The Nature of the Qing Dynasty: late 1700s onwards

• Emperor centre of all universe

• Centre-piece of a civilisation superior to any other in the world

• More books published in China than in all other languages of the world put together

• Ruled over 300 million subjects

• Worlds largest producer of manufactured goods(33%. Britain 4%)

• Produced more iron at 1066 than England did 700 years later

• Britain completed its first canal in 1769. China had had built the 1000 mile Grand Canal in the 7th century

• Education richly prizedThe Grand Canal

Emperor Qianlong 1736 - 99

• China’s longest ruling Emperor

• Reign of great prosperity and achievement

• Time of rapidly rising population and conquest of neighbouring territories

• “As your ambassador can see for himself, we posses all things strnge or ingenious, and have no use for your country’s manufactures” to King George III in 1793.

Empire• Empire governed by scholar civil

servants

• Complex examinations system based on Confucianism and over 1000 years old.

• Complex and efficient postal service carried the Emperors orders and official reports

• Chains of horse posts carried mail 250 miles a day

• By 1792 Empire extended into Tibet and Xianjiang: the borders of modern China

Confucianism

• Confucius was a scholar and philosopher (470-391BC)

• A rough cotemporary of Socrates and Buddha

• Compelled to write about peace, righteousness and harmony during time of great chaos and upheaval in China

• Legacy moral, social and intellectual legacy that has endured 2500 years

• Ideas expanded on by Mencius ((372-289BC)

• Their texts became philosophy and approach to live underpinning the Chinese state and civilisation

Confucianism• Harmony and decorum • Correct behaviour achieved by reason• Respect of legitimate authority ie parent, older brother or government

enjoying Mandate of Heaven was crucial• Courtesy paramount• War and chaos an abomination• Dynasties gained power by showing humanity and righteousness. They lost

power when they failed to show these qualities ie becoming tyrants• “Reform yourself, then arrange your family and so pacify the world”• No afterlife connotations. Concerned with the here and now. • Harmony and balance. Yin and Yang. Feng Shui. Music and ritual. The

ordering of society.• Religious philosophies, which concerned the afterlife and the supernatural like

Daoism and later, Buddhism flourished but never really threatened the strict moral Confucian code.

The Qing Dynasty

• Like many dynasties before them, the Qing or Manchus adopted many of the ways of the conquered

• Confucian law• Civil service• Male dominated society • court ritual • Banned footbinding• All males were to shave the front

of their heads and wear hair in a pigtail

• A reviled form of servitude which lasted until 1911

• Kowtow: bow before the emperor

Pu Yi’s pigtail