The decline of the Ming dynasty in China was catalyzed by several interrelated events, notably internal strife and external pressures. Conflicts such as the increasing corruption among officials and peasant uprisings, like the Li Zicheng rebellion, severely weakened the central government. Simultaneously, the dynasty faced significant threats from the Manchu tribes in the northeast. The culmination of these issues led to the fall of Beijing in 1644, as the Qing dynasty seized control. This transition marked the end of nearly three hundred years of Ming rule and the beginning of the Qing dynasty, which would last for over two centuries.