Peter C. Perdue

From about 1600 to 1800, the Qing empire of China expanded to unprecedented size. Through astute diplomacy, economic investment, and a series of ambitious military campaigns into the heart of Central Eurasia, the Manchu rulers defeated the Zunghar Mongols, and brought all of modern Xinjiang and Mongolia under their control, while gaining dominant influence in Tibet. The China we know...

The Qing Empire was one of the greatest empires in world history, spanning three centuries and hundreds of millions of Manchu, Mongol, and Chinese subjects throughout East and Central Asia. The People's Republic of China has built its claims to global hegemony on Qing foundations. Without understanding the Qing's rise and fall, we cannot properly interpret China's role in the...