AD 1644-1911 Qing dynasty

The Manchurian tribesmen who captured Beijing in AD 1644 declared themselves rulers of China and called their dynasty the Qing ('pure'). They embraced Chinese culture and took over the imperial civil service. For its first 150 years, their dynasty presided over one of the strongest and wealthiest countries in the world. During the long reigns of two emperors, the Kangxi emperor (reigned 1662-1722) and his grandson, the Qianlong emperor (reigned 1736-95), trade, arts and crafts were encouraged and the empire expanded to take in Tibet, Turkestan and Nepal. Maritime trade with the West increased, but was strictly controlled by the Chinese, restricting European traders to a few ports.

The dynasty declined in the 19th century. The White Lotus Rebellion (1796-1802) was the first of many secret society peasant uprisings. Attempts to stop the British trading in opium, led to the notorious Opium Wars of 1840-2. The victorious British imposed huge indemnities on the Chinese and the way was open for an increase in foreign power. In 1860, Anglo-French forces occupied Beijing, forcing the Xianfeng emperor into exile. International troops put down the internal Boxer Rebellion of 1900 against foreigners. The Guangxu emperor (reigned 1875-1908) attempted reforms, too late. The end of the dynasty was formally marked by the abdication of the last Manchu emperor, the infant Puyi, on 12 February 1912.