WI: No Qing Dynasty?

[WhatIsAUserName]

What if the Manchurians never attacked and destroyed the Ming Dynasty, and instead formed the "Later Jin Dynasty" (as the Qing Dynasty was initially called) in Manchuria?

I highly doubt that the Ming would survive till the present day, but there would much less rebellions against the Manchu rulers, who were considered foreigners like the Europeans. Would China modernize, or stagnate under rule by the Han peoples?

Would Manchuria modernize before the Mainland? Or if it didn't, would China modernize seeing the effectiveness of European weapons and technologies against the Manchu armies? Or would the Later Jin dynasty live as a weak power, and cease to exist when annexed by Russia?

What would be the effects on the Republic of China, the People's Republic of China, etc?

[Faeelin]

What if the Manchurians never attacked and destroyed the Ming Dynasty, and instead formed the "Later Jin Dynasty" (as the Qing Dynasty was initially called) in Manchuria?

I highly doubt that the Ming would survive till the present day, but there would much less rebellions against the Manchu rulers, who were considered foreigners like the Europeans. Would China modernize, or stagnate under rule by the Han peoples?


It depends. Remember, the Qing were thought of, up until almost the end, as the legitimate rulers of China.

Weird, but legitimate.

What may be different is that a Han state might have its support on the coast, instead of the steppes; and adjust its economic policies to protect it.

Would Manchuria modernize before the Mainland? Or if it didn't, would China modernize seeing the effectiveness of European weapons and technologies against the Manchu armies? Or would the Later Jin dynasty live as a weak power, and cease to exist when annexed by Russia?


This would be my guess; although China might annex it to.

Remember, without China, the Manchu are just another Central Asia (well, in terms of society) state.

What would be the effects on the Republic of China, the People's Republic of China, etc?

350 years later, the world would be so different that I'd be surprised if the PRC even existed.

[Wendell]

ctually, this could make things really interesting. I think a Han-run China could have thrived, especially regionally at first. They would, however, face some of the same issues as the Manchus.