The Chinese reached their height of power during the Ming Dynasty, which lasted from 1369 to 1644. It fell to the Manchus who invaded from the North. They established the Qing dynasty which reached greatness in the mid eighteenth century. From then it declined, and as the western powers began expanding in Asia, was in a poor position to withstand the Western advances. Throughout the 19th century the Chinese were forced to make humiliating concessions to European powers.