The Last Emperors

The Qing Dynasty was the last of the conquest dynasties to rule China. Its rulers, Manchus from the north, held power for three centuries despite major cultural and ideological differences with the Han majority. In this book, Evelyn Rawski re-interprets the remarkable success of this dynasty, arguing that it derived not from the assimilation of the dominant Chinese culture but rather from an artful synthesis of Manchu leadership styles with Han Chinese policies.