I'm no good at writing timelines, but I'll propose one anyways. The premise is an earlier end to the Chinese Ming dynasty, which leads to a new, rejuvenated empire. Instead of the Ming ending in possibly the worse possible way, I'm going to give it a relatively painless end, pregnant with better prospects.
The POD is having the famed late Ming general Yuan Chonghuan rebel against the Chongzhen Emperor. Yuan Chonghuan was a Catonese general in command of the Ming's northern armies defending the empire against Manchu invasion. His forces were quite successful in part because of Yuan's enthusiastic embrace of Western artillery.
Background:
As a Cantonese Yuan Chonghuan was used to dealing with European merchants and was much more open minded when it came to new ways of doing things. He purchased European artillery as well as setup fabrication plants to make copies and trained his officers in their use. The Manchu ruler and Qing dynasty founder Nurhachi was killed by one of his cannon balls during a siege, stabilizing the northern front.
However the then 19 year old Chongzhen Emperor became paranoid of Yuan's popularity with the troops. The Manchus launched a disinformation campaign which convinced the Emperor's advisers Yuan may ally with the Manchus. in 1630, General Yan was recalled to Beijing and brutally executed on trumped up charges. His entire family was also killed. This proved a fateful decision for the Ming.
As early as 1628, peasant rebellions had broken out across north China. The bankrupt empire was unable to simultaneously deal with the rebellion and the Manchu threat. in 1644 the Chongzhen Emperor committed suicide as the rebel Li Zicheng seized the capitol of Beijing. The commander of the northern armies, Wu Sangui, who was a former subordinate of Yuan Chonghuan allied with the Manchus and let their armies through the Great Wall. The allies crushed the rebellion and ended the Ming dynasty.
Alternative history:
Suppose General Yuan Chonghuan gets wind of the Emperor's plot to execute him from a well placed source. A possible choice for him would be to rebel. The Manchus were already in retreat. He could afford to take his armies south and seize Beijing. He could also form an alliance with the peasant rebels, then led by three factions under Wong Jiayin, Gao Yingxiang, and Wong Zhiyong in Shaanxi province.
The Ming dynasty would fall quickly leading to Yuan Chonghuan becoming Emperor of a new dynasty. For the sake of the story I shall call it the Huan dynasty using the last character in Yuan's name. Inventing proper Chinese dynastic names is beyond me. It's also a bit of a pun as Ming means brightness, where as Huan means glowing brightness, literally brighter than the Ming.
Consquences:
The formation of a new dynasty through coup rather than protracted rebellion would mean the bulk of the human toll during the collapse of the Ming would be spared. This was one of history's greatest calamities with an estimated 20 million deaths. The population of Sichuan province alone was reduced to tens of thousands from 10 million.
A relatively painless transition would leave China far less vulnerable to a Manchu invasion. It is probable that the Qing dynasty remains a regional power in Manchuria, possibly later incorporating Mongolia, but unable to take over China proper in the immediate future.
Late Ming was beginning to open up to European trade and technology. This was the time of the Jesuit mission in China. Notable figures like Matteo Ricci was introducing Western science and astronomy, while arms merchants peddled firearms and cannons of all types. It was an unprecedented time of receptivity. With the threat of Manchu invasion ever present, the Huan dynasty would certainly continue to keep China open. Yuan Chonghuan himself was familiar with Western merchants and should be receptive to widening trade with Europe.
Whether the Huan dynasty is a long lasting one or not, it's surely to alter the course of history in a major way.
The POD is having the famed late Ming general Yuan Chonghuan rebel against the Chongzhen Emperor. Yuan Chonghuan was a Catonese general in command of the Ming's northern armies defending the empire against Manchu invasion. His forces were quite successful in part because of Yuan's enthusiastic embrace of Western artillery.
Background:
As a Cantonese Yuan Chonghuan was used to dealing with European merchants and was much more open minded when it came to new ways of doing things. He purchased European artillery as well as setup fabrication plants to make copies and trained his officers in their use. The Manchu ruler and Qing dynasty founder Nurhachi was killed by one of his cannon balls during a siege, stabilizing the northern front.
However the then 19 year old Chongzhen Emperor became paranoid of Yuan's popularity with the troops. The Manchus launched a disinformation campaign which convinced the Emperor's advisers Yuan may ally with the Manchus. in 1630, General Yan was recalled to Beijing and brutally executed on trumped up charges. His entire family was also killed. This proved a fateful decision for the Ming.
As early as 1628, peasant rebellions had broken out across north China. The bankrupt empire was unable to simultaneously deal with the rebellion and the Manchu threat. in 1644 the Chongzhen Emperor committed suicide as the rebel Li Zicheng seized the capitol of Beijing. The commander of the northern armies, Wu Sangui, who was a former subordinate of Yuan Chonghuan allied with the Manchus and let their armies through the Great Wall. The allies crushed the rebellion and ended the Ming dynasty.
Alternative history:
Suppose General Yuan Chonghuan gets wind of the Emperor's plot to execute him from a well placed source. A possible choice for him would be to rebel. The Manchus were already in retreat. He could afford to take his armies south and seize Beijing. He could also form an alliance with the peasant rebels, then led by three factions under Wong Jiayin, Gao Yingxiang, and Wong Zhiyong in Shaanxi province.
The Ming dynasty would fall quickly leading to Yuan Chonghuan becoming Emperor of a new dynasty. For the sake of the story I shall call it the Huan dynasty using the last character in Yuan's name. Inventing proper Chinese dynastic names is beyond me. It's also a bit of a pun as Ming means brightness, where as Huan means glowing brightness, literally brighter than the Ming.
Consquences:
The formation of a new dynasty through coup rather than protracted rebellion would mean the bulk of the human toll during the collapse of the Ming would be spared. This was one of history's greatest calamities with an estimated 20 million deaths. The population of Sichuan province alone was reduced to tens of thousands from 10 million.
A relatively painless transition would leave China far less vulnerable to a Manchu invasion. It is probable that the Qing dynasty remains a regional power in Manchuria, possibly later incorporating Mongolia, but unable to take over China proper in the immediate future.
Late Ming was beginning to open up to European trade and technology. This was the time of the Jesuit mission in China. Notable figures like Matteo Ricci was introducing Western science and astronomy, while arms merchants peddled firearms and cannons of all types. It was an unprecedented time of receptivity. With the threat of Manchu invasion ever present, the Huan dynasty would certainly continue to keep China open. Yuan Chonghuan himself was familiar with Western merchants and should be receptive to widening trade with Europe.
Whether the Huan dynasty is a long lasting one or not, it's surely to alter the course of history in a major way.
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