Key Terms in Chinese History: From Qing Dynasty to the Founding of the PRC

Banner system: A military organization of the Qing Dynasty that divided the Manchu and Mongol people into eight banners for military and administrative purposes.

Court of Colonial Affairs: A government department of the Qing Dynasty responsible for the administration of non-Han Chinese territories, such as Tibet and Mongolia.

Dyarchy: A system of government in which power is divided between two people or groups, commonly used in reference to the British colonial administration of India.

Sinicization: The process of assimilating non-Chinese peoples and cultures into Chinese culture, particularly during the Qing Dynasty.

Kangxi: The fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, who ruled from 1661 to 1722 and is considered one of the greatest emperors in Chinese history.

Qianlong: The sixth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, who ruled from 1735 to 1796 and oversaw a period of prosperity and expansion.

Zunghars: A nomadic people in Central Asia who were conquered by the Qing Dynasty in the early 18th century.

Treaty of Nanjing: A treaty signed between China and Britain in 1842, which ended the First Opium War and forced China to open up its ports to foreign trade.

Taiping Rebellion: A civil war in China from 1850 to 1864, led by a Christian convert named Hong Xiuquan who sought to overthrow the Qing Dynasty.

Imperial Maritime Customs: A government agency established in China in 1854 to collect customs duties on foreign trade.

Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895): A war between China and Japan over control of Korea, which resulted in a humiliating defeat for China and the loss of its influence in Korea.

Boxer Rebellion: A violent anti-foreign and anti-Christian uprising in China from 1899 to 1901, which was eventually suppressed by foreign powers.

Railway rights recovery movement: A Chinese nationalist movement in the early 20th century, which sought to regain control of China's railways from foreign powers.

Sun Yat-sen: A Chinese revolutionary and politician who played a key role in the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China.

Yuan Shikai: A Chinese general and politician who served as the first president of the Republic of China, but later attempted to establish himself as a dictator.

Chinese Labour Corps: A group of Chinese workers who were recruited by the British during World War I to provide labor support.

Comintern: The Communist International, an international organization established by the Soviet Union to promote communism around the world.

Mao Zedong: The founder of the People's Republic of China and the leader of the Chinese Communist Party from 1949 until his death in 1976.

Chiang Kai-shek: A Chinese politician and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China from 1928 to 1975.

New Fourth Army: A Chinese Communist army formed during the Second Sino-Japanese War, which was later purged by Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist government.