin as successor.From 1643 to 1650, political power lay mostly in the hands of the prince regent Dorgon. Under his leadership, the Qing conquered most of the territory of the fallen Ming dynasty, chased Ming loyalist regimes.In 1645 yanzhou massacres in 10 days 8,00,000 deaths of Manchu troops.The last Ming Prince gui ran to Burma who brought and executed 1662..and, seafarer Koxinga (1624–1662) 
• 1665 HAIR CUTTING ORDER- means to shave the front head and comb the remaining in toa queue.To keep the hair,you loose head,to keep your head  you cut the hair"
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• Kangxi Emperor (1662–1722)
• Territorial Expansion:
• Kangxi expanded China's borders by incorporating areas north of the Amur River, portions of Outer Mongolia, and extending control over Tibet. He personally led campaigns against various rebellions and Mongol groups.He effectively dealt with rebellions like the Revolt of the Three Feudatories and the Koxinga resistance. 
• Cultural Patronage:
• He was a patron of the arts and sciences, sponsoring cultural projects and showing an interest in Western learning. While he had some disagreements with the Pope over religious practices, he initially tolerated Christianity and showed interest in Western science and arts. He lowered taxes and boosted commerce, contributing to the overall prosperity of the empire. 
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• After eliminating the three kings, Kangxi turned his attention to the Zheng regime on Taiwan.Gen. Zheng Chenggong), who refused to submit to the Manchus, had moved his headquarters to Taiwan, which he took from the Dutch in 1662  Lack of naval power prevented the Qing from mounting an effective attack on Taiwan  In 1683 an internal strife in the Zheng family gave Kangxi a chance to order his troops across the Taiwan Straits. The Zheng surrendered, and Taiwan was incorporated
Yongzheng Emperor (1723–1735)


Yonzheng Emperor includes extensive debates about his ascension to the throne. His father, the Kangxi Emperor left fourteen sons and no designated heir; many accounts suggest Yongzheng usurped the throne from his younger brother Yinti, and portray him as a despot.During his reign, the Qing administration was centralized and reforms were instituted.He disliked corruption and punished officials severely when they were found guilty of the offense. Yongzheng changed Kangxi’s will by adding strokes and modifying characters. The most famous story was that Yongzheng changed “fourteen” (十四) to “four” (于四), others say it was “fourteen” to “fourth” (第四). Yinti was the fourteenth son and Yinxzhen the fourth son of the Kangxi emperor.
• Daoguang Emperor (1821–1850)
• The imperial treasury had been greatly depleted during previous reigns, and he tried to restore China’s finances by personal austerity. The need to repair the dikes along the Huang He (Yellow River) to prevent flooding and further famine became urgent, as did repair of the Grand Canal, which brought rice from South China to the capital at Beijing. Yet corrupt officials embezzled money for repairs,in 1838 the emperor’s attempts to stop the opium trade carried on by Western merchants resulted in the first Opium War between Britain and China (1839–42 His reign was marked by significant internal and external challenges, including the First Opium War and the beginning of the Taiping Rebellion. 
• Guangxu Emperor (1875–1908)
• Xuantong Emperor (1909–1911)
Qianlong Emperor (1736–1795)


Qianlong  was one of the longest in Chinese history. He conducted a series of military campaigns that eliminated the Turk and Mongol threats to northeastern China (1755–60), enlarged his empire by creating the New Province (the present-day Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang), and reinforced Chinese authority in the south and east.In private life, Qianlong was deeply attached to his first wife, the empress Xiaoxian, whom he had married in 1727 and by whom he had (in 1730) a son whom he wished to see his successor but who died in 1738. His second wife, Ula Nara, was elevated to the dignity of empress in 1750, but in 1765 she renounced living at the court and retired to a monastery, doubtless because of a disagreement with the emperor. Qianlong had 17 sons and 10 daughters by his concubines.Qianlong tightened his grip Gurkhas from Nepal (1790–92), who now agreed to pay regular tribute to Beijing native tribes in rebellion from the west of Yunnan (in southwestern China) in 1748, then against Myanmar (Burmese) tribes in 1769, ended in failure, 6. Myanmar (Burma) itself, weakened by internal conflicts and by struggles with Siam (Thailand), agreed in 1788 to pay tribute to Beijing. In Annam (Vietnam), where rival factions were in dispute, the Chinese armies intervened in 1788–89, at first victoriously but later suffering heavy defeats. The new ruler of Hanoi was nevertheless willing to recognize that his kingdom was a tributary state. In the east, a serious rebellion on the island of Taiwan was crushed in 1787. The enormous cost of these expeditions seriously depleted the Chinese treasury’s once healthy finances. bad management, the extravagance, and the corruption that marked the last two decades of Qianlong’s reign and weakened the empire


Jiaqing Emperor (1796–1820)
. He was the 15th son of the Qianlong Emperor. He ascended to the throne following his father's abdication in 1796, but initially ruled under his father's influence. He officially took power in 1799 after his father's death. His reign saw attempts to address corruption, particularly the case of Heshen, a corrupt official, and to curb opium smuggling into China. He also faced rebellions like the White Lotus Rebellion. 
His reign was marked by several internal rebellions, including the White Lotus Rebellion (1796-1804)
After the death of the Qianlong Emperor in the beginning of February 1799, the Jiaqing Emperor took control of the government and prosecuted Heshen, a favourite official of his father. Heshen was charged with corruption and abuse of power, stripped of his titles, had his property confiscated, and ordered to commit suicide. Heshen's daughter-in-law, Princess Hexiao, a half-sister of the Jiaqing Emperor, was spared from punishment and given a few properties from Heshen's estates.The White Lotus Rebellion was a large-scale uprising against the Qing dynasty in China, lasting from 1796 to 1804. It was instigated by followers of the White Lotus religious movement, which blended Buddhist, Taoist, and Manichaean beliefs,The rebellion, while ultimately unsuccessful in overthrowing the Qing, exposed the vulnerabilities of the dynasty.In 1797 the EIC further tightened its grip on the opium trade by enforcing direct trade between opium farmers and the British, and ending the role of Bengali purchasing agents. British exports of opium to China grew from an estimated 15 long tons.
The Qing dynasty faced economic challenges during his reign, partly due to silver outflows related to opium smuggling. The Jiaqing Emperor issued a decree banning imports of the drug in 1799


Daoguang Emperor (1821–1850) 


 The imperial treasury had been greatly depleted .The need to repair the dikes along the Huang He (Yellow River) to prevent flooding and further famine became urgent, as did repair of the Grand Canal, which brought rice from South China to the capital at Beijing.Yet corrupt officials embezzled money for repairs,By 1849 the Grand Canal was impassable, and the rice shipments had to be made by sea, where they were endangered by pirates.in 1838 the emperor’s attempts to stop the opium trade carried on by Western merchants resulted in the first Opium War between Britain and China (1839–42). The cost of the war and the large indemnity paid under terms of the peace treaty further increased discontent.the great political-religious upheaval known as the Taiping Rebellion (1850–64) was beginning to sweep South China.


Xianfeng Emperor (1851–1861)




Hong Xiuquan, after failing the imperial exams, claimed to have received visions that led him to believe he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ. He established the God Worshippers' Society and led the Taiping movement, advocating for social equality and radical reforms. The Taiping movement espoused a blend of Christian and Confucian ideals, promoting social equality, land redistribution, and the abolition of traditional practices like foot-binding and opium use. Initial Successes:
The Taiping forces achieved significant early victories, capturing key cities like Nanjing, which they renamed Tianjing and made their capital. Despite their initial successes, the Taiping movement suffered from internal strife and faced growing military resistance from the Qing dynasty, bolstered by Western forces. The Qing forces, with the aid of Western powers, eventually crushed the rebellion, culminating in the fall of Nanjing in 1864. 


In 1855, a significant Muslim revolt, known as the Panthay Rebellion, erupted in Yunnan Province, China. This rebellion, primarily involving the Hui Muslim population, was fueled by ethnic tensions and grievances against the Qing dynasty. It was part of a broader wave of unrest during the Qing dynasty, including the Taiping Rebellion and Nian Rebellion. 


Tongzhi Emperor (1862–1874)
The Tongzhi Emperor, also known by his temple name Muzong of Qing, ruled the Qing dynasty from 1861 to 1875. His reign, though officially lasting until 1875, is often considered to have ended in 1874 due to his young age and the influence of Empress Dowager Cixi. The period is known for the Tongzhi Restoration, a modernization effort aimed at strengthening China after the Opium Wars and the Taiping Rebellion. However, historians debate whether it was a genuine attempt at modernization or merely a delay of the Qing dynasty's decline. The Tongzhi Emperor died in 1875 at the age of 19, possibly from 
smallpox or, according to some accounts, from syphilis. He did not have a son to succeed him. The restoration under the Tongzhi emperor followed the examples of the great restorations in the middle of the Han (206 bc–ad 220) and Tang (ad 618–907) dynasties.The system of civil-service examinations was once again held in areas that had long been under rebel control. The government also made an effort to revive agricultural production by distributing seeds and tools and helping to develop new land. A program was also undertaken to manufacture Western arms, although the effort to adopt foreign technology was only superficially successful 


Guangxu Emperor (1875–1908)
on Feb. 25, 1875, the young prince ascended the throne, taking the reign name of Guangxu.
During the reign of emperor guangxu, the two most notable events were the Anti-Japanese War and the 1898 reform. In the war of resistance against Japanese aggression, he resolutely opposed compromise and repeatedly forced the qing army to fight with the Japanese. However, he was overwhelmed by the weak and corrupt qing government, which was defeated in the sino-japanese war. After learning a painful lesson, emperor guangxu began to think about the reform to adjust the imperial order and prevent the decline of the whole country.In 1898, together with a group of reform advocates, he promulgated the state policy and began the reform. Unfortunately, this fierce reform movement lasted only 103 days and . After that, emperor guangxu lost his imperial power again and was placed under house arrest by cixi.In 1900, the so-called eight-power allied forces invaded China. Facing a deadly crisis, emperor guangxu had decided to stay in the capital to calm people, but before Beijing fell he was taken to xi ‘an by the empress dowager cixi.
the future Guangxu Emperor was born with the name Zaitian. His elevation to the imperial throne was engineered by Cixi, his aunt, in contravention to the usual rules of succession. In 1875, Zaitain was selected to replace the Tongzhi emperor, who had died childless. Cixi became the four-year-old emperor’s co-regent.Although the emperor came of age in 1887, he had to wait two more years before taking over the government from Cixi, who continued to influence policy. In 1898, at the age of 27, he finally tried to assert himself. During what has come to be known as the “Hundred Days of Reform,” he collected a group of progressively oriented officials around him and issued a broad series of reform edicts.imperial military commander, Ronglu, Cixi returned to the capital, confined the emperor to his palace, and spread rumours that he was deathly ill. Foreign powers, who let it be known that they would not take kindly to the emperor’s death or dethronement, saved his life, but thereafter he had no power over the government.
On Nov. 15, 1908, Cixi died, and, under highly suspicious circumstances, the theretofore healthy Guangxu emperor was announced as having died the previous day. Cixi’s final decree passed the throne to Puyi, the emperor’s three-year-old nephew, who reigned as the Xuantong emperor. From the beginning it was widely believed that the emperor had been poisoned, but there was no evidence to support this theory until a century after his death.










Qing dynasty, or Ch’ing dynasty or Manchu dynasty, (1644–1911/12) Last of the imperial dynasties in China. The name Qing was first applied to the dynasty established by the Manchu in 1636 in Manchuria and then applied by extension to their rule in China. During the Qing dynasty, China’s territory and population expanded tremendously. Cultural attitudes were strongly conservative and Neo-Confucianism was the dominant philosophy. The arts flourished: literati painting was popular, novels in the vernacular developed substantially, and jingxi (Peking opera) developed. Qing porcelain, textiles, tea, paper, sugar, and steel were exported to all parts of the world. Military campaigns in the latter part of the 18th century depleted government finances, and corruption grew. These conditions, combined with population pressures and natural disasters, led to the Opium Wars and the Taiping and Nian rebellions, which in turn so weakened the dynasty that it was unable to rebuff the demands of foreign powers. The dynasty ended with the republican revolution of 1911 and the abdication of the last emperor in 1912.