Manchus, << MAN chooz >>, were a people who conquered China in the 1600’s. They invaded from Manchuria, a region in China now called the Northeast, in 1644. They established the Qing (Pure) dynasty that same year and gradually took control of China. The Qing dynasty prospered in the 1700’s but declined in the 1800’s. It ended in 1912, when the Chinese overthrew the Manchus.
Manchu rulers forbade marriage between Manchus and the Chinese until the early 1900’s. Since then, many Manchus and Chinese have intermarried. Most Manchus now have taken Chinese names.
Many of the Manchus are descended from a people called the Ruzhen (also known as the Jurchen). The Ruzhen, who also came from Manchuria, had occupied all of northern China by 1127 and ruled the area until 1234.
See also China (History); Kangxi Emperor; Manchuria (History); Qing dynasty.
