Manchus

Manchus, a Manchurian people descended from the Jurchen tribe of the Tungus. Originally a nomadic, pastoral people, they came to China in the 12th century, only to be driven out by the Mongols. They eventually settled in the Sungari Valley and went on to conquer China in 1644, forming the Ch'ing dynasty and reigning until 1912. The Manchus have now been racially and culturally absorbed with the Chinese, and their language is virtually extinct.