Qing+Dynasty

Drew Haxton, Ben Hodge, Maeve Lemus Mrs. Wood Eastern Civilization H December 5, 2011

The Qing Dynasty The Qing Dynasty, in Chinese history, is considered to be one of the greatest empires ever to exist in history. From the years 1644 to 1911, it was the last dynasty ever to be in power in China. Many Chinese historians today believe that the Qing Dynasty may have lasted even longer if not for the unstable political and economic aspects of the dynasty. However, when examining this dynasty, it is important for historians to take into consideration the different aspects of the dynasty and it’s time period such as the political, economic, religious, social, intellectual and artistic aspects. When China was taken over in 1644, it was controlled by the Manchus, a single group of people made of the united tribes of Mongolia and Manchuria. These Manchus established themselves in Beijin and proclaimed the Qing Dynasty (Green 49). After the Manchus took over China, a series of political changes took place during the Qing. In the beginning, the Manchu rulers were harsh; Chinese people were forced to live in Chinese quarters of Beijing while Manchus filled the offices of the Qing government. Slowly, they began to adopt the Chinese customs and methods of administration; even some Chinese mandarins were called back to government posts even though they were forbidden to serve in native places for fear of rebellions against the Manuchus (50). Very quickly, the Chinese people developed secret anti-Manchu societies. They were angry because China was once again under the control of foreigners and the members of these societies never forgot that their rulers were not Chinese. After the Taiping Rebellion of 1853, many more major, political events took place in the Qing. Plots, conspiracies and revolutionary societies thrived. The Empress Dowager Ci Xi was even tempted to support a different rebellion called the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. Once this rebellion was put down, there was one last emperor in China. Pu Yi, the great grandnephew of Ci Xi, was not remembered for anything he did during the Qing Dynasty; instead he is recognized as being “a witness to the dramatic stages of modern China’s birth” (56). When the Mandate of Heaven fell from Pu Yi’s rule, it fell to the leaders of China’s first republic. Sun Yat-sen, the most successful republican of China, established he Revive China Society with the hopes of overthrowing the Qing and establishing a western-style democracy for China. While on a fundraising trip, a rebellion against the Qing government by the Chinese people took place in October of 1911 (57). This revolution brought about the end of the Manchu rulers and ultimately the rule of the Qing Dynasty in China. Sun Yat-sen, at the time, leader of the Nationalist Party, was called back to China and became the first president of the Republic of China. As well as many political changes, China saw much economic prosperity during the two hundred sixty-seven year reign of the Qing Dynasty. The majority of economic prosperity occurred under the rules of emperor Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong. The driving force behind population growth was due mainly to advancements in agriculture. Up until the Qing Dynasty, the lack of arable land near populated areas made it difficult to support a large population. Chinese agriculture became the most advanced and efficient agricultural system in the world during the eighteenth century. The agricultural system allowed Chinese farmers to harvest the maximum amount of crops possible from small amounts of land (“Chinese History…”). In addition, the textile industry expanded in China during this time period. “Textile industry first provided an extra income to the peasant families, but later developed to a separate industrial branch with factory workers” (“Chines History…”). With both an increase in agriculture and commerce during this time period, a significant population boom occurred under Qing leadership. The Qing dynasty produced an economic powerhouse for the Chinese citizens. During the Qing Dynasty, the state religion returned to Confucianism. Confucius was honored as a saint and many new buildings were built in his hometown of the State of Lu. The emperor performed the ritualistic sacrifices of Confucianism including those for Heaven, Earth, and the ancestors. All of the emperor's sacrifices took place at the Alter of Heaven in Beijing. Daoism and Buddhism also remained important during the Qing Dynasty. Along with Confucianism, the three became the three major religions of China. During the Qing, Tibetan Lamaism was also allowed as a political maneuver to keep Tibet under Chinese control. Islam became popular in a few cities and towns, as well as in Chinese Turkistan, but had no major affects on Chinese culture or history (Theobald). The Roman Catholic Church tried to convert the Chinese to Christianity, but many attempts proved ineffective. The Jesuit order of Priests proved to be the most successful in converting the Chinese to Christianity. Instead of forcing the Roman Catholic religion and culture upon the Chinese, the Jesuits tried to absorb the Chinese culture and blend it with Christianity. One way that the Jesuits did this was including gongs and fireworks in the Catholic Mass. The Dominican order objected to this inclusion, who appealed to the Pope by forcing the dissolution of the Jesuit order. When the Pope disrespected the Chinese Emperor, Kangxi, by refusing to allow a blended culture, Kangxi reacted by expelling all missionaries. The foreign missionaries went from having important positions in government providing many innovations in Chinese culture, to being exiled from the country (//Powers//). In addition to religious conformity in China, many social changes also occurred during the Qing Dynasty. The Opium Wars had a major impact on Chinese society. Opium is a highly addictive drug compound found in poppy seeds. It can be turned into drugs such as heroin, codeine, and morphine. The Chinese quickly discovered that these drugs are also highly addictive. The new demand and addiction to opium by the Chinese greatly altered the economic, as well as social, aspects of Chinese society during the time period. The import of opium alone became worth more than the export of regularly traded Chinese goods. Lower class people lost money as did the rich merchants. The Chinese also lost Hong Kong at the end of the Opium Wars which resulted in population loss. Hong Kong had many different social classes but China lost many of its merchants with the loss of the city. Also, the divide between the major social classes widened. While everyone was treated according to their social places, as determined by Confucian philosophy, there was still a divided class system. Foreign traders spoiled the upper classes when they traded western goods and technology to the Chinese. The Jesuits provided the Chinese upper class with European watches and astronomical instruments. This improved life for the upper class Chinese people, but the lower class received nothing, and difference between the classes became more prominent. This divide between the upper and lower class fueled the rebellion that would eventually lead to the end China's dynastic line and start a new age of Chinese history (Xiang). The first Qing emperors were men of outstanding ability, especially K’ang-hsi, Yung-cheng and Ch’ien-lung. These men also highly regarded the intellectual part of the Qing Dynasty in which they ruled. K’ang-hsi was an outstanding scholar as well as a generous patron for education and academic activities (Li 323). Both he and Ch’ien-lung considered themselves to be great patrons of academics and literature. More than one hundred thousand poems are accredited to Ch’ien-lung. He also contributed to the development of painting and calligraphy during the Qing Dynasty (323). K’ang-hsi is considered by many Chinese historians today to be even more versatile than Ch’ine-lung, having studied astronomy, geography, mathematics, music, classical and traditional Confucian literature and “a smattering of the Latin language” (323). During K’ang-hsi’s reign of the Dynasty, twenty-six items on Confucian classics were printed, as well as sixty-five items on history, twenty-six items on Confucian classics, thirty-six items on philosophy and twenty items on miscellaneous subjects (326). In addition to these works, more famous books were published including __A Collection of Books__ and __The Complete Library of the Four Treasuries__ (Spence 246). Not only were books and literature highly regarded and encouraged during the Qing, philosophies such as those of Chu Hsi were also followed and honored. The emperor K’ang-hsi considered Chu Hsi to be the greatest philosopher since the time of Confucius and Mencuis (Li 326). In his teachings, Chu Hsi proposed the dual existence of form (called “hsing” in Chinese) and reason (called “li”). He said that these two elements are the “two inseparable elements of everything in the universe” (Li 327). Clearly, throughout the Qing Dynasty, there was a heavy emphasis, much by the emperors themselves, on the intellectual aspect of the dynasty. The Qing Dynasty started its reign as the last Chinese dynasty having strong values on art. Early Qing artwork featured three main groups of artists. The first of these groups was the traditionalist artists; these artists focused mainly on “revitalizing painting through creative reinterpretation of past models” (“The Qing Dynasty…”). The second group was comprised of individualist artists, “who practiced a deeply personal form of art that often carried a strong message of political protest” (“The Qing Dynasty…”). The last group was a mixture of courtiers, officials and professional artists. This group was responsible for serving the Manchu court. During this time period, the demand for Chinese art in Europe peaked, keeping the Chinese artists busy. Porcelain work became the artwork that saw expansive revitalization. The vivid blue and white colors were once again displayed on porcelain pieces in a pictorial fashion that was popular with Europeans. “Members of the Eccentric school of painting developed a unique style of expressionism that emphasized spontaneous brushwork and revealed imaginative uses of color” (“Ch’ing Dynasty…”). The artisans of these are often credited with creating items such as lacquer boxes and cricket cages, which were meticulously carved out of jade and many different exotic hardwoods (“Ch’ing Dynasty…”). Although the Qing Dynasty was not known for its artwork like some of the previous Chinese dynasties, it was still able to leave its mark on the art world. The Qing Dynasty became the last dynasty ever to rule in China. While in power, this dynasty was in power for a total of two hundred sixty-seven years. Although it can be argued by historians that it may have lasted longer, the time for change was upon China; this is one of the reasons for the dynasty’s downfall. The Qing Dynasty is a very fascinating dynasty with a lot of change taking place over a relatively short period of time. It is especially intriguing for historians and other people to examine the different aspects of the Qing Dynasty, such as the political, economic, religious, social, intellectual and artistic aspects, as they offer great insight to the life of the Chinese people during this time period.

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