China & European Imperialism

World History - Libertyville HS

The Manchu Dynasty (1644-1912)

• Founding the Dynasty– Manchu were settled

nomads, the Jurchen, from Manchuria

– Rebelled against Ming & destroyed dynasty

– Claimed Mandate of Heaven (Ming lost – rebellions, famine)

– AKA Qing Dynasty

Manchu Dynasty• Ethnic tension in Manchu

Dynasty– Manchu were ethnically

Jurchen– Most of China were ethnic

Han– This meant a minority group

ruled China

• Extent of Empire– At height, 13 million sq

miles– Expanded into Tibet,

Russia, Taiwan

Extent of Manchu Dynasty

19th C: Foreign Pressure

• Problems facing Manchu– Economic stagnation (agr

based economy)– Population explosion

(famines)– Antique gov’t system not

strong– Isolation from rest of

world, esp. Europe

Britain, Germans, Russians, French& Japanese divide China

Contact w/ European Nations

• 1793: Brits attempted alliance w/ Manchu (refused)

• After 1815, world trade, dominated by Europeans, expanded quickly– Massive Chinese markets

drew Europeans– Chinese trade goods (silk,

tea, ceramics)Caricature: “The Reception”

Chinese Trade w/ Europe

• Chinese demanded silver bars in payment (no mfgr’d goods)

• Brits, French didn’t want to give up limited specie

• Brits, French sold opium into China (addictive) for Chinese silver

First Opium War (1838-1842)

• Manchu gov’t outlawed opium in China

• British gov’t declared war– Royal navy destroyed

outdated Chinese wooden navy

– British army, w/ rifles, artillery, crushed Chinese

First Opium War

• Treaty of Nanking– Demanded reparations

(payments) for Brit losses

– Unrestricted access to Chinese markets for European countries

– Annexed Hong Kong as British city

Second Opium War (1856-1860)

• Brits tried to re-negotiate Treaty of Nanking– Allow Brit trade access to

Chinese rivers– Est. permanent Brit

embassy in Peking (capital)

– Chinese refused to sign = war

• Chinese crushed, again

Second Opium War

• Treaty of Tianjin– All official Chinese docs to

be written in English– Brit warships given

unlimited access to Chinese rivers

– Christian missionaries allowed

– Other foreign embassies allowed

– Opium importation legalized

The Empress Dowager

• Tsu His started as peasant concubine of Emperor (1850-1861)– Very intelligent, clever,

manipulative– Outwitted 8 regents to

become regent to her son– After son died (1874) she

continued to rule in nephew’s name, until her death in 1908

– Known as “Empress Dowager” or the “Dragon Lady

– Focused her reign on keeping China whole in face of foreign aggression

Boxer Rebellion (1900)

• Righteous Harmony Society (“Boxers”)– Native Chinese focused

on throwing “foreign devils” out of China

– “Devils” included Catholic, Protestant missionaries & their Chinese converts

– Empress Dowager attempted to remotely control the Boxers

Boxer Rebellion

• German ambassador murdered by Boxers in Beijing– European delegations

besieged in Beijing embassies by Boxers, Chinese troops, for 55 days

– European nations, US allied vs Chinese to save their citizens

Boxer Rebellion

• Eight nations, European and America, conquered Beijing– Dowager Empress fled

city– Treaty ending fighting

was harsh• Reparations• Permanent European,

US presence in China

End of Manchu• After death of Empress

Dowager, baby emperor took over

• Regent council established– Rebellions broke out;

regions est. indep. Gov’ts– 1912: Child Emperor

forced to abdicate

• Ended 2000 years of Chinese emperors, as local warlords ruled