China in the 1800s: The Qing Dynasty

The Opium War, 1839-1842• During the 18th Century, the

market in Europe and America for tea (a new drink in the West) expanded greatly• Was continuing demand for

silk and porcelain

• The West had little China wanted – resulted in third-party trade (raw materials from colonies)

The Opium War, 1839-42• Finally, found something

the Chinese wanted: opium• By 1800s, raw cotton and

opium from India were two main British imports to China (despite the fact that opium was illegal in China)

• In 1839, Qing government cracked down on opium traffic and destroyed 20,000 chests of illegal opium

The Opium War, 1839-42• Britain retaliated and China was

disastrously defeated• Chinese self-image was injured

beyond repair

• Treaty of Nanjing (1842) – first of “unequal treaties” or “national humiliations” • Britain got Hong Kong

• Opened ports to foreign trade

• Extraterritoriality (exemption for British nationals from Chinese laws)

Taiping Rebellion, 1851-64• During mid-19th Century, China was hit by a series of

natural disasters of unprecedented proportions – draughts, famines, and floods

• Qing administration did little – was horribly corrupt – and was widespread anti-Manchu (Qing) sentiment

• Southern China had been last to yield to Qing and first to be exposed to the West

Taiping Rebellion, 1851-64• Largest uprising in modern

Chinese history• Lead by Hong Xiuquan

• Believed he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ and God had commanded him to save humanity

• Soon had 1,000s of followers who were anti-Qing

• Procliamed the “Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace” or Taiping

Taiping Rebellion, 1851-64• Hong advocated radical

social reform• Peasants would own the

land• Taiping army captured

Nanjing and went far to the North

• 30 million people killed

The Tongzhi Restoration and the Self-Strengthening Movement

• Opium war, unequal treaties, and rebellion caused Chinese officials to recognize need to strengthen China

• Tongzhi Restoration attempted to strengthen Qing Dynasty, but was not a real modernization program• Named for Tongzhi Emperor (1862-

74), but really run by the emperor’s mother, Empress Dowager Ci Xi (1835-1908)

Self-Strengthening Movement• Lead by scholars and Generals who put

down Taiping Rebellion

• Wanted to infuse “Western Learning” into Chinese society• Students studied abroad• Tried to establish industry on Western model• Tried to modernize the military• Tried to improve communication and

transportation

Foreign Domination of China•After the Taiping Rebellion, warlords negotiated and granted Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, and Russia exclusive trading rights, with monopolies on certain trading ports in China

•The US had not acquired any territory: proposed the Open Door Policy – all foreign countries would have equal access to Chinese ports

• While for selfish reasons, the Open Door Policy probably kept China from being colonized.

The Boxer Rebellion• Imperial court responded to foreign threat

by giving aid to various secret societies

• Policy reached climax in 1900 with the Boxer Rebellion

• Western response was swift and severe

• Boxer Protocol

The Revolution of 1911• The last emperor, Pu Yi (a young boy) was

overthrown

• Lead by Sun Yixian

Pu YiSun Yixian

Three Principles of the People• (san min zhuyi): "nationalism, democracy,

and people's livelihood." • The principle of nationalism called for

overthrowing the Qing and ending foreign hegemony over China.

• The second principle, democracy, was used to describe Sun's goal of a popularly elected republican form of government.

• People's livelihood, often referred to as socialism, was aimed at helping the common people through regulation of the ownership of the means of production and land.