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The Qing Dynasty is Established
Home » China » Beijing - History and Overview » The Qing Dynasty is EstablishedIn 1644 Manchu rebels overthrew the Ming powers and founded the Qing Dynasty, which would rule until 1911. The leaders moved their Manchurian capital to Beijing, effectively absorbing China into their existing empire (which consisted of modern day northeastern China and what is now a portion of Siberian Russia).
The period of Qing control was a mixed bag of success and failure for China. The arts flourished under their leadership, and some of the nation’s most famous works of literature were written during the early Qing years. The emperors insulated themselves from the rest of the world, however. It was a period of history when countries were actively communicating with one another, enacting trade agreements, and establishing an interdependent community of nations. The Chinese leadership in Beijing had no interest in participating, and their approach to foreign policy was to not consider themselves equal to other nations in any way.
An example occurred in 1793 and 1794 when George III of Britain sent ambassadors to China to discuss increasing trade and establishing a permanent trade representative in Beijing. The Chinese leadership decidedly rebuffed him.
The later years of the Qing Dynasty were characterized by rampant corruption and a steady loss of power. Rebellions were common, and the leadership continued to denounce any trade-oriented foreign presence in their country. The Treaty of Nanjing was signed in 1842 after the First Opium War between the United Kingdom and China. The agreement ensured several open ports in China, as well as handing control of Hong Kong to the British.
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