Qing Dynasty (feb 1, 1644 – aug 1, 1911)

Description:

The Manchus were mostly pastoral nomads though some had settled in the rich farmlands of Southern Manchuria. A chieftan named Nurhaci had united the tribes and organized a powerful military force. During the 1630s and 40s, many scholar bureacrats actually worked against the Ming Dynasty and supported the Qing Dynasty because the Manchus were well-versed in the Chinese language and in Confucian tradition. However, the Manchus did try to preserve their own cultural identity by outlawing intermarriage and prohibiting Chinese people from learning the Manchurian language. Like the Ming Dynasty, the Qing dynasty administered the empire through a bureacracy based on merit which was composed of scholar-bureacrats and the scholar gentry. The Civil Service Examinations were offered on a district, provincial and metropolitan level, with the exam taking 3 days in which candidates composed 8-legged essays on prompts related to Confucian teachings. During the QIng Dynasty, the country's one million degree holders competed for twenty thousand official civil service positions. Exams were open to all males regardless of age or social status and so opened the door to social advancement and upward mobility. Finally, Qing authorities also closely supervised the affairs of foreign merchants and maintained a policy of isolationism to some degree. For example, Portuguese merchants were only allowed to trade at the Port of Macau while British agents had to deal exclusively with the official merchant guild at Guangzhou.

Added to timeline:

Date: