Battle of Shanhai Pass

Overview

The Battle of Shanhai Pass, fought on May 27, 1644 at Shanhai Pass at the eastern end of the Great Wall, was a decisive battle leading to the beginning of the Qing dynasty rule in China proper. There, the Qing prince-regent Dorgon allied with former Ming general Wu Sangui to defeat peasant rebel leader Li Zicheng, founder of the short-lived Shun dynasty, allowing Dorgon and the Qing army to rapidly conquer Beijing.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Shanhai Pass on May 27, 1644, fought at the eastern terminus of the Great Wall, was a decisive turning point in the transition from Ming to Qing rule over China proper. The alliance between Qing prince-regent Dorgon and former Ming general Wu Sangui against Li Zicheng, founder of the short-lived Shun dynasty, broke the rebel hold on the strategic pass and opened the road to Beijing. The Qing army's rapid conquest of Beijing following the engagement effectively ended Li Zicheng's bid to establish the Shun dynasty as a successor to the Ming and marked the beginning of Qing dynastic rule over China proper. The battle thus resolved, in a single engagement, the three-way contest among the Qing, the remnant Ming forces, and the Shun rebel state that had defined the conflict at this stage, setting the trajectory for the broader Qing consolidation that would continue until 1683.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (3)