By the twelfth century, foot binding was widespread among the upper classes, particularly the ethnic Han Chinese, and it spread to other ethnic groups as well. In 1644, the Manchus, a northern people, took over, initiating the Qing dynasty, 1644–1911. The first Qing emperor banned footbinding, but it was so deeply rooted in Chinese culture that the ban was rescinded. In the nineteenth century, as foreign influences began to be felt in China, and the lower classes began to imitate their wealthier neighbors, footbinding declined among upper class women. After the nationalist revolution in 1911, footbinding was again officially banned, and the practice declined greatly, except for small groups living in the
