In
the early 1600s in China, rebellions broke out against the Ming emperor’s
unpopular government and its high taxes. At the same time, tribes in Manchuria
(the region to the northeast of China) were uniting.
By 1618, the Manchu were strong enough to take control
of and hold on to the Ming province of Liaotung. Then, in 1644, a rebellion in
China led to the capture of Beijing, the capital. Ming officials asked the
Manchus to help them defeat the rebels. Instead, the Manchus seized power and
set up a new dynasty, the Qing, which ruled China for more than 250 years.
Under the Qiny dynasty, China flourished once more.
Production of silk, porcelain, lacquerware and cotton expanded, and trade
increased.
In 1792, Britain sent its first ambassador to China
with a request for greater trade rights. The emperor refused, wanting China to
stay isolated. This meant China was slow to take up new technology, and by the
1840s the weakened empire was unable to resist Western pressure.
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