TheRomanSlayer
Mabuhay Ang Mga Makapili
Out of all the various Chinese dynasties, only the Yuan and the Qing had managed to expand China's borders to include various ethnic minority groups that have come to accept their authority. The Yuan, being a Mongol dynasty, had expanded into the traditional Jurchen lands in addition to the lands dominated by the Han Chinese majority and the Tibetans, while the Qing, being a Manchu dynasty, had not only done the same as the Yuan in terms of integrating lands populated by the Mongols, Han Chinese, and Tibetans, but had also successfully conquered Xinjiang from the Dzhungars, with the Uyghurs being the ultimate beneficiaries of the Qing's successful war against the Dzhungars.
At the same time, the native Han Chinese dynasties like the Tang, Song, and the Ming, had not really expanded much further beyond the Great Wall. What kind of expansionist policies would a successful Shun Dynasty have, had they taken the place of the Ming instead of the Qing? Would the Shun be willing to expand into the areas of what is now Xinjiang, and even conquer Mongolia? Or, would they be content with keeping their northern border secure while they expand southwards? Alternatively, would the Shun just forsake territorial expansion in favor of increased commercial trade with its neighbors?
At the same time, the native Han Chinese dynasties like the Tang, Song, and the Ming, had not really expanded much further beyond the Great Wall. What kind of expansionist policies would a successful Shun Dynasty have, had they taken the place of the Ming instead of the Qing? Would the Shun be willing to expand into the areas of what is now Xinjiang, and even conquer Mongolia? Or, would they be content with keeping their northern border secure while they expand southwards? Alternatively, would the Shun just forsake territorial expansion in favor of increased commercial trade with its neighbors?