Let's pick some famous people's comments on the Ming and Qing Dynasties:
On the whole, the Qing Dynasty is much better than the Ming Dynasty. Compared with the 16 emperors of the Ming Dynasty, the total average scores of the 12 emperors of the Qing Dynasty counted from the Qing Emperor Taizu can hardly be compared in mathematics, because the former is a very high positive number and the latter is a very high negative number. -Jin Yong
The life span of the Qing Dynasty was 296 years, and there were twelve emperors. Of the twelve emperors, nearly two-thirds were very capable, understood and worked hard to fulfill their responsibilities, and one-third were of medium intelligence. Like the Ming Dynasty, there were a series of villainous monarchs, but there were none in the Qing Dynasty. There is no dynasty in China, including the Zhou Dynasty, the Western Han Dynasty, the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty. There have been so many emperors who have strong abilities and are willing to work hard.
From the national feelings at that time, the fall of the Ming Dynasty, which was composed of Han people, made people sad. However, looking back at the peak of China's history, we are glad of its fall. The territory of the Ming Dynasty in this century (17th) has shrunk to more than 3 million square kilometers, and it continues to shrink. The reform of internal affairs is hopeless, and it only gets worse. If it is dragged on until the 19th century and meets the invading western powers, I can definitely say that China will be carved up, and the Chinese nation will become another Jewish nation that has lost its land. Moreover, without the strong religious feelings of the Jewish nation as a centripetal force, it will never be able to restore the country. At least, it should be noted that after the Qing Dynasty ceded territory repeatedly in the 2th century (more than 1.5 million square kilometers were cut off in total), China still has 11.4 million square kilometers), which is three times larger than that of the Ming Dynasty, so that China can turn over. -Bai Yang
In the Qing Dynasty, the state machinery maintained normal operation for a long time, the imperial power was centralized, and the rule was consolidated, which plagued the mothers, consorts, powerful ministers, cronies and buffer regions of China's dynasties and reduced them to a minimum. In the early Qing Dynasty, he summed up the experience and lessons of China's rule in history, made policy decisions and made policies. After careful consideration, he was cautious and authoritarian, followed the law and made great achievements. -Dai Yi
Looking at all the ancient history of China, the emperors of the Qing Dynasty are generally better, and Emperor Kangxi among them can even be said to be one of the best emperors in the history of China. Like Emperor Taizong and Li Shimin, he made me a modern Han Chinese proud. -Yu Qiuyu
Except for a somewhat speculative remark by Bai Yang, the above evaluation seems to be all right from a local perspective. But these celebrities and everyone seem to have forgotten a famous saying, that is, "the ass decides the head." To comment on things, you must first have a position and then have a standard. Whether this position and standard are chosen correctly is directly related to the scientific evaluation. So, where should we stand first? I think this position should be in the interest of China people, and the standard at that time should be "modernization". Whoever can promote (or hinder) China's modernization more under his rule should get a higher score. There should be no doubt about the scientific nature of this position and standard, but I don't understand why these famous people above don't use it, but insist on using some emperors' diligence as the standard. Is it true that the more dictatorial the world is, the better the dictatorial ability is?
let's first look at the systems of the Ming and Qing dynasties. As we all know, Ming Taizu's abolition of the prime minister marked the strengthening of autocratic imperial power in China. However, in the Ming Dynasty, there was no prime minister in the name of it, and the university students became the de facto prime ministers. In the Ming dynasty, the officials of science and Taoism had a great restriction on the power of ministers and emperors, and emperors and college students could not do whatever they wanted. There is no power minister in the Ming Dynasty, such as Yan Song, who has never been severely impeached by the official; Even the emperor was impeached by the official. However, the Qing dynasty really achieved the monopoly of imperial power, and it was really "authoritarian and exclusive, and the law was followed." During the Ganjia period, Guan Tong, an essayist of Tongcheng School, made a typical comparison of the great political differences between the Ming and Qing Dynasties: "In the Ming Dynasty, the minister was in full power, but now the governor of the cabinet department is not able to announce his career; In the Ming dynasty, officials competed with each other, but today, there can be no great discussion on giving advice and history; In the Ming dynasty, scholars gave lectures, but today, people who gather disciples and form associations are unknown; In the Ming Dynasty, scholars held a clear discussion, but now it's an imperial examination ... "It can be seen that the so-called ministers in the Qing Dynasty were just" announcing ",and it was more difficult for officials to speak out, and the association and discussion of other taxis were strictly prohibited. Under such a system as the Qing Dynasty, how much vitality can society maintain, and how many people can be flexible and responsive to changes in the current situation? And these are exactly what a modern society needs.
another major feature of the Qing dynasty was the rule of the blood clan. Although the rulers of the Qing Dynasty always flaunted that "Man and Han always looked at each other", in fact, the colonial mentality towards the Han nationality remained unchanged. "Qing law confirmed that Manchu enjoyed political, economic, judicial and other privileges. Manchu officials did not go through the imperial examination, but relied on privileges; All important military and financial departments and other major positions are monopolized and controlled by Manchu; Give Manchu (flag bearer) special legal protection in terms of flag land and flag property. Manchu crimes are not tried by the general judicial organs, but by the yamen and the criminal justice department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the imperial clan nobles are tried by the Zongren House. If it is necessary to impose a sentence, you can' reduce the sentence' and' change the sentence' according to the example (from the history of Chinese legal system). Such a policy of ethnic discrimination, coupled with the Manchu's superior position in the ruling clique, in an era of dealing with drastic changes, he first considered maintaining his ruling interests, and then the country's self-improvement, which undoubtedly dragged down China's progress. At the very least, he can't do meritocracy, but he doesn't need this consideration in the future.
let's take a look at the ideology and culture of the two dynasties. As we all know, in the Ming Dynasty, China's ideology and culture were also developing constantly. Although neo-Confucianism was advocated by the government, it was easy to produce, develop and spread heresy because of lax official control. In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, Wang Xue rose to the last stage, and his disciples preached that profit and desire were human nature. Profit and desire are the motive force to pursue and meet human material needs, and it is precisely because of this motive force that people can continuously improve their living and production levels. How similar these ideas are to the discovery of human nature during the Renaissance in the West! Li Zhi advocated the "childlike innocence", which was not only not banned, but also became expensive in Luoyang for a while. By the end of Ming Dynasty and the beginning of Qing Dynasty, Huang Zongxi was even more contrary to the traditional theory of "respecting the foundation and restraining the end", and put forward the theory that "industry and commerce are the foundation" and bravely questioned the supremacy of imperial power.
On the other hand, in the Qing Dynasty, Cheng Zhu's Neo-Confucianism, which was dead, was clearly defined as the state religion, and people were not allowed to give lectures and associate, and literary inquisitions were built. A large number of scholars were killed and exiled, and books were banned. Even for three hundred years in the Qing Dynasty, there was not a commendable thinker. No wonder. In the case that chanting the breeze and the bright moon can be punished by the clan, in the fear of "avoiding seats and fearing to smell the literary inquisition", what can people think?
The science and technology of the Ming Dynasty has been developing, with continuous achievements. Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica, Zhu Zaiyu's New Theory of Law, Song Yingxing's Heavenly Creativeness, Xu Guangqi's Encyclopedia of Agriculture and Administration, etc. are all works of world level at that time. Xu Guangqi also co-translated The Elements of Geometry with Matteo Ricci, a foreign missionary. Qi Jiguang wrote A New Book on Ji Xiao, which described in detail the progress of firearms and military technology in the Ming Dynasty. It's a pity that the Qing Dynasty not only couldn't get anything by itself, but lost Song Yingxing's Heavenly Creations and other books. Now we can see Heavenly Creations, thanks to Japan's possession of this book, otherwise our descendants would not even know that our ancestors had achieved such results.
the rulers of the Qing dynasty blindly emphasized the worship of the root and the suppression of the end, and strictly prohibited the sea, which was a great reaction to the economic policy in the middle and late Ming dynasty. Although there was a "sea ban" in the Ming Dynasty, there were often orders that could not be made, and there were endless exchanges between China and foreign countries. In the Qing dynasty, coastal residents moved 5 miles inland, and those who did not follow were killed. In the so-called Kanggan Prosperity, the industrial level of China actually declined. According to some statistics, by the end of Kanggan Prosperity in 184, the industrial output of China was only 6% of the world. No matter the total output or the proportion in the world, it is not as good as that in the late Ming Dynasty 2 years ago.
It is true that both the Ming and Qing dynasties adhered to the feudal system and Confucianism, but the reaction of the Ming Dynasty was much lighter than that of the Qing Dynasty, and new ideas easily sprouted and grew. What about the Qing Dynasty? What development can we have under such circumstances? We have made great efforts to rule by the blood clan, to engage in literary inquisition, and to devote all our thoughts to the prevention and treatment of the Han Dynasty? How to deal with the changing times.
of course, it can't be said that there is no contribution. At least under the Qing dynasty, the population increased. In fact, this was mainly due to the introduction of high-yield crops in South America, but the promotion of Qing dynasty could not be erased. In addition, under the Qing dynasty, the territory of China was expanded. Although the Qing dynasty's territorial expansion was mainly for its own colonial rule. During most of his reign in China, Han Chinese were not allowed to go to the newly developed land and engage in apartheid. However, after all, it has circled some places for China and laid a legal foundation for future generations to fight for their rights and interests. Think about it. Since the Republic of China, despite the efforts of a large number of patriots, we have never acquired an inch of land outside the territory of the Qing Dynasty.
to sum up, it is a historical tragedy to be clear in the Qing dynasty, and we really have no reason to beautify it. Today, if we deliberately whitewash it for a certain political need, the price we will pay will be the spiritual impotence of the Han nationality. Of course, we don't have to exaggerate its influence and blame it for all the causes of China's backwardness. But there is no doubt that the reactionary rule of the Qing Dynasty delayed the modernization of China, which made all the people of China pay a heavy price.
Attachment: Twenty moments when the Qing Empire fell behind the West
1. In 1644 (the first year of Shunzhi), Li Zicheng conquered Beijing, established the name of Dashun, died in Ming Dynasty, and entered the customs in Qing Dynasty
Britain was undergoing a bourgeois revolution, and Cromwell led his fighters to defeat Wang Jun in the battle of maston.
2. In 1663 (the second year of Emperor Kangxi of Qing Dynasty), the Wenzi Prison was convicted of the Ming History case; Burned down the Ming Dynasty's scientific and technological masterpieces "Heavenly Creations", "New Theories of Law" and "Pestilence Theory" ...
Britain promulgated major commodity laws. Laws and regulations on finance, industry and commerce.
3. In 1668 (the seventh year of Emperor Kangxi of Qing Dynasty), it was stipulated that foreign countries were not allowed to trade until the supply period. Began to tamper with the History of Ming Dynasty, banned the geography books Xu Xiake's Travels, Misconceptions in Fujian and China, and banned the mathematics book Arithmetic Unification ...
Britain, the Netherlands and Sweden concluded triple alliance, and * * * opposed the law. Yingdong India Company gained control of Mumbai.
4. In 1684 (twenty-third year of Qing Emperor Kangxi), the Taiwanese government was set up, and it was under the jurisdiction of Fujian. When the Sino-Russian jaxa War broke out, Kangxi made a southern tour.
Newton discovered the theorem of universal gravitation and the basic theorem of mechanics.
5. In 1696 (twenty-five years of Qing Emperor Kangxi), Kangxi personally signed Gerdan.
Peter sent 5 young people to England, Holland and Venice to study shipbuilding and architecture, and the first property insurance company in Britain was established.
6. In 175 (forty-four years of Qing Emperor Kangxi), Guangdong stopped mining; Prohibit artillery and shotgun; Implement a comprehensive sea ban.
The British Newcomen steam engine (the predecessor of Watt steam engine) is used to pump water in mines.
7. In 1722 (the sixty-first year of Emperor Kangxi of Qing Dynasty), Yongzheng ascended the throne.
Reaumur wrote a treatise on steelmaking.
8. In 1733 (the 11th year of Emperor Yongzheng's reign in Qing Dynasty), the book "The Imperial Academy of Qing Dynasty" was established in various provinces.
The weaving shuttle was invented by Kay in England.
Voltaire's Philosophical Communication was published
9. In 1735 (the 13th year of Yongzheng in Qing Dynasty), The History of Ming Dynasty was revised. Ganlong acceded to the throne.
Britain began to use coal to make iron.
in p>1 and 1744 (the 19th year of Qing Qianlong), the number of subjects in each province was determined.
French textile workers went on strike in Ang.
in p>11 and 1752 (the 17th year of Qing Qianlong), the islands in the South China Sea of Zhejiang Province were allowed to be reclaimed.
American Franklin invented the lightning rod. Britain changed to Pope Gregory's new legislation.
in p>12 and 176 (twenty-five years of Qing Qianlong), Guangdong rebuilt the public bank.
the British industrial revolution began
13. In 1769 (the thirty-fourth year of Qing Qianlong), the Qing Dynasty made peace with Myanmar. The anti-Qing uprising of the Yellow Sect in Taiwan Province was suppressed.
Watt made the first steam engine.
in p>14 and 1776 (the forty-first year of Qing Qianlong), Han Chinese were forbidden to flow into Liaoning and Jilin. The Qing army put down large and small rebellions.
North America issued the Declaration of Independence to establish the United States of America, and Britain's Adam Smith published The Wealth of Nations.
15. In 1794 (the 59th year of Qing Qianlong), salt was forbidden.
The first telegraph line appeared between Paris and Lille.
in p>16 and 185 (the 1th year of Jiaqing, Qing Dynasty), westerners were forbidden to carve books, preach and set up schools in China.
Britain, Austria, Poland and Russia formed the third anti-French alliance.
in p>17 and 1828 (the eighth year of Qing Daoguang), it was forbidden to use foreign currency.
Friedrich Weller's synthetic urea started organic chemistry.
in p>18 and 1831 (the 11th year of Qing Daoguang), the Kangxi dictionary was rebuilt.
Faraday, a British scientist, discovered electromagnetic induction.
in p>19 and 1839 (the 19th year of Qing Daoguang), Lin Zexu smoked in Humen.
James Ross and F.R.M Groser started sailing in the Antarctic.
the first opium war broke out in p>2 and 184 (the 2th year of Daoguang reign).