ABSTRACT

By sheer force of arms the Manchus invaded and conquered China; at the point of the bayonet, the vanquished Chinese unwillingly submitted to the newly founded dynasty. Void of ancient and advanced civilization/ totally ignorant of the art of politics and the Chinese political institutions, the Manchus, after their hard-fought ~onquest, found themselves confronted with the task of ruling over a civilized people with 21,068,609 adult males/ who might at any moment turn against their new conquerors and drive out the invaders. It was indeed a difficult task, so much more so when force, their instrument of conquest, could not be applied to the delicate art of government. With the early emperors' unqualified admiration of the Chinese civilization, their diligence in quest of its secret, their untiring efforts towards the processes of assimilation, and the help of the Chinese ministers, they soon learned the secret and were converted into Chinese emperors in thought and action as well as in name.