Archers, tiger hunters, and horse-riders from beyond the Great Wall, the Manchu people made their first mark on history as founders of the Northern Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) before consolidating their influence in 1644 when their militaristic society swept south from Manchuria to drive the Ming Dynasty from power, establishing the Qing Empire and an astonishing three-century period of rule over what would become the multicultural, pan-Asian state we today know as China.
Curious what happened to the Manchu? Or how to spot and chit-chat with banner-bearers lurking in your midst? In today’s Sinica podcast, Kaiser Kuo and Jeremy Goldkorn take a break from current affairs to look at China’s Manchu legacy, as evident everywhere from the streets of Beijing to high Chinese fashion. Joining us for this week’s discussion about what happened to the Manchu is Jeremiah Jenne, Qing historian, popular blogger, and Associate Director for Chinese Studies at the IES Abroad program in Beijing.