Manchu Dynasty

Manchus founded the Manchu Dynasty, hence the name, but it is more commonly known as the Qing Dynasty. It is China’s last dynasty. The Manchu/Qing Dynasty began in 1644 with the downfall of the Ming Dynasty and ended in 1911 with the abdication of the youngster Emperor Pu Yi.

Xuanye, the second emperor in this dynasty, took over in 1662. He took the name Kangxi and started a 60-year reign that made him one of the greatest in Chinese history. Kangxi lowered taxes and gave land to the peasants.

The Qing Dynasty began to falter in the mid- 19th century, when the infamous Empress Dowager CiXI was in control and the nation suffered debilitating invasions by foreign powers, including Britain, France and Japan.