Dorgon's Haircut Order

Timeline

1. 1644–1645Beijing · North ChinaWhen Qing forces first crossed the pass they temporarily suspended enforcement of the haircut order to win popular support, but as the north stabilized and Qing armies advanced south into Jiangnan, regent Dorgon decided to impose forced haircutting and dress changes to consolidate rule and remove the political obstacle of the Chinese–barbarian distinction.
2. 1645Beijing · North ChinaDorgon issued the order in the name of the Qing court, requiring all men nationwide to shave their heads and wear queues, proclaiming 'keep your head or keep your hair, keep your hair or lose your head.' The order imposed Manchu hairstyle and a mark of submission on the Han, becoming an important symbol of Qing rule's legitimacy.
3. 1645Jiangnan · JiangnanThe haircut order provoked strong resistance among scholars and commoners in Jiangnan and elsewhere; large-scale anti-Qing struggles broke out in Jiading, Jiangyin, and other places, which Qing forces suppressed with massacres. By the end of 1645 the Qing court gradually enforced the haircut order in occupied areas, but popular resentment persisted for a long time.