Manchu studies or Manjuristics is an academic discipline concerned with the study of the

Manchu language Manchu (Manchu:, ) is a critically endangered East Asian Tungusic language native to the historical region of Manchuria in Northeast China. As the traditional native language of the Manchus, it was one of the official languages of the Qing dyn ...

, the historical texts written in it during the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

(1644–1912), as well as by contemporary

Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) and ...

and Sibe people. The first treatise on the Manchu language was the ''Elementa linguæ Tartaricæ'' published in Paris in 1696. The foundations of Manchu studies as scholarly discipline date to the 18th century, when diplomatic and trade relations were established between European countries and China's Qing dynasty. The first major centres of Manchu studies were in France and Russia. An important event was the establishment of a chair in "Tartar Languages and Literatures" at the

Collège de France The Collège de France (), formerly known as the ''Collège Royal'' or as the ''Collège impérial'' founded in 1530 by François I, is a higher education and research establishment (''grand établissement'') in France. It is located in Paris ne ...

in 1814. The German school had its beginnings in the middle of the 19th century, and by the start of the 20th century it had taken the leading position in Europe. In the period after the fall of the Qing dynasty in the

Xinhai Revolution The 1911 Revolution, also known as the Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, ended China's last imperial dynasty, the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and led to the establishment of the Republic of China. The revolution was the culmination of a d ...

of 1911–1912, Manchu studies disappeared as an academic field of its own, generally becoming subsumed under

Sinology Sinology, or Chinese studies, is an academic discipline that focuses on the study of China primarily through Chinese philosophy, language, literature, culture and history and often refers to Western scholarship. Its origin "may be traced to th ...

and

Mongolian studies Mongolian studies is an interdisciplinarity, interdisciplinary field of scholarly inquiry concerning Mongolian language, Mongolian history, and Mongolian culture. Scholars who work in the field of Mongolian studies are often referred to as Mongolist ...

. Since the second half of the 20th century it has had a revival as a stand-alone discipline. Manchu studies disappeared from

Mainland China "Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...

for a while. Since the end of the 1970s, the Manchu language has been taught at universities in Germany, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Japan, China, and the United States.

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

's Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations is the only institution in North America with a course in the Manchu language. James Bosson was a prominent modern American scholar of Manchu and Mongolian studies.

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