History of the Qing Dynasty: A Tale

Author: Cai Dongfan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-27
Features: This book consists of one hundred chapters, covering the rise of the Qing Dynasty in the Northeast and its fall with the abdication of the Xuantong Emperor, nearly three centuries of history. Major historical events in the book are well-documented and presented in a compelling manner, making them mostly readable, believable, and valuable. It can be considered a new innovation in the genre of historical fiction.
As early as the Zhao Song Dynasty, after the Jin state was destroyed, some surviving Jurchen tribes fled to the Northeast and settled along the coast, adopting the name "Aisin Gioro" (meaning "residents of the White Mountain River") and establishing the Manchu state. They then renamed themselves the "Manchu people." Over the course of several centuries and through generations, a wise and brave figure 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 it would last for a thousand autumns and winters, eternal and unbroken, seemingly capable of existing in harmony with the heavens. However, unknown to them, the foreign powers, with their advanced ships and cannons, repeatedly invaded China's borders. The great nation suffered territorial losses today and indemnities tomorrow, leaving the Qing rulers and officials overwhelmed and the country's strength gradually declining.
Unforeseen by them, external threats were compounded by internal turmoil. The Wuchang Uprising broke out, followed by responses from other provinces, ultimately overthrowing the great Qing Dynasty. Later generations often criticized the Qing government for its political failures, harshly condemning the emperors as ignorant and tyrannical and the officials as corrupt and despicable.
In reality, a closer examination of Qing Dynasty history reveals both flaws and merits. There were periods of cruelty and brutality, but also acts of benevolence and virtue. 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 system collapsed. This was not entirely surprising.