Effectiveness
Although the banners were instrumental in the Qing Empire takeover of China proper in the 17th century from the Ming Empire, they began to fall behind rising Western powers in the 18th century, and were to ultimately become highly ineffective in modern warfare by the second half of the 19th century. The later banners proved unable to defeat Western powers, such as Britain, in the Opium Wars and were also seriously challenged by the Taiping Rebellion.
The Manchu "soldiers" stationed in the capital and throughout the empire constituted a great, aggregate enormous, and utterly useless drain on the imperial exchequer. Their claim to be military men was based on their descent rather than on their skill in arms; and their pay is given them because of their fathers' prowess, and not at all from any hopes of their efficiency as soldiers. Their soldierly qualities are included in the accomplishments of idleness, riding, and the use of the bow and arrow, at which they practice on a few rare occasions each year.
However, during the Boxer Rebellion, three units of Manchu Bannermen were organized, recruited from the Metropolitan Banners, and given modernized training and weapons. One of these was the Hushenying.
Read more about this topic: Eight Banners