1618 – 1683 · Ming Dynasty vs Qing Dynasty vs Later Jin
Jurchen invaders conquered the Ming Dynasty, establishing Qing rule and redrawing China's borders.
The Qing Conquest (1618-1683) saw Jurchen armies under Nurhaci and Hong Taiji gradually conquer Ming-held territories. The Ming's collapse was expedited by peasant rebellions, particularly Li Zicheng's revolt (1644), which sacked Beijing. Jurchen general Dorgon invited to suppress the rebellion, instead conquered the empire. The Kangxi Emperor (r. 1661-1722) solidified Qing rule, suppressing the Three Feudatories Rebellion (1673-1681) and reclaiming Taiwan from the Ming loyalist Zheng Chenggong's family. The transition involved decades of warfare, plague, and famine; millions died.
The transition established the Qing Dynasty, which would rule China for nearly 300 years. The Qing became the most extensive empire in Chinese history, incorporating Xinjiang, Tibet, and Mongolia. The transition marked the last conquest of China by an external power (until Western imperialism). The Qing's adoption of Han administrative practices created a hybrid Jurchen-Han empire.
Redirecting…