The Fall of the Qing Dynasty

1. The Fall of the Qing Dynasty • The Taiping Rebellion anticipated the fall of the last Chinese dynasty • The Taipings exposed all kinds of social and political problems that continued to haunt the declining regime and inspire later rebellions • Qing rulers’ inability to deal with foreign invasions and domestic disorder aggravated people’s distrust of the government • To people who cared about China’s future, Qing emperors were losing the Mandate of Heaven

2. Qing Emperors Failed Their People • The Qing dynasty was brought down in 1912 by revolutionaries, whose leader was Dr. Sun Yat-san, after a series of 10 uprisings. • nearly fifty years after the collapse of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom • After a series of failed reforms, including the building of the nation’s navy and of ship-building factories • The self-strengthening movement never led China to a modernized country like the reform that took place in Japan under the auspices of Emperor Meiji. • While Japan was evolving into a new modern nation , China’s ruler, Empress Dowager Cixi, was using foreign loans to build a grand imperial garden, Yihe Yuan.

3. Revolutionary’s Traumatic Memory • Revolutionaries, seeing the failure of the Qing, reaffirmed their belief that the dynasty should be overturned • Theyevoked historical memory to persuade people to “drive out the barbarians”--the Manchus • Urged people to recall what the Manchus had done to Han Chinese • Used the slogan; “Yangzhou’s ten days; Jiading’s three butcherings” to remind Han people of the horror of Manchu atrocities and raised nativist hopes of rekindling the will to resist Manchu rule • Many cities witnessed large-scale massacre and slaughter that terminated million people’s lives and further reduced Chinese population

4. Yangzhou’s Ten Days(Massacre of Yangzhou) • In April, 1645, the newly established Qing regime sent a pacification commissioner, Dodo, to south China, where Ming loyalists’ resistance remained strong • Resistance force in Yangzhou was led by the illustrious minister Shi Kefa • Dodo’s purpose was to make peace with any regional leaders , including Shi Kefa, who were willing to surrender the Qing • He was to offer Shi Kefa amnesty if Shi Kefa surrendered

5. Bloody Battle and Massacre • Refusing to surrender, Shi Kefa and Dodo fought out their loyalties over Yangzhou’s walls • Dodo, with his elite force of bannermen • Shi Kefa, with his small minister’s brigade • Dodo succeeded the siege of Yangzhou after seven days • Shi, failing at suicide, was captured; refusing amnesty, he was executed. • Manchu soldiers entered Yangzhou, slaughtered, raped, and plundered for ten days • More than 80,000 deaths were recorded, exclusive of those threw themselves into the river, hanged themselves, were burned to death inside houses, or were carried away by soldiers

6. Jiangyin City and the Tonsure Decree • June, 1645, the Qing regime promulgated an order that the conquered Han Chinese should adopt the Manchu hairstyle • men were demanded to shave their heads and wear a queue/pigtail • Qing government ‘s promulgation said: “keep your head by shaving it or wear your hair and lose your head. • The decre, which was an insult to Han Chinese, met with violent resistance in Jiangyin • The city mobilized to fight against the Qing troops

7. Jiangyin’s Massacre • From the outset of the battle, Jiangyin people raised a banner declaring “Restoring the Great Ming” • The Qing troops conquered the city after attacking it for nearly three months • The Qing troops entered the city, slaughtering for 23 days before announcing the regime’s goal of pacification • But only 53 of them left, all others died in fighting even after Qing soldiers entered the city • None surrendered to the Qing • Causalities: 60,000

8. Jiading’s Response to the Tonsure Decre • The same tonsure decree reached Jiading in June 1645 • Prominent Confucian scholars led the city residents and village people in the suburb to resist the Qing troops • The disorganized local brigades were quickly defeated by the Qing Troops

9. Jiading’s Three Bucherings • Qing soldiers entered the city in early July, slaughtered 30,000 men in one day • Hauling women, gold, silk, sheep, horses, oxen • Shipping all booties with 300 ships, then left the city • Qing soldiers entered the city again in late July after defeating the city’s reorganized brigades • This time slaughtered men in the city and its suburb • In late August, a Ming loyalist led an army and launched a surprise attack on the Qing troops in the city and restored the city • the loyalists were soon defeated • Qing soldiers entered the city again and slaughtered 20,000 men.