The Qing: China's Last Empire

What happened

In 1644 the Manchus, a people from beyond the northeastern frontier, seized Beijing and founded the Qing dynasty, China's last imperial house. At its height under the emperors Kangxi and Qianlong, the Qing more than doubled China's territory and ruled the most populous empire on earth.

Why it matters

The Qing built the largest and one of the richest of all Chinese empires, but in the nineteenth century its inability to meet the challenge of the industrialized West would bring China low.

Sources

• Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. Qing dynasty (1644–1911) · Reputable source