Qing dynasty

The Qing dynasty, officially the Great Qing (大清), was the last imperial dynasty of China. The regime was founded by the in 1616Rowe, William T. (2009). "Conquest". In China's Last Empire: The Great Qing. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, pp. 11–30. as the Aisin Gurun (ᠠᡳ᠌ᠰᡳᠨ ᡤᡠᡵᡠᠨ, 'Golden State') or the Jin (金, 'Gold') in the language, then a distinct nation. In 1635, the Jin conquered Mongolia, extinguishing the Yuan once and for all. The following year, with the invasion of the Great Ming underway, their khan renamed their people the and their country the Great Qing for propagandist reasons.The Ming (明), whose name meant 'brightness', was associated with the of fire while the name Jin (金) referred to the element of metal. Since fire melts metal, the Jin changed their name to Qing (清), meaning 'clear', and their element to water to signify their inevitable triumph over the Ming.
Their capture of the Ming capital of Beijing in 1644 is traditionally taken as the start of their dynasty although it would take until 1662 to complete the conquest of China.The completion of the Qing conquest can also be dated to 1681, when they crushed the , or 1683 with the annexation of the in , where Ming loyalists had fled. This article takes the year 1662, when the was captured and killed in southern China, as the end of the Ming. Alongside encroachments on its sovereignty by foreign empires,Rowe, William T. (2009). "Crises". In China's Last Empire: The Great Qing. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, pp. 149–274Ibid., "Imperialism", pp. 231–252. the Qing suffered widespread rebellions throughout the 19th centuryIbid., "Rebellion", pp. 175–200. and was finally overthrown in the 1911 that led to the founding of the Republic of China.Ibid., "Revolution", pp. 253–283.
==History==
After the Qing seized Beijing, they enthroned the six-year-old Aisin-Gioro hala-i Fulin as the Shunzhi Emperor on 30 October 1644, by which he became the first Qing ruler in China. It is known from a series of cryptic puzzles left behind by Assassin Clay Kaczmarek for Desmond Miles in the Animus that the Shunzhi Emperor did not possess a Staff of Eden.Assassin's Creed II – Glyph #5: "Instruments of Power"
At some point prior to 1715, a daughter of Chinese rebels named Jing Lang married the son of a Qing general. Joining the Templar Order, she served as a political advisor for a time before a political shift prompted her to become a pirate.Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – Database: Jing LangAssassin's Creed: Initiates – Database: The Orchid
The Qing maintained diplomatic relations with the Portuguese Empire via Macau, where a mansion complex known as the Mandarin's House acted as a home for visiting Qing officials and their allies. One of these allies, the merchant Madam Lee, moved into the mansion in February 1725, after which she purchased a bulk order of alcohol and tea from the Qing.Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 10
Under the Qing regime, the people suffered heavy persecution, including Madam Lee and many members of the Chinese Brotherhood of Assassins. This led the Brotherhood's Mentor, Xiao Han, to resent the Manchus and seek to remove them from power in order to establish a new dynasty under which the Han people might thrive again.Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 40 To this end, Xiao Han and two of his fellow Assassins, Liu Qing and Xue Yan, searched for a Piece of Eden hidden in the lost Khmer city of Angkor,Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 34 and later formed an alliance with Madam Lee, who believed she would benefit greatly if the Qing were to be overthrown.
Although the Qing court forbade all trade with foreign entities in the early 18th century, numerous merchant companies, such as the one led by Madam Lee, took advantage of the political instability within the empire to disobey this law. It was through these clandestine deals that European powers like the Spanish Empire managed to acquire goods of Chinese origin, including pottery, silk and tea.Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 58
==Appearances==
*Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag 
*Assassin's Creed: Initiates 
*Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China 
*Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple 
==Notes==
==References==
Category:Dynasties of China
Category:Chinese governments