Overview of the Qing Dynasty

The Qing dynasty can be characterized in two ways. At first, there was an initial explosion in culture, an economic boom, and a fairly sustainable feudal agricultural system. Even though there were minor outbreaks of civil unrest, especially as a result of the reforms the Manchus made (such as forcing the queue hairstyle which went against Confucian teachings) the time produced some lasting testaments to greatness in terms of art and language. After this initial blossoming, the stability gave way to rampant corruption and the devastation of Western influence on the normally insular landmass. 

In general, the Qing dynasty is marked by conquest, cultural progress, authoritarianism, and an isolated worldview that shunned outside contact. As one scholar notes, ““In many ways, the Qing epitomized the best of China’s cultural tradition, although ultimately, the dynasty and dynastic system itself fell victim to unprecedented internal pressures and erosion by Western technology and ideas into the late nineteenth and early twentieth century” (Smith 11). Eventually, especially at the start of the Opium wars in the late Qing dynasty, this Western influence would cripple China and instigate the downfall of the Qing.