Vivian's+Essay

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Vivian Co
 * __Rise of the Qing Dynasty__**

During the crisis of the Ming Dynasty in 1620-30s, Li Zicheng, stormed into Beijing and captured it, declaring a new dynasty. To avoid the shame of being captured, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty hung himself, leaving the throne empty. In desperate need of help, the Ming generals turned to the Manchus and together they fought off the Li rebels. As promised, the Manchus were placed as the new rulers of China and established the Qing Dynasty in 1644. Although they are considered “alien”, from their successes and mistakes, we could learn much of the Qing Dynasty such as, hard working can pay off, too much power can corrupt and making alliances with other countries could benefit everyone. <[]>

During the rise of the Qing dynasty, the emperors were hard workers who accomplished many things for China. Unlike the Mongolian conquest, the emperors followed and respected the Chinese tradition and made little change. Their determination and enthusiasm soon attracted the Chinese and they were no longer against the Manchu’s rule. Everything they done were towards a better future and soon they met their goals. Under the 3 very successful emperors, China was able to expand to its current size, literature and art flourished, poorer families were able to go to school and be educated, and most importantly, they maintained the peace in China. These are important aspects of why the Qing Dynasty rose to its Golden age and was given the name “The Golden age of the 3 emperors”. ** When people are given power and privileges they tend to corrupt and rebel. During the Li Zicheng rebellion, the Ming generals, Wu San-Kuei fought alongside with the Manchu’s. When the Manchu price rose to the throne, General Wu San-Kuei was given jurisdiction over and soon he betrayed the Manchu’s in 1673 along with two other generals in charge of  and  This rebellion was called the “three feudatories”<[]>.. There was a sort period of time when these generals had conquered the whole south of China. After eight years of struggle in 1681, the Chinese generals that served the Qing dynasty finally crushed their resistance. The emperors no longer gave high ranks to officials that they feel would pose a threat to them and those positions were mainly assigned to their fellow Manchu’s. From their experience, we are able to understand that when people are given power and special privileges, they can cause quite the trouble.

During the Qing Dynasty, they were more open to the western world than the previous dynasties. They could benefit from the alliance of another country such as new learning skillsand techniques in art/painting, receiving new technology, such as clocks, watches and hot-air balloons and the westerners also introduced maize, sweet potatoes and peanuts into the Chinese diet. Another benefit China got from meeting with the Europeans was during emperor Kangxi’s rule, he wanted a accurate map of his empire and in 1708, the Jesuit scholar Ferdinand de Verbiest mapped out his whole empire that is very similar to today’s. Not only do the emperors in the Qing Dynasty benefit from the alliance, the Europeans benefit as well, they managed to establish a trade with China for tea and silk. The lesson we learn is that there are more to the world than just our country and making alliance with others can expand our way of thinking and seeing things. **

During the long period of the Qing Dynasty, many significant events happened and as the future generations, we can learn from their mistakes and successes. If people work hard enough, they would be able to meet their goals, for example, when the three emperors were able to gain the trust of the Han Chinese. When too much power given to an individual it can cause rebellion and trouble; and socializing with other countries can expand our society and open our eyes to a whole new world. In conclusion, if we take the time to look at our history, we can learn any significant lessons.

China's imperial past - general history. Charles. O. hucker. China from Manchu to Mao (1699 - 1976), **John R Roberson,** Atheneum New York 1980
 * Book sources**:

"Revolt of the Three Feudatories." //Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia//. 21 Mar 2009, 15:14 UTC. 11 May 2009 <[]>. []
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