Imperial China in Crisis

The Decline of the Qing in the 19th

Century

Imperial China in Crisis

The Qing (Manchu) dynasty plagued by numerous problems…

Population pressures

Natural disasters (droughts and disease epidemics)

China Resists the WestUnder the Qing, China resisted outside trade and influences.Emperor Qianlong refuses British trade envoys.

Political SystemThe Qing political system was overstrained and outdated• Public works (roads, bridges, dams) neglected• Corruption (He Shen was the worst, 800 million taels of silver stolen!)• Ethnic tensions

Political SystemCixi(or Tz'u-hsi or Hsiao-ch'in)the empress dowager autocracy, 1861-1908(47 years in political control)

Social and Economic Crises

Rise of secret societies (White Lotus, triads, Taiping, Nian, Hongmen)Local militarization (militias) and increased violenceFamily problems and moral decayEconomic bottleneck and financial crisis

The Western Challenge and Imperialism

Western ImperialismTrade concessions demanded by the Portuguese, Spaniards, British, AmericansEast India Company and the opium tradeOpium use created a silver shortage

The addictive population increased causing social instability

The Opium War 1840-1842

Britain paid for its imports of tea, silk and porcelain mainly with silver.But the growth of the opium habit in China created an outflow of silver from China.The Qing banned the import and smoking of opium.

The Opium War 1840-1842

1839: the areas of Canton where British and American merchants were permitted to operate were blockaded20,000 chests of opium seized and publicly destroyed on the Canton beaches.Britain declared war

Britain declared war. Chinese arms were no match for European technology.

The Treaty of Nanjing

The First Opium War ended in a decisive defeat for China.The humiliating Treaty of Nanjing resulted.Five ports were opened to foreign trade.

The Treaty of NanjingHong Kong island was ceded to the British.The status of “extraterritoriality” given to her merchants (they were not subject to Chinese laws).Huge reparations were imposed for the destroyed opium.

The Treaty of NanjingThe U.S. and France extracted similar concessions two years later1856: The Second Opium WarRenewal of war with Great Britain (later joined by France).China again defeated.

Treaty of Tientsin 1858Legalized the opium tradeAllowed freedom for Christian

missionariesIncreased ports and trading

privileges to Western merchants

Imposed further war reparations

Taiping Rebellion 1851-1864

Western capitalism and Christian missionaries affected Chinese society, causing revolutionary upheavals

Led by Hong Xiuquan (1814-64)Hong was a Christian who sought reform of corrupt Qing regime

Taiping Rebellion 1851-1864

1853: 1 million peasants had joined

the revolt. Controlled large areas of southern China

Internal power struggles led to the demise of Taiping regime

Qing and foreign forces eventually defeat the rebellion. 20 million died

Self Strengthening Movement

Dowager Empress Cixi resisted reforms but did support “self strengthening”.Sought to update political, educational and military institutions.

Arsenals to manufacture modern weapons set up.

Self Strengthening Movement

Mixed results since arsenals still run by mostly foreigners.Imbalance of trade from import of machinery, raw materials.

Spheres of Influence

Spheres of InfluenceForeign nations took advantage of China’s weakness and established colonial footholds.Extraterritoriality applied in these foreign enclaves.U.S. favored an “Open Door Policy” to prevent outright colonization.

The Sino-Japanese WarBy 1895, Japan defeated China and gained control of Formosa (Taiwan) and Korea.

This defeat and the failure of the Self-Strengthening Movement highlighted the need for reform.

Chinese conservatives disagreed.

The Hundred Days Reforms

June 11 to September 21, 1898: Emperor Guangxu ordered a series of reforms aimed at making sweeping social and institutional changes.

The edicts attempted to modernize China and promote practical studies instead of Neo-Confucian orthodoxy.

The Hundred Days Reforms

Conservative ruling elites opposed the reforms. Proposed moderate change.Empress Dowager Cixi engineered a coup d'etat on September 21, 1898, forcing Guangxu into seclusion.Cixi took over the government as regent.

The Hundred Days Reforms

The Hundred Days' Reform ended with the rescindment of the new edicts and execution of six reformist leaders.

The Boxer Rebellion 1900

Began as a backlash against foreigners.Secret societies such as the “Righteous and Harmonious Fists” attacked foreigners and Christian missionaries.Dowager Empress Cixi secretly supported the Boxers while publicly denouncing them to foreigners.

The Boxer Rebellion 1900

Boxer forces besieged foreign compounds in Beijing for monthsA multinational relief force was dispatchedThe Boxers were eventually defeated

The Boxer Rebellion 1900

A humiliating treaty was imposed on the Qing government

Chinese resentment rekindled demands for reform and inspired nationalist movements

The "New Policy" (reform which was too little, too late)

The Guomindang

The National People’s Party (Guomindang) under Dr. Sun Yat Sen was formed in 1905

The End of a DynastyIn 1908 Guangxu “died”. Cixi died the next day.PuYi , Guangxu’s threeyear old nephew,ascended the throne.

Revolution of 1911Because Qing dynasty supported the failed rebellion and they refused to reform, they lost support in China and the revolution in 1911 removed them from power.

Revolution of 1911The 1911 Revolution ushered in a new political era, but with little social significance.

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