Who were the Manchus? - A Review of Recent Western Studies of Manchu History

Recent publications on Manchu studies by Evelyn S. Rawski, Pamela K. Crossley, Edward Rhoads and Mark C. Elliott have abandoned the conventional narrative of “sinicization”. Instead, they recognize that the Qing dynasty was a regime which devised different cultural strategies in different areas for different subjects. They therefore focus on the mechanisms through which the Qing dynasty, as a genuine empire, achieved successful administration. They also emphasize the subjective construction of Manchu identity as opposed to objective categorization. These works show that unique historical conditions and urgent political needs led to repeated and radical reconstructions of Manchu identity.