Q Qing (Ch’ing) dynasty, rise and zenith The Qing (1644–1911) was China’s last imperial dynasty and the second of nomadic origin that ruled the entire Chinese world Its success is due to capable and wise founders and their long-reigning immediate successors, whose admiration for Chinese culture led them to assimilate rapidly, and to retain most of the existing government institutions with few modifications The dynasty remained prosperous and dynamic until the end of the 18th century The Qing is also called the Manchu dynasty The Manchus were nomads descended from the Jurchen tribal people who lived in northeastern China (Manchuria) They had conquered and ruled northern China under the Jin (Chin) dynasty (1115–1234) but had retreated to their original homeland when the dynasty ended They forgot their short-lived written language and reverted to a life of hunting, fishing, and raising livestock Manchuria was part of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and became an area of mixed residence of Jurchen and other nomadic tribal people amid the sedentary Han Chinese Jurchen and other tribal people were responsible to Ming officials in Manchuria and went to Beijing (Peking) at stipulated times to render tribute to the Ming court The decline of the Ming dynasty coincided with the rise of strong leaders among the Jurchens, the first a minor tribal chief named Nurhaci, who began significant reforms and innovations that would lead his people to power They included the creation of a written language and the militarization of all Jurchens into a banner system whereby all males were organized into fighting units and given land to farm and administer As a result of successful campaigns, the defeated people became serfs, liberating the bannermen into full time warriors and administrators Nurhaci created a state called the Later Jin, which his son Abahai changed to Qing (which means “pure”) 1635 Abahai also changed his people’s name from Jurchen to Manchu Continuing his father’s ambitious policies Abahai expanded the banner system to include units of Mongols and Han Chinese, conquered most of Manchuria, subdued Korea and forced it to change allegiance and tribute relations from the Ming to Qing, and began attacking Ming territories near the Great Wall of China Abahai died in 1643 and was succeeded by a young son, but his work was continued by his capable brother Dorgon, who acted as regent Formation of A national dynasty A great stroke of luck catapulted the frontier Manchu state to a national Chinese dynasty In 1644, rebel bandits attacked and captured the Ming capital, causing the emperor to commit suicide In the ensuing confusion Wu Sangui (Wu San-kuei), a Ming frontier general guarding the eastern extremity of the Great Wall, requested Manchu assistance to drive out the rebels, with which Dorgon happily complied After liberating Beijing and while Wu’s forces chased the rebels to their destruction Dorgon placed his nephew on the vacant 321