Modern China’s Foundations: The Manchus and the Qing
Discover the last imperial dynasties of China
Join Harvard University faculty in this online course to learn how the Manchus conquered the Qing and established the last of the imperial dynasties in China.
1-3 hours per week
What You'll Learn
This course, part of a comprehensive series on China, looks at the Qing state in the early 1600s and the challenges that the Manchus faced as minority rulers. While living in Chinese cities and surrounded by Chinese culture — a culture that was far more sophisticated than their own — the Manchus struggled to hold onto their identity as a conquesting people.
We'll look at the last period of ascendancy for China before the modern era. We’ll cover China in the 18th century, under the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong emperors — a period in which the size of the empire nearly doubles.
The Qing was the last dynasty before the foundation of the modern republics and sets the stage for everything that will come after. Join us to learn about this critical era in Chinese history, an era that sets the stage for a truly modern China.
The course will be delivered via edX and connect learners around the world. By the end of the course, participants will learn:
- How the Manchus conquered Ming China.
- How the last of the imperial dynasties were established.
- How the Qing dynasty became the foundation on which modern China was built.
- How to evaluate the imposition of foreign rule.
- How to develop your own approaches to history and gain a critical appreciation of China’s literary, philosophical, political and cultural resources.
- How to express ideas more clearly and confidently.
Your Instructors
Peter K. Bol
Charles H. Carswell Professor of East Asian Languages and Civilizations
at Harvard University
Read full bio.
Ways to take this course
When you enroll in this course, you will have the option of pursuing a Verified Certificate or Auditing the Course.
A Verified Certificate costs $149 and provides unlimited access to full course materials, activities, tests, and forums. At the end of the course, learners who earn a passing grade can receive a certificate.
Alternatively, learners can Audit the course for free and have access to select course material, activities, tests, and forums. Please note that this track does not offer a certificate for learners who earn a passing grade.