Conquest: The Rise of the Qing Empire

Why was the Battle of Sarhu the decisive clash that determined the fate of the Ming and Qing? How did the year-long rift between the Chongzhen Emperor and Yuan Chonghuan change the course of the war? How did the Hongguang regime meet its end amid tragedy and despair? What little-known stories lie behind the Battle of Yaksa and the Treaty of Nerchinsk? What far-reaching effects did the Qing wars to secure its borders have on later generations?

From the Battle of Sarhu to the Battle of Daling River, from the Jisi Incident to the fall of the Ming in 1644, from the pacification of the Dzungars to the Jinchuan campaigns, this book recounts in detail the full transition from Ming to Qing and the Qing dynasty’s successive wars of expansion. It faithfully traces the Qing Empire’s rise from a small tribe to a great empire and uncovers the many mysteries behind its ascent. This is a history of war and territorial expansion.