Famous Campaigns

        From the rise of Nurhaci to the fall of the Ch'ing, hardly a single day past in which imperial military forces were not engaged in some form of active operation. Large and small, these campaigns can be traced through reams of archival documents.

        The Museum's collection of military maps and illustrations is primarily composed of battlefield depictions painted by court artists in praise of Ch'ing military prowess. These include illustrations of the pacification of the Zunghars, Muslims, Chin-ch'uan (western Szechwan), the Lin Shuang-wen Rebellion (in Taiwan), Annam, Nepal, and the T'ai-p'ing Rebellion. A small number are illustrations of battlefield conditions or force deployments attached to reports dispatched to the emperor by officers in the field. Examples of these include diagrams of the attack on Muslim forces at Lan-chou and on Miao-p'ei-lin at Meng-ch'eng.

        In conjunction with the illustrations are several types of official annals, chronicles, and other related historical texts and records.

        During the early years of the dynasty, the Ch'ing possessed a large and elite cavalry force. In open combat, these troops utilized a diverse and spirited array of assault and flanking maneuvers, powerful and accurate mounted archery, and awe-inspiring charging tactics. When besieging cities, the early Manchu emperor T'ai-tsung (1627-43) relied primarily on excellent cannon. This powerful combination of cavalry and firearms was maintained until the late 18th century. In military illustrations of the era, one can see the use of mounted archery, cavalry charges, and explosive projectiles, as appropriate, in open battle, sieges, and assaults on fortified positions. It was only with the Opium War (1840-42) and the conflicts of the subsequent decades that the power of the Ch'ing military failed in the face of the advanced firearms, warships, and modern tactics of the Western imperial powers