Final answer:
The Manchus preserved their ethnic and cultural identity through administrative control, cultural imposition like the mandatory Manchu hairstyle, and by embracing while still standing apart from Chinese cultural practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Manchus, an ethnic group that established the Qing dynasty after overtaking the Ming, employed various strategies to preserve their ethnic and cultural identity while ruling China. To maintain their distinctiveness, they implemented a dual system of administration for governmental positions, requiring that each be filled by both Manchu and Han Chinese officials. Additionally, they imposed the Manchu hairstyle on all males to signify their dominion, with refusal to comply punishable by execution. The Manchu emperors, such as Kangxi, while valuing Chinese political culture and Confucian principles, also nurtured a separate Manchu identity through cultural and military strategies.