AHC: Surviving Qing Dynasty

Your challange is to find a way for the Qing Dynasty to survive either to modern day or at least the mid-20th century. The idea I had was a successful Hundred Days Reform under Guangxu Emperor. What do the rest of you think could work?
 
Not happening.

The Manchu made up less than 1% of China's entire population. Minority rule is one thing but at some point, enough's enough.
 
No, not really.

The Qing dynasty was doomed quite frankly the moment the British gained the island of Hong Kong. The social forces the defeat unleashed upon China, and the effects it had on the Chinese psyche (both popular and intellectual) would ultimately lead to the downfall of the Qing.

Anti-Manchuism, as a popular and intellectual ideology, has always been simmering just under the surface. The segregation of Chinese society with the Manchu banner system, the Queue, and other forms of cultural and social submission demanded by the Qing serves as one of the major points of resentment. Beyond, that, they were seen as foreign and barbaric, at least to some extent. While indeed, most of Chinese history has seen it ruled by hybrid-semi-nomads whom adopted either fully Chinese institutions or established dual administrations (administering the nomadic and sedentary segments of society differently), the adoption of a dual administration by the Qing is an increasingly large area of concern by those considered "lesser" Chinese (as a result of the banner system, regular Chinese whom end up passing the brutally difficult [less than 10% pass rate for the first, entry level exam that may qualify you merely to teach the curricula] are working alongside those Mongols, Manchus, Chinese whom are a part of the Banner system and have more or less a free ride to their highly coveted government positions). This coupled with the economic disasters of the 19th century, the result of the massive, and absolutely devastating series of rebellions in the same period (see Taiping for the most prominent), and the effects of European domination to the Chinese traditional world view of a Middle Kingdom promote the first real form of Chinese nationalism, which is virulently tinged with the growth of popular and intellectual Anti-Manchuism (who are seen as the source of these woes, and the reason for the decline of China from the center of the world).

Now, if the Qing were a "Han Chinese" dynasty, you might see a shift into a constitutional monarchy. Thing is, the Qing did their absolute best to remain "Manchu", and to resist assimilation and Sinification (largely failed, but the signs of such policies remain deeply engrained in people's memory).

I suggest you read the translated Treason by the Book, by Johnathan Spence. Actually, read all of Spence's works. He's an absolutely fantastic author, in that unlike most other English historians of China, his works are highly enjoyable to read, and are geared to appealing to a wider audience beyond just other Chinese history professors.

Treason by the Book is really just fascinating all around, and I can't recommend it enough (especially considering the extraordinary actions of the Chongzheng Emperor).
 
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