The Qing Dynasty

The Qing dynasty was the last imperial dynasty in China, succeeded by the Republic of China in 1912. The Qing was made up of ethnic Manchus from the northern Chinese region of Manchuria. The Qing dynasty was the 5th largest empire in world history. However, by the early 20th century its rulers were weakened by rural unrest, aggressive foreign powers, and military weakness.

During the 1800s, Qing China faced attacks from Britain, France, Russia, Germany, and Japan. The Opium Wars (1839-42 and 1856-60) ended with Hong Kong ceding to Britain and the humiliating defeat of the Chinese army.

This playlist is the last in our dynasty series and covers every China History Podcast episode that takes place during the years 1644-1912.