During China's feudal dynasties, there were 67 regimes, most of which were ruled by Han Chinese, but some were established by ethnic minorities, such as the Northern Wei of the Xianbei people, the Yuan Dynasty of the Mongols, and the Qing Dynasty of the Manchus.
It is surprising that the Ming Dynasty only existed for about a hundred years, while the Qing Dynasty lasted for 276 years and ruled over more than 300 million Han Chinese, but in reality, history is not surprising.
Through a careful study of the various social forces and environments in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, it can be found that there are four main factors that led to the survival of the Qing Dynasty for nearly 300 years. During the reign of Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty, the chaos in the land of China was clearly visible, and it contained many factors that led to the demise of the Ming Dynasty, such as severe land annexation and mass displacement.
In the succession of feudal dynasties in China, peasant uprisings played an important role. For ordinary people, life is difficult, and in order to survive, they can only choose to take risks.
In this case, "give it a go, turn a bicycle into a motorcycle" has become their only way out. The results are often unexpected, and a single uprising can provoke a national response and set the prairie on fire.
In the last years of the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Xianzhong, Li Zicheng, and some Ming generals also led an uprising, and the rebel army fought throughout the country. In addition to peasant uprisings, the emperor's stupidity and the partisanship of the ministers were also important factors that led to the change of dynasty.
After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty in Zhu Yuanzhang, through the efforts of Zhu Di, Zhu Gaochi, and Zhu Zhanji, the political, economic, and military reached a historical peak. However, over time, the mediocrity of the king and the intrigue of the ministers eventually led to the decline and replacement of the Ming Dynasty.
The Ming Dynasty had a glorious period, but over time, it gradually went into decline. Although some kings have tried to revive the country, their efforts have not brought about lasting change.
During the reign of Emperor Xiaozong Zhu Youji, there was a brief revival of the Ming Dynasty, but the inaction of several subsequent emperors led to chaos and corruption in the country. In addition, the Ming Dynasty was often hit by wars and disasters, which led to the poverty of the country and the hardship of the people.
Civil wars are costly and require the consumption of a lot of resources, including the wealth and sacrifice of the people, but only a few ** filthy officials have benefited. Even if Zhu Youzhen has been sleepless for 13 years, he will not be able to solve this problem, and ordinary people hope to improve their living conditions by changing the dynasty.
Historically, the entry of the Manchu Qing Dynasty was also an opportunity to change the dynasty, and Shunzhi and Dolgon were given a huge opportunity because of this.
The Jianzhou Jurchens had been at peace since the time of the Wanli Emperor, and although they rebelled many times, their scope of activity was limited to the area of the Great Khing'an Mountains and the Heishui River. They had accepted the edict of the imperial court and served as a county magistrate.
Even when Nurhachi released the "Seven Hatreds", the armor in their hands was only a dozen or so. Before the Battle of Songjin, the Jianzhou Jurchens could not pose much of a threat to the Ming Dynasty.
However, due to the peasant rebels such as Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong making trouble in the Central Plains, the constant harassment of the southeastern foreign invaders, and Zhu Youzhen's refusal to move south for refuge, Li Zicheng was able to break through Beijing, and finally the emperor of the Ming Dynasty hanged himself in the coal mountain, and the world suddenly lost its ruler, and all forces began to compete for power, making the whole society chaotic.
The disagreement between Li Zicheng and Wu Sangui, the chief soldier of Shanhaiguan, made Wu Sangui betray Li Zicheng and lead the Qing army into the customs. This decision had a profound impact for more than 200 years.
Without the opportunity of history, Wu Sangui may not have succeeded in opening the gates of Beijing. In China's history, the advanced nature of Han culture has allowed it to rule almost the entire country.
From the country's political, economic to cultural systems, they have been continuously polished and improved by successive kings, and have become the most suitable system for the society at that time.
Backward civilizations in a small number of regions are often conquered by advanced civilizations, and although military force can achieve victory in the early stage, in order to achieve long-term peace and stability, it is necessary to accept the baptism of advanced civilization and abandon its own backward factors.
For example, the Northern Wei regime was able to exist in large part because of the Sinicization reform carried out by Emperor Xiaowen. Similarly, the Yuan Dynasty was able to enter the Central Plains mainly because Kublai Khan respected the Han system and reused the Han people.
However, Kublai Khan's demise was due to his injustice and excessive exploitation of the Han Chinese. Before the Qing army entered Beijing, they had fully respected the Han people and the Han system, and even had the Han army of the Eight Banners of the Han Dynasty in the army to serve them.
Dolgon's treatment of the Ming Dynasty relics, scholars, and the common people was treated with respect, respect, and preferential treatment, which enabled the Manchu regime to quickly stabilize and successfully sit in the Forbidden City.
Although there are some "praises" and "misunderstandings" in the Qing Dynasty, it can be agreed that the 12 emperors of the Qing Dynasty basically did not have faint monarchs, which is in stark contrast to the faint monarchs in the middle and late Ming Dynasty.
The successive monarchs of the Qing Dynasty all had very outstanding military and political abilities, from the spearhead charge of Nurhachi, Huang Taiji and the quasi-emperor Dolgon, to the prosperity of the last feudal dynasty created by Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong, and then to the efforts of Jiaqing, Daoguang, Xianfeng and Tongzhi, they all showed a strong sense of responsibility and professionalism for the country.
They not only follow the system of the Ming Dynasty, but also actively appoint Han people, Emperor Kangxi even ordered the top three scientific people to take Han people, wantonly enveloped the wealthy families, and divided the feudal kings across the country, such as Wu Sangui, Geng Jingzhong, Shang Kexi, in order to strengthen the control of the local government.
Overall, successive monarchs of the Qing Dynasty have made outstanding contributions to the prosperity and development of the country.
In the history of feudal dynasties, the Manchus were a unique existence. It broke the tradition of non-heterosexual kings since the Han Dynasty, and gathered a large number of Han capable people to serve the imperial court.
The Manchus did not treat the Han as inferior, as the Yuan dynasty did, but respected the culture and customs of the Han people to a certain extent. Although resistance in the south continued for nearly half a century after the Manchu Qing Dynasty took control of the Central Plains, and organizations such as the White Lotus Sect, the Great Dao Society, and the Boxer Rebellion all raised the slogan of "opposing the Qing Dynasty and restoring the Ming Dynasty", these resistances were eventually replaced by the Qing and Ming dynasties.