The Great Qing Dynasty

The Great Qing (Pure) Dynasty, also known as the Manchu Dynasty, came to power in Manchuria (as the Later Jin) and in 1644 succeeding in taking control of all of China from the crumbling Ming dynasty. During their rule Imperial China reached its peak of size and power, particularly under the Emperors KangXi, Yongzheng and Qianlong. In the 19th Century rebellions and foreign pressure increased and the fortunes of the dynasty began to recede. Despite an attempt at reform in 1901 the Qing Empire fell in 1912 with the abdication of the last Emperor. There was a short restoration during the First World War but the era of the warlords and the Republic was not to be suppressed.