The
Ming dynasty , or the
Great Ming , also called the
Empire of the Great Ming, was the
ruling dynasty of
China for 276 years (1368–1644) following the collapse of the
Mongol-led
Yuan dynasty. The Ming, described by some as "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history," was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic
Han Chinese. Although the primary capital of
Beijing fell in 1644 to a rebellion led by
Li Zicheng (who established the
Shun dynasty, soon replaced by the
Manchu-led
Qing dynasty), regimes loyal to the Ming throne – collectively called the
Southern Ming – survived until 1662.