Ming Loyalist Shi Kefa

The beginning of the Qing Dynasty was a period of turmoil for many in China. After reading the excerpt “A letter from Dorgon to the Ming Loyalist Shi Kefa”, I was able to better understand the turmoil that the Ming faced in their last moments. One of the factors that played a role in this struggle was the fact that Ming forces would face new rule after their empire had lasted over two-hundred years. It also important to note the connection the Ming had with the emperor as a source of authority that had a mandate from heaven. In this sense, it seemed logical that the Ming wouldn’t continue on without change in their structure. Some of the Ming recognized their fate and choose to defect to the Qing. Dorgon glorified Wu Sangui through his defection
to the Quing, but failed to convince Shi Kefa to do the same. Like many Ming, Shi Kefa knew of the clear disadvantage their forces had against Li Zicheng and the Qing. Yet this neglection represented the opposition to the lifestyle that the Qing would impose. In the excerpt “Two Edict Concerning Hair”, one gets a better sense of why some Ming loyalists prefered death over defection to the Qing. The excerpt talks about the requirement that hair be shaved and braided as a staple of Qing authority. Many Ming deliberately left their hair long to show their resistance. This mandate brings a lot of questions as it changes a lot of political order. One being the idea of Confucian values and respecting the subordinate. In other words, if the Qing empire wanted to continue the Ming’s system of rule, why did they find it necessary to abuse power where the Ming had ruled without forcing rules on people?. The Qing would inevitably bring change to the lives of the Ming. Many Ming died at the hands of Qing forces for not cutting their hair as they had asked, However, the resistance to Qing rule from the Ming shows how a change in power is hard where certain values and loyalty continues to be present among the people.