Battle of Shanhai Pass

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Battle of Shanhai Pass
An old Chinese illustration
Date May 28, 1644 Location Shanhaiguan, China Result decisive Qing victory
Belligerents
Qing Dynasty Wu Sangui	Shun Dynasty
Commanders
Dorgon Wu Sangui	Li Zicheng
Strength
150,000 men Manchus: 60,000 and another 50,000 men[1] Wu Sangui: 40,000 men[2]	50,000 men[3]
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The Battle of Shanhai Pass (山海关之战), fought in the Great Wall's Shanhaiguan, China in 1644, was the decisive battle leading to the formation of the Qing Dynasty in China. Qing leader Dorgon, along with former Ming general Wu Sangui, defeated rebel Li Zicheng's forces, allowing Dorgon and the Manchus to rapidly conquer Beijing and replace the Ming Dynasty.

Contents 1 Prelude 2 Battle 3 Aftermath 4 See also 5 Citations

[edit] Prelude

As the Ming Dynasty faltered and the threat from northern enemies grew, Ming emperors saw the strategic value of Shanhaiguan and frequently garrisoned troops there, armies which sometimes reached up to 40,000 men.^[2] Qing Emperor Huang Taiji succeeded in taking the far end of the pass in 1642,^[4] but refrained from attacking the Ming armies in China proper.

In 1643, Huang Taiji died suddenly, leaving behind a five year-old son. Huang's brother Dorgon became regent. Within a year, a unique opportunity presented itself in the complete collapse of the Chinese border garrisons: Ming emperor Chongzhen was forced to recall the largest Ming army along the Great Wall, commanded by Wu Sangui, in order to defend Beijing from Li Zicheng's rebels. The capital nonetheless fell on April 25, 1644, and the Chongzhen Emperor committed suicide, leaving Wu and his force of approximately 40,000 men without a master.

In order to secure his position, Li was determined to destroy Wu's army, and left Beijing on May 18 for its location at Shanhaiguan. Wu, choosing the lesser of two evils, opened the gates to the Great Wall and asked the Manchus for aid on May 25.^[5] Dorgon complied, arriving soon after with an army of 50-60,000 soldiers.

[edit] Battle

Li was probably unaware of the Manchus' presence when he arrived at Shanhaiguan; certainly, had he been aware of it, his enemies' numerical superiority, in addition to their more experienced soldiers, might have dissuaded him from pressing battle. Instead, he placed his troops in a line overlooking Shanhaiguan from the southwest and waited for the allied attack, which came on May 28.

Dorgon seems to have placed General Wu and his Chinese units on his right flank, where they led the charge against Li's formations. Details of the battle are scarce, but, after a few hours, the sheer numbers of Ming and Manchu soldiers had succeeded in forcing a disorganized rebel retreat^[6]. Li fled back to Beijing, where, unable to withstand a siege, he quickly declared himself emperor of the new Shun Dynasty and left on June 4.

[edit] Aftermath

The Ming dynasty having been practically ended by the Chongzhen Emperor's death, Wu quickly found himself under new employment. He was allowed to pursue Li by the Manchus, defeating and killing the rebel leader in 1645. By then, Dorgon had already installed Huang Taiji's son as the Shunzhi Emperor, the first of the Qing Dynasty.

Many Chinese detested what they perceived to be foreign occupiers, and resistance to Qing rule continued until 1662, when the deaths of the pirate Koxinga and the "Yongli Emperor," Zhu Youlang removed the leaders of the last Ming restoration movements. Although periodic uprisings continued and, in fact, intensified over the course of their rule, the Qing would prove to be the last Chinese dynasty, controlling China until 1912.

[edit] See also

Shun Dynasty

[edit] Citations