portraits of Nurhaci (L) and Huang Taiji
The Qing Dynasty also known as the Manchu Dynasty, was the last ruling dynasty of China, until the founding of the Republic of China in 1911.
Before the establishment of the Qing Dynasty, there was a regime called ´Latter Jin´ that had been set up by Nurhaci, leader of the Man Ethnic Minority. Actually, Man people were the offspring of the Jurchen people who had always been living in Northeast China. After reunifying all the Jurchen tribes, Nurhaci proclaimed himself emperor in 1616. Thus a new regime called Latter Jin was founded in Hetuala (in current Liaoning Province) during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644).
In 1636, Huang Taiji, son of Nurhaci moved the capital to Shenyang (currently the capital city of Liaoning Province) and changed the regime title into ´Qing´. He thus established the Qing Dynasty. In 1644 when peasant´s uprising leader Li Zicheng ended the Ming Dynasty and set up a new regime in Beijing, the Qing army seduced a general named Wu Sangui to rebel against Li Zicheng. With Wu´s help, the Qing army successfully captured Beijing and rooted their regime there.
map of Qing Dynasty
