The Story of the Qing Dynasty - Popular Histories of China's Dynasties (Illustrated Edition)

Author: Cai Dongfan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: This book consists of one hundred chapters, covering the rise of the Qing Dynasty in the Northeast, from its inception to the abdication and exile of the Xuantong Emperor, nearly three centuries of history. Major historical events in the book are well-documented, presented in a readable and credible manner, and serve as valuable references, truly pioneering a new genre of historical fiction. Long before the Southern Song Dynasty, after the Jin Dynasty was destroyed, some surviving Jurchen tribes fled to the Northeast and took refuge along the coast, adopting the name "Aisin Gioro" (meaning "residents of the Changbai Mountains") and establishing the Manchu Empire. They then renamed themselves the "Manchu people." Over the course of several centuries and through generations, a figure of exceptional wisdom and courage emerged from the tribe, leading to the unfolding of 268 years of Qing Dynasty history.
The Qing Dynasty unified the Central Plains, and it was believed that its reign would last for a thousand autumns, eternally unbroken, seemingly indistinguishable from the heavens. However, it turned out that the foreign powers, with their superior ships and cannons, repeatedly invaded the country's borders. The great nation suffered territorial losses today and indemnities tomorrow, leaving the Qing rulers and officials overwhelmed and the nation's strength gradually declining. Unforeseen by them, external threats were not yet resolved when internal turmoil arose. The Wuchang Uprising sparked responses across the provinces, ultimately overthrowing the great Qing Dynasty.
Later generations often criticized the Qing Dynasty's political shortcomings, resorting to harsh condemnations, as if none of the emperors were not tyrannical and lustful, and none of the officials were not base and corrupt. In reality, a closer examination of Qing Dynasty history reveals both flaws and virtues, instances of cruelty and brutality as well as acts of benevolence and kindness. However, by the late Qing era, the emperor was weak, the officials were incompetent, the court was corrupt, and the world had already undergone significant changes. Thus, when the revolutionaries rose, the entire empire collapsed. This was not entirely surprising.