DBWI: What if the Qing had stayed in power?

The Han revolt in 1759 saw the demise of the Qing Dynasty and the rise of the Rei. The Rei were famously liberal and ready to accept the "obviously superior technology of the westerners. Since they we're Chinese, though, they made sure to say that Chinese culture and civilization was superior, just that the technology was nice to have. What if the Qing, whose military had backslided into a few million farmers who needed work inbetween harvests, had stayed in power? Would the Chinese (it's hard not to say Rei XD) had modernized at all during the 19th century? Would the Europeans have been able to actually colonize East Asia?
 
China would have never been colonized a la America or Africa. There are too many people united under one government, either with the Rei or the Qing in power, for colonization to take place.
 
China would have never been colonized a la America or Africa. There are too many people united under one government, either with the Rei or the Qing in power, for colonization to take place.


Well look at India, the whole subcontinent unified under a single power. I'm sure that, with their ironclads and rifles, that Britain could have taken significant portions of a backwards China should they have wished to.
 
Well look at India, the whole subcontinent unified under a single power. I'm sure that, with their ironclads and rifles, that Britain could have taken significant portions of a backwards China should they have wished to.

India was not a unified nation and hadnt been for a very long time before the British showed up and China was unified in this time period so it would be very hard to play each area off each other. Also they would have to be powerful enough to take on a state with a large army far from logistics bases so would be hard pressed to even get close to Chinese numbers.
 
Yeah, I can't see the Europeans taking China, but without Chinese hegemony in the region, I could see them maybe meddling with Korea or Japan.
 
America does not become nearly as successful as the OTL, The chinese were one of the first countries to reconise us as a country and start diplomatic relations with us.

With out that early boost and the economic trade that took place afterwards I doubt our country would go from sea to shinning sea. The Qing were isolationists expecially went it came to trade. With us only having to trade with europe I doubt their would be a push to go to war with mexico and gain a west coast.
 
He was saying unified under a single power as in Britain

I know that i am saying that because China would be a unified entity under the Qing that it would be hard for any European power to dominate the entire thing. It wasnt like India in being split up among many different kingdoms and little princes and different religions.
 
Would the Qing have been able to keep China stable though? Rather than a nation-wide revolt, there would have been local rebellions that are "helped" by European powers. So although not direct colonization (at least immediately), I can see China splitting into several client states with even the rump of the Qing empire as a client of whoever would back it.
 
Would the Qing have been able to keep China stable though? Rather than a nation-wide revolt, there would have been local rebellions that are "helped" by European powers. So although not direct colonization (at least immediately), I can see China splitting into several client states with even the rump of the Qing empire as a client of whoever would back it.

Oh God, not another one of these "balkanize China" things. Look, I don't know why this board has such a fascination with splitting up China. China is HAN. It has always been HAN. It will always be HAN. Splitting it up makes as much sense as splitting up France or England.
 
The Rei was important in the history of Chinese clothing as their first three emperors decreed the restoration of Hanfu (Chinese robes) and the abolition of queue hairstyle among the Han Chinese men. If the Manchus stayed in Peking, I sensed that Manchu-style clothing and the pigtail would last until late 19th century.

Ironically, the rise of Rei Dynasty saved the Manchus from all-out Sinicization by relocating all nobles of Manchu descent, which include the former Imperial court, to their homeland, allowing them to recover their ethnic identity.
 
The Rei was important in the history of Chinese clothing as their first three emperors decreed the restoration of Hanfu (Chinese robes) and the abolition of queue hairstyle among the Han Chinese men. If the Manchus stayed in Peking, I sensed that Manchu-style clothing and the pigtail would last until late 19th century.

Ironically, the rise of Rei Dynasty saved the Manchus from all-out Sinicization by relocating all nobles of Manchu descent, which include the former Imperial court, to their homeland, allowing them to recover their ethnic identity.

Ive seen that Hairstyle, I think the Chinese overthrew them just so they could have a decent haircut again.

Also the chinese are clearly better off under actual chinese rule considering what a mess machuria is.
 
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