The Rise of the Manchus

The Rise of the Manchus

Although the Manchus were not Han Chinese and were strongly resisted, especially
in the south, they had assimilated a great deal of Chinese culture before
conquering China Proper. Realizing that to dominate the empire they would have
to do things the Chinese way, the Manchus retained many institutions of Ming and
earlier Chinese derivation. They continued the Confucian court practices and
temple rituals, over which the emperors had traditionally presided. The Manchus
continued the Confucian civil service system. Although Chinese were barred from
the highest offices, Chinese officials predominated over Manchu officeholders
outside the capital, except in military positions. The Neo-Confucian philosophy,
emphasizing the obedience of subject to ruler, was enforced as the state creed.
The Manchu emperors also supported Chinese literary and historical projects of
enormous scope; the survival of much of China's ancient literature is attributed
to these projects.

Ever suspicious of Han Chinese, the Qing rulers put into effect measures aimed
at preventing the absorption of the Manchus into the dominant Han Chinese
population. Han Chinese were prohibited from migrating into the Manchu homeland,
and Manchus were forbidden to engage in trade or manual labor. Intermarriage
between the two groups was forbidden. In many government positions a system of
dual appointments was used--the Chinese appointee was required to do the
substantive work and the Manchu to ensure Han loyalty to Qing rule.

The Qing regime was determined to protect itself not only from internal
rebellion but also from foreign invasion. After China Proper had been subdued,
the Manchus conquered Outer Mongolia (now the Mongolian People's Republic) in
the late seventeenth century. In the eighteenth century they gained control of
Central Asia as far as the Pamir Mountains and established a protectorate over
the area the Chinese call Xizang () but commonly known in the West as Tibet. The... [continues]

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