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Manchu dynasty

Manchu dynasty

8.4
The last rulers of China from 1644 to 1912 who came from the Manchu people
  • proper noun
  • /ˈmænˌtʃuː ˈdaɪnəsti/
translation icon : dinastía manchú
  • A sprawling city of nearly seven million people in China's northeastern Manchurian region, Shenyang was once the capital of the Manchu dynasty, which conquered China in the seventeenth century.

Examples

  • The fall of the Manchu dynasty marked the end of over two centuries of imperial rule in China.

  • Japanese-educated students led the overthrow of the Manchu dynasty but failed to establish a democratic successor state.

    Academic text (1991)
  • During the Manchu dynasty, China's territorial expansion reached its zenith, influencing neighboring countries.

  • The Manchu dynasty is often remembered for its cultural achievements in art and literature.

Synonyms

Qing
vsManchu dynasty
8 8.6

The last ruling dynasty of China that ruled from 1644 to 1912

is the general historical name emphasizing the rulers rather than the overthrow
Manchu
vsManchu dynasty
1 8.3

A family of rulers in China from 1644 to 1912

stresses that this final rule ended by revolutionaries rather than only naming rulers
Qing dynasty
vsManchu dynasty
1 7.2

The last ruling family of China from 1644 to 1912 led by the Manchu people

is framed by naming the rulers and mentions their later overthrow
Ch'ing dynasty
vsManchu dynasty
8.3

The last royal family that ruled China from 1644 to 1912

is the modern English phrasing used to describe the same historical rule
Ch'ing
vsManchu dynasty
9.9

The last imperial dynasty that ruled China from 1644 to 1912, founded by the Manchu people

focuses more on the whole period including its end by revolution

Surface Forms

Morphology

Manchu + dynasty

The label 'Manchu dynasty' is compositionally transparent: it denotes a dynasty belonging to or founded by the Manchu (an ethnic group) and 'dynasty' means a succession of rulers, so the combined meaning is directly derivable from the parts. This proper-name + dynasty pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand the referent.

Etymology

Manchu dynasty gets its name from the Manchu people, a group from northeast China who took power and set up a ruling family, or dynasty, in 1644. That's why Manchu dynasty refers to the 'last imperial dynasty' of China, also called the 'Qing dynasty'.