Qing Dynasty (1636-1912) (1 gen 1636 anni – 1 gen 1912 anni)

Descrizione:

The Qing dynasty, officially the Great Qing, was the last imperial dynasty of China. It was established in 1636 and ruled China proper from 1644 to 1912. It was preceded by the Ming dynasty and succeeded by the Republic of China.

Took power in 1644. The Chinese were largely unaware of revolutionary events occurring in North America, France, and Britain. Before 1750, they conquered Taiwan, pushed westward into central Asia, and annexed Tibet. New crops from the Americas aided this process - especially corn and sweet potatoes, which grow well in less fertile lands.

Despite their success in expanding the empire, the Qing faced nagging problems. As a ruling minority, they took a conservative approach to innovation. And only late in the eighteenth century did they deal with rapid population growth. On the one hand, the tripling of China's population since 1300 demonstrated the realm's prosperity; on the other hand, a population of over 300M severely strained resources - especially soil for growing crops and wood for fuel.

In 1793, Emperor Qianlong wrote in response to a request for trade by Britain's king that "as your ambassador can see for himself, we possess all things," adding, "I have no use for your country's manufactures." The Chinese had very little interest in European goods.

The first clear evidence of an altered balance of powerr was not the rise of Napoleon, but a British-Chinese war over a narcotic - the Opium War.

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