China's Last Empire: The Great Qing (history Of... | Recent

: Challenges the "standard narrative" of Qing China as an inward-looking state that failed to modernize by highlighting its dynamic expansion and complex social systems.

: Argues that early 20th-century state-mandated changes provided the essential foundation for the subsequent Republican and Communist states. Purchase Options China's Last Empire: The Great Qing (History of...

: Examines the alliance between Manchu rulers and the conquered Ming gentry, as well as the resistance to Manchu social edicts like the mandatory queue hairstyle for Han men. : Challenges the "standard narrative" of Qing China

The book is widely available from various retailers in both hardcover and paperback editions. China's Last Empire: The Great Qing | History The book is widely available from various retailers

: Explores the Qing ideal of "government on the cheap," a model of benevolent rule with light taxes and minimal local intervention that worked well until faced with 19th-century international pressures.

: Analyzes the devastating 19th-century Opium Wars and massive internal uprisings like the Taiping and Boxer rebellions as catalysts for failed but foundational reforms.