Changes

Following the fall of [[Beijing]] to [[Manchu]] forces in [[1644]], hundreds of imperial princes and thousands of scholar-officials and others continued to fight to restore the [[Ming Dynasty]], or fled to Japan and elsewhere, refusing to serve under a "barbarian" dynasty. The [[Qing Dynasty]] suppressed the last of the resistance on mainland China by around [[1660]], but [[Taiwan]] remained a significant base of loyalist resistance until [[1683]].

Following the fall of [[Beijing]] to [[Manchu]] forces in [[1644]], hundreds of imperial princes and thousands of scholar-officials and others continued to fight to restore the [[Ming Dynasty]], or fled to Japan and elsewhere, refusing to serve under a "barbarian" dynasty. The [[Qing Dynasty]] suppressed the last of the resistance on mainland China by around [[1660]], but [[Taiwan]] remained a significant base of loyalist resistance until [[1683]].

[[Joseon Dynasty]] Korea submitted to Qing authority early on, ending its [[tribute|tributary]] relations with the Ming and entering into such relations with the Qing in [[1637]], seven years before the Ming fell. The Ming's second chief tributary, the [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Kingdom of Ryûkyû]], on the other hand, continued to be loyal to the Ming until well into the 1650s. Qing envoy [[Xie Bizhen]] traveled to Ryûkyû several times, unsuccessfully attempting to convince King [[Sho Ken|Shô Ken]] to shift loyalties; Ryûkyû delayed its responses to the Qing as long as possible, while waiting whether the Qing would come out dominant, or whether the Ming would be restored. It was only under Shô Ken's successor, King [[Sho Shitsu|Shô Shitsu]], that a mission to Qing-held Beijing was finally sent, in [[1653]]. The Ryukyuan envoys congratulated the [[Shunzhi Emperor]] on his enthronement, turned in the royal seal and imperial rescript granted them by the Ming, and requested a new seal and rescript from the Qing, but even at that time did not explicitly request [[Chinese investiture envoys]] to continue coming to Ryûkyû. Such a mission would not come until [[1663]], re-establishing investiture/tribute relations between China and Ryûkyû, after a previous attempt to send an investiture mission in [[1654]] was blocked by the naval forces of Taiwan-based Ming loyalists.<ref>Nishizato Kikô. "The Problem of Royal Investiture during the Ming-Qing Transition Period." [http://venus.unive.it/okinawa/en/sunti/nishizato.html Abstract]. Paper presented at 5th International Conference on Okinawan Studies, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, September 2006.</ref>

[[Joseon Dynasty]] Korea submitted to Qing authority early on, ending its [[tribute|tributary]] relations with the Ming and entering into such relations with the Qing in [[1637]], seven years before the Ming fell. The Ming's second chief tributary, the [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Kingdom of Ryûkyû]], on the other hand, continued to be loyal to the Ming until well into the 1650s. Qing envoy [[Xie Bizhen]] traveled to Ryûkyû several times, unsuccessfully attempting to convince King [[Sho Ken|Shô Ken]] to shift loyalties; Ryûkyû delayed its responses to the Qing as long as possible, while waiting whether the Qing would come out dominant, or whether the Ming would be restored. It was only under Shô Ken's successor, King [[Sho Shitsu|Shô Shitsu]], that a mission to Qing-held Beijing was finally sent, in [[1653]]. The Ryukyuan envoys congratulated the [[Shunzhi Emperor]] on his enthronement, turned in the royal seal and imperial rescript granted them by the Ming, and requested a new seal and rescript from the Qing, but even at that time did not explicitly request [[Chinese investiture envoys]] to continue coming to Ryûkyû. Such a mission would not come until [[1663]], re-establishing [[investiture]]/tribute relations between China and Ryûkyû, after a previous attempt to send an investiture mission in [[1654]] was blocked by the naval forces of Taiwan-based Ming loyalists.<ref>Nishizato Kikô. "The Problem of Royal Investiture during the Ming-Qing Transition Period." [http://venus.unive.it/okinawa/en/sunti/nishizato.html Abstract]. Paper presented at 5th International Conference on Okinawan Studies, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, September 2006.</ref>

==Claimants to the Throne==

==Claimants to the Throne==