The Qing Dynasty (1636-1912), the last of the last, was ruled by twelve emperors. From the establishment of the post-gold period, a total of 296 years. In the eleventh year of Wanli (1583), with the thirteenth deputy of his grandfather and father's widow, he launched a war of annexation against the Jurchen ministries of Jianzhou, unifying all the ministries of Jianzhou. It successively annexed the Haixi Jurchen and unified the Jurchen ministries in the northeast region. In the first year of the Mandate of Heaven (1616), Nurhachi was called Khan, and the national name was Jin, Jianyuan. In the third year of the Mandate of Heaven (1618), Nurhachi made a sacrifice to heaven and earth and raised troops against the Ming Dynasty. In the eleventh year of the Mandate of Heaven (1626), Nurhachi died of illness, succeeded to the throne, and changed the yuan. In the tenth year of Tiancong (1636), Emperor Taiji became emperor, changed the name of the country to Daqing, and changed the yuan. The Qing Dynasty was a very special period in Chinese history, and its history, culture, politics and other aspects showed strong Manchu characteristics. The meaning of the national name "Qing" also reflects the characteristics of the Manchus. Below I will describe in detail the Manchu characteristics contained in the Qing dynasty national name "Qing".
Qing Dynasty Dragon Flag
First, the background of the founding of the Qing Dynasty and the naming of the national name "Qing"
At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the decline of the Ming Dynasty was due to political corruption, social unrest and foreign invasions. After the Chongzhen Emperor hanged himself, the Ming Dynasty regime was completely ended, and Zhang Xianzhong, Li Zicheng and others successively established the Great Western Kingdom and the Dashun Kingdom, which became an important force to resist the invasion of the Qing army.
With the attack of the Qing army, Li Zicheng and others gradually lost power, and with the defeat of Li Zicheng, the establishment of the Southern Ming regime showed the rise of Han nationalism, but its politics, economy, military and other aspects were very weak, and it was seriously threatened by foreign invasion. In the face of the strong invasion of the Qing army, the Southern Ming regime was too weak to resist the Qing army, and in the end, Wu Sangui forced the Burmese king to surrender the Yongli Emperor, and the Southern Ming perished. Emperor Taiji called the empress, changed the name of the country to "Daqing", changed the yuan to Chongde, which means "restore the Central Plains and purify the world".
Since then, the national image of the Qing Dynasty has been established, and this national name also reflects the long history of the Manchus and its far-reaching cultural characteristics, which will be elaborated on in the future.
Portrait of Emperor Taizong of the Qing Dynasty loving Shin Kyoro Emperor Taiji
Second, the Manchu characteristics of the Qing Dynasty
1. The powerful armed forces of the Manchus
Under the leadership of Nurhachi, the Qing Dynasty developed a powerful armed force. After years of war, Manchu soldiers, with their perseverance and fighting spirit, showed their great strength against the Ming and other anti-Qing forces.
In the 29th year of the Wanli Ming Dynasty (1601), the organization was reorganized, with Niulu Erzhen, Jia La Erzhen, and Gushan Erzhen as the leaders respectively. Initially, the yellow, white, red and blue flags were set up to form four flags. In the forty-third year of Wanli (1615), four flags were added with yellow, white, red and blue, and the system of eight flags was established. In Manchurian society, Ding Zhuang was a soldier in wartime and a citizen in peacetime, making his army extremely strong in combat. Nurhachi began to set up the Mongolian flag in the year of the Mandate of Heaven, and by the ninth year of Tiancong (1635), it was compiled into the Eight Banners of Mongolia. Emperor Taiji first compiled a Han military banner in the fifth year of Tiancong (1631), and completed the formation of eight banners of the Han army in the seventh year of Chongde (1642). Collectively known as the Eight Flags, the system of the Eight Flags has been perfected 、、, so far
During the more than three hundred years of Qing rule, Manchu soldiers were the most powerful armed force in the early and middle periods. At the same time, the Qing Dynasty also encouraged people of Han and other ethnic groups to join the army and participate in national construction and military activities.
Portrait of the Qing Dynasty army
Full of "Eight Flags" armor color
2. Manchu traditional culture and religious beliefs
Manchu folk culture is very rich. The Manchu language has its own unique phonology, grammar and vocabulary, and its artistic treasures in literature, music, fine arts, weaving, etc. have a long history.
In addition, there are many unique features in terms of Manchu social concepts, values and religious beliefs. Manchu legends contain rich totemic symbols, such as blue gods, black bears, white tigers and so on.
In terms of the beliefs of the Manchu people, one is the white religion of the Mongolian ethnic group and the other is the yellow religion of the Mongolian ethnic group. The Manchus themselves believed in totems, so Buddhism, which entered Mongolia and Chinese mainland after China's entry, gradually spread in the Manchu areas.
In addition, the Manchu people are a simple and courageous people who are good at learning and enterprising, and have the Northeast spirit of daring to break through and fight, that is, "not afraid of things and dare to do things", know how to be dedicated to the country and have the courage to struggle.
3. Strong nationalist feelings
Under its rule, the Qing Dynasty maintained basic political stability and promoted exchanges and integration among various ethnic groups. Under the guidance of the Manchu rulers, a new culture and way of life developed among the peoples of all ethnic groups.
The Qing regime attached great importance to war and national consciousness. They show the identity and national pride of the country through aspects such as flags, costumes, language and etiquette. The Manchu rulers and their regimes continued to tighten their control and rule over the provinces and regions, and the confrontation between the Han and Manchus continued during the same period. Against this backdrop, nationalist sentiments have become particularly strong.
Third, the national name "Qing" reflects the characteristics of the Manchus
The national name is the core part of a national symbol, which can show the characteristics of the country, the culture of the nation, the turn of history and new development opportunities. As mentioned earlier, the national name of the Qing Dynasty, "Qing", means "restore the Central Plains and purify the world".
The word "Qing" not only means that the ruler of the country is easy, dispels the sand undercurrent, and purifies the country's territory, but also symbolizes the maturity and strength of Manchuria and Manchu culture. Therefore, the character "Qing" is a national symbol with very Manchu characteristics.
Manchu beliefs and culture also influenced the meaning of the character "Qing". In the traditional Manchurian script, Qingyin can be written as please, which is similar to the Qingyin sound in Buddhist scriptures, expressing the strong desire of the Qing people to purify politics, religion, and culture.
In addition, at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, China had experienced many years of war and chaos, and the political and social order of the imperial court became very corrupt. So, by using the character "Qing" to name the new regime, Qing Taizu emphasized the elimination of these chaos and illegal activities, conveying an important message to the people of the whole country to purify society.
National flag of the Qing Dynasty