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| New Qing History | |
|---|---|
| Name | New Qing History |
| Period | 17th–20th centuries |
| Region | Qing dynasty realm, Inner Asia, Manchuria, Tibet, Xinjiang, Mongolia |
| Major figures | Hao Chang, Mark C. Elliott, James A. Millward, Pamela Crossley, Bin Wong, Evelyn S. Rawski |
| Influenced by | Manchu studies, Inner Asian Studies, Sinology, Orientalism, Imperial history |
| Notable works | The Manchu Way?, The Manchu Empire and the Origins of Modern China?, The Qing Formation? |
New Qing History New Qing History is a historiographical approach that reinterprets the Qing dynasty through the lens of Inner Asian institutions, Manchu ethnicity, and imperial multiethnicity. It foregrounds sources in Manchu language, frontier polities such as Tibet, Xinjiang and Mongolia, and comparative frameworks drawn from Russian Empire and Ottoman Empire studies. Proponents challenge traditional Sinocentric narratives exemplified by Chinese historiography and integrate evidence from archives including the First Historical Archives of China, National Library of China, and repositories in Saint Petersburg and London.
The school emerged in the late 20th century amid debates involving scholars linked to institutions like Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Cambridge, and Columbia University. Influences trace to works published by researchers associated with projects at Harvard Yenching Institute, Council on East Asian Studies (Harvard), and the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies. Its genealogy intersects with scholarship on Manchu studies, earlier studies by R. H. Tawney-era imperial historians, and comparative imperial analyses exemplified by studies of the Russian Empire, British Raj, Ottoman Empire, and Habsburg Monarchy.
Prominent figures include Pamela Crossley, Mark C. Elliott, Evelyn S. Rawski, James A. Millward, Hao Chang, Wen-hsin Yeh, Joseph Fletcher, Frederick W. Mote, Philip A. Kuhn, and William T. Rowe. Debates revolve around interpretations advanced in major works such as those published by Cambridge University Press, Harvard University Press, Stanford University Press, and articles in journals like The Journal of Asian Studies and Late Imperial China. Controversies intersect with responses from scholars in People's Republic of China institutions such as Peking University, Fudan University, and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Methodological innovations include linguistic recovery using Manchu script sources, comparative frameworks linking the Qing dynasty to the Russian Empire and Mongol Empire, and application of concepts from imperial studies and ethnohistory. Influential methodological texts draw on archival work at the First Historical Archives of China, the National Archives (UK), and the State Archive of the Russian Federation. The approach employs interrogations of primary sources such as the Haiguo Tuzhi, Qing Veritable Records, and collections in Beijing and Saint Petersburg as well as theoretical engagements with scholarship from Bernard Lewis-style comparative historians and critics of Orientalism.
Scholars emphasize Manchu identity, Inner Asian bannermen institutions like the Eight Banners, and relations with polities including Tibet under the Ganden Phodrang and Dzungar Khanate. Analyses examine treaties such as the Treaty of Nerchinsk and the Treaty of Kyakhta, frontier wars including the Dzungar–Qing Wars, and administrative arrangements in regions like Xinjiang after the Qing reconquest. The literature engages with concepts of ethnicity as seen in studies comparing Manchu bannermen with Mongol princes, Tibetan lamas, and Uyghur elites, and with political events like the White Lotus Rebellion and the Taiping Rebellion.
Works analyze state-building processes after the Shunzhi Emperor and under emperors such as the Kangxi Emperor, Yongzheng Emperor, and Qianlong Emperor. Topics include the role of institutions like the Grand Council, the Lifan Yuan, and frontier administrative units in Xinjiang and Tibet. Studies address fiscal systems reflected in the Yellow River flood management, military campaigns against entities like the Zunghar Khanate, and diplomatic contacts with Russia culminating in the Treaty of Aigun. Comparisons are drawn with administrative practices in the Ming dynasty and transformations during the Taiping Rebellion and the Opium Wars.
Cultural analyses integrate Manchu-language ritual texts, bannermen household records, Tibetan monastic chronicles, and Uyghur manuscript collections from Turfan. Scholarship examines elite identity formation among figures such as Hošūn, the role of Tibetan Buddhism patronage under the Qianlong Emperor, and the circulation of print culture through centers like Nanjing and Beijing. Social studies consider migration patterns across Manchuria and Inner Mongolia, the impact of the Sino-Russian border on trade networks, and family archives held in places like Taipei, Moscow, and London.
The approach reshaped curricula at universities including Harvard University, University of Chicago, University of California, Berkeley, and Princeton University and influenced museum exhibitions at institutions like the British Museum and the Palace Museum (Beijing). It prompted archival collaborations among the First Historical Archives of China, the National Archives (UK), and the State Archive of the Russian Federation and stimulated comparative projects on empires such as the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire. Responses include critiques from scholars associated with Peking University and advocates within centers like the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, generating ongoing debates about national narratives in People's Republic of China scholarship and international sinology.