Battle of Shanhai Pass

This article is about the battle in 1644. For the battle during the Boxer Rebellion, see Battle of Shanhaiguan (1900). For the 1933 Battle of Shanhai Pass, see Defense of the Great Wall.

Battle of Shanhai Pass
Part of the Ming–Qing transition

Battle of Shanhai Pass
DateMay 27, 1644
Location
Shanhai Pass, China
39°58′44″N 119°46′32″E / 39.97889°N 119.77556°E / 39.97889; 119.77556
Result Qing victory
Belligerents
Qing dynasty
Ming defenders of Shanhai Pass		 Shun dynasty
Commanders and leaders
Dorgon
Wu Sangui		 Li Zicheng
Strength
  • Qing: 60,000 men[1]
  • Wu Sangui: about 100,000 men, including tens of thousands from local militia[2]
 Disputed: between 60,000 and 100,000 men[3]
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown
An old Chinese illustration of Battle of Shanhai Pass

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 rebel leader Li Zicheng of the Shun dynasty, allowing Dorgon and the Qing army to rapidly conquer Beijing.

  1. ^ C. Cao, 1644: Showdown At Shanhaiguan, 10. Archived May 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Frederic Wakeman claims that Wu's army counted about 50,000, and that he mustered about 50,000 militia troops in addition (Wakeman 1985, p. 296, note 213). Frederick Mote states instead that Wu's garrison in Ningyuan numbered up to 80,000 men, who were later joined by 20,000 to 30,000 local braves (Mote 1999, pp. 808 [Ningyuan troops] and 817 [militia]).
  3. ^ 60,000: Wakeman 1985, p. 296. 100,000: Mote 1999, p. 816.