Imperial China: Six Centuries of All-Powerful Dyna

This is the story of three powerful dynasties – Yuan, Ming and Qing – that ruled China from 1271 to 1911. They comprised all-powerful families who had claimed the ‘Mandate of Heaven’ as their God-given right to rule. The quality of their leadership varied enormously, from accomplished military commanders to child-Emperors manipulated by the adults around them. Whoever was in control, the people of China were never given any say. In this book, we see how a succession of Emperors moulded China’s character until the final collapse of the Imperial system in 1911.