The
Qing dynasty (; ), officially the
Great Qing , also called the
Empire of the Great Qing, or the
Manchu dynasty, was the last imperial
dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief,
abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the
Ming dynasty and succeeded by the
Republic of China. The Qing multi-cultural empire lasted almost three centuries and formed the territorial base for the modern Chinese state.