Imperialism in China
China’s
“Century of Humiliation”
Key Terms
Opium
Opium Wars
Treaty of Nanjing
Unequal Treaties
Extraterritoriality
Spheres of Influence
Open Door Policy
Taiping Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
Powerful China 1514 – Portuguese arrived in East Asia to trade
(Ming Dynasty)
Chinese thought Europeans = Barbarians
Review – Chinese people called their country the “Middle Kingdom”. Why?
Ming and early-Qing Rulers placed very strict rules on foreign traders
Restricted port access
Some merchants specialized in dealing with Europeans
Power Shift Aging-Qing Dynasty was weaker
High taxes were unpopular with the Chinese people
Growing population did not have enough food Losing the “Mandate of Heaven”?
Europeans were more powerful than the Chinese… Why? Europeans gained power through the Industrial
Revolution
Europeans took advantage of weakened Chinese rulers
Opium War 1839-1842
British traders brought opium to China Chinese became addicted Qing Emperors tried to stop the drug trade;
Europeans ignored them
Qing Dynasty tried to ban Opium WAR!!!... British military invaded and defeated the
Chinese
$
Treaty of Nanjing Chinese government forced to sign The Treaty of
Nanjing after defeat in the Opium War
Results: British took control of Hong Kong British allowed to control ports throughout China Other European Countries followed Britain’s lead and forced
the Qing rulers to sign “unequal treaties”
Unequal Treaties – China was forced to give up some control of their own country to foreign imperialist powers.
Extraterritoriality – Foreigners in China were not subject to China’s laws. (Condition of the Unequal Treaties)
British Power Chinese Power
“Spheres of Influence”
Spheres of Influence - Areas where imperial powers (Europeans, Japan) had exclusive trading rights throughout China Each imperialist country claimed an area
Economic control leads to political control
USA was against this trend; they supported an Open Door Policy
Open Door Policy – Anyone can trade with China. Rejected the concept of “Spheres of Influence”
Spheres of Influence
Taiping Rebellion (1850s) Chinese people were upset and
embarrassed by the Qing Dynasty & Treaty of Nanjing
The people blamed the Qing Dynasty for giving up power to imperialist countries
Wanted the imperialist powers out!
Revolt! – Chinese people vs. Qing Dynasty
Review – How is this like the Independence movements in Africa? How is it different?
Taiping Rebellion (1850s) Outcomes:
Qing Dynasty asked the Imperialist Powers to help fight against the people (BAD MOVE?)
People lost. Imperialist Powers gained even more power.
20,000,000 people killed in 14 years
Chinese Rebels
Qing Dynasty
European Powers
Boxer Rebellion 1900 Hostility directed at all foreigners
Boxers – (AKA “Society of Harmonious Fists”) Chinese Rebels Goal was to expel all foreigners
This time, the Qing Dynasty supported the Chinese rebels
Boxers
Qing Dynasty
European Powers
Japanese
Boxer Rebellion (1900) Outcomes:
20,000 troops from Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and Japan defeated the Boxers
These nations ended up with more influence
Qing Dynasty lost nearly all power. They would never recover. 4,000 years of dynastic rule would soon come to an end…
Review Imperialist powers from Europe and Japan showed up
in China, and started imposing their will. The Chinese
despised their presence. However, the Qing Dynasty
was too weak to keep the imperialists out of China.
The Opium Wars, Treaty of Nanjing, Taiping Rebellion,
and the Boxer Rebellion all resulted in the Qing
Dynasty losing control of China to Imperialist Powers.
This time period would become known as China’s
“Century of Humiliation”.
Reflection When did the Qing Dynasty side with the Chinese
people? When did they side with the Imperialist Powers? Opium Wars Taiping Rebellion Boxer Rebellion
In your opinion, how should the Qing Dynasty have reacted to foreign involvement?
What does the idiom “stuck between a rock and a hard place” mean? How does it relate to the Qing Dynasty during the 19th century?
Recommended
