The last imperial dynasty to rule China, the Qing rulers were Manchu (Manchurian) in origin. Their beginning may have been a matter of luck but it did not lack, once established, in highly capable rulers, especially in Kangxi (r. 1662-1722), Yongzheng (r. 1723-35) and culminating in the political and cultural greatness of Qianlong (r. 1736-1796). Internal corruption, civil unrest, and foreign interference (accomplished mostly by gunboat diplomacy) eventually brought the dynasty to an end in 1911 when China became a republic.
Further Reading:
Pamela Crossley, The Manchus. Cambridge: Blackwell, 1997.
Immanuel C. Y. Hsu, The Rise of Modern China. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.
©ALBERITH
180917lch