China in the 19th Century: Rebellions, Foreign Difficulties, and Decline. January 27, 2015

Transcription

1 China in the 19th Century: Rebellions, Foreign Difficulties, and Decline January 27, 2015

2 Reminders First term paper due Thursday 1 electronic copy submitted to Turnitin.com by midnight 1 paper copy submitted to your TA Use assigned textbooks only Ok to cite from unassigned chapters / pages Class disturbances please do not watch videos, browse Facebook, etc.

3 Review Where was the largest European colony in 1600? During the 17th and 18th centuries, which two nations were the world s strongest economic powerhouses? Both the Dutch and the Spanish had colonies in Asia. What was the greatest difference between the two countries approaches? What was the relationship between Vietnam and the Qing empire?

4 Lecture Overview Broad History of China from China s Weaknesses China s Strengths Key Moments Key Concepts

5 Chinese History, A century of wars and rebellions

6 Chinese History, A century of wars and rebellions Opium War ( ) Arrow War ( ) Sino- French War ( ) Sino- Japanese War ( )

7 Chinese History, A century of wars and rebellions White Lotus Rebellion ( ) Taiping Rebellion ( ) Nian Rebellion ( ) Muslim Rebellions ( ; ) Boxer Rebellion (1900)

8 Chinese History, A century of wars and rebellions White Lotus Rebellion ( ) Opium War ( ) Arrow War ( ) Taiping Rebellion ( ) Nian Rebellion ( ) Muslim Rebellions ( ; ) Sino- French War ( ) Sino- Japanese War ( ) Boxer Rebellion (1900)

9 Ebrey, p. 320

10 Chinese History, Result: China lost much of its independence Carved into foreign concessions, semi- colonial statues

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12 Chinese History, Result: China lost much of its independence Carved into foreign concessions, semi- colonial status Manchuria à Russia, then Japan Shanghai and Guangzhou regions à The UK Vietnam border region à France Qingdao à Germany What were these concessions? Foreigner- administered zones, special tax laws, from unequal treaties Different from colonies (e.g. Hong Kong, Taiwan) No US concessions

13 Chinese History, Major changes over the century Foreign abuse Greatly increased Unequal treaties, concessions, gunboat diplomacy Level of commercialization Increased, at China s expense Open ports and bad tax rates followed unequal treaties Financial stability Greatly decreased Rising debt impeded government efficacy and reform

14 Chinese History, Things that did NOT change much Level of nationalism Threatening to Manchu rulers Many small rebellions, but loyal to individual rulers Some signs toward the end? To be discussed Level of capitalism Against Confucian tradition Unappealing to elite class Difficult without industrial revolution

15 China s Weaknesses 1) Overpopulation - Statistics: 1685, 1767, 1790, Effects on labor, quality of life 2) Technological Stagnation - Maritime Technology and Weaponry (superficial) - Industry (deeper) l Labor Surplus (vs. Europe) l High- level equilibrium trap

16 China s Weaknesses 3) Complacency - Foreign threat unexpected - Centuries of cultural and economic dominance 4) Inertia, or resistance to change - Strong conservative Confucian traditions - Entrenched minority rulership (exploited by West) - Corruption

17 China s Weaknesses 5) Other Internal Problems - Inflation - Opium addiction - Labor competition and unemployment - Poverty and starvation - Result: unrest and rebellion l Peasant motives (e.g. Nian) l Religious motives (e.g. White Lotus, Taiping, Muslims, Boxers) l Ethnic motives (e.g. Taiping, Muslims, Boxers)

18 China s Strengths 1) Centralized Qing government - Capable of repeatedly putting down rebellions, with assistance of private armies - Able to sustain repeated war defeats and pay huge indemnities, without collapsing l But, also part of the Western strategy (!) l l Easier to prop up government and extract wealth Links to Social Darwinism, to be discussed...

19 China s Strengths 2) Determined generals and reformers - Lin Zexu, suppressed opium trade - Zeng Guofan, quelled Taiping and Nian rebellions - Li Hongzhang, led reform projects 3) Self- Strengthening Movement (Ebrey, p. 323) - Military, industrial, and educational reform - Too little, too late

20 China s Strengths Overall, weaknesses outweighed strengths Why wasn't China divided and colonized outright? - Size - Competition between foreign powers - Difficulties of rulership vs. ease of exploitation

21 Key Moments Opium War, (Ebrey, pp ) Motives British Chinese Battle Importance of navy and rifles Results Economic Psychological Follow- up Arrow War, (Ebrey, pp ) Rising missionary influence

22 Key Moments Taiping Rebellion, (Ebrey, pp ) Motives l Religious l Ethnic, Anti- Manchu Innovations l Female equality l Communal property Results l l Rising use of private armies Immense loss of life (20 30 million)

23 Key Moments Boxer Rebellion, 1900 (Ebrey, pp ) Excerpt from the diary of Luella Miner, an American university professor living in Beijing in 1900 June 15: About ten o'clock the most horrible noise began in the southern city, just on the opposite side of the city wall. It was a horde of Boxers going through their rites, burning incense, crying, "Kill the foreign devils! Kill the secondary foreign devils! Kill! Kill! Kill!" They called other things, but I could only distinguish the "kill!"... [Source: O'Connor, Richard The Spirit Soldiers: A Historical Narrative of the Boxer Rebellion. By Richard O'Connor Putnam Books. As quoted in: "A Prisoner of the Boxer Rebellion, 1900." EyeWitness to History, Bold emphasis added. Tientsin changed to Tianjin. ]

24 Key Moments Boxer Rebellion, 1900 (Ebrey, pp ) Excerpt continued A garrison of foreign soldiers barricaded Luella s region of the city, and they were besieged by the Boxers July 18: About two o'clock this afternoon - four weeks to an hour from the time when we took refuge in this Legation - we received our first authentic message from the outside world. On June 30, a Methodist young man was sent by the Japanese Minister as a messenger to Tianjin, and he has just returned, bringing a letter from the Japanese Consul in Tianjin, stating that foreign troops numbering 33,300 will leave Tianjin about the 20th, day after tomorrow, for the relief of Peking.

25 Key Moments Boxer Rebellion, 1900 (Ebrey, pp ) Excerpt continued In mid- August, the relief army arrives August 14:...There was a wild rush for the south end of the compound, and there, sheltered by the barricades, we stood and saw the first of the relief army straggling up the streets. And who do you think they were? Black- faced, high- turbaned troops, Rajputs from India - great, fierce- looking fellows, but their faces were beaming with joy, and they hurrahed louder than we did. There were British officers with them All that afternoon the troops came streaming in, Sikhs, Bengal Lancers; English soldiers, and, most welcome of all, our American boys.

26 Key Moments Boxer Rebellion, 1900 (Ebrey, pp ) Motives l Flood and drought blamed on foreign gods l Anti- foreigner, anti- missionary sentiments l Last hope of Empress Dowager Cixi, tacit approval Battle l Unified international army Results l l Massive war reparations paid to Europe and Japan Need for radical reform fully recognized

27 Key Concepts Nationalism Key feature of modern world (useful in essay...) Nation- states vs. kingdoms ; citizens vs. subjects Conditions related to the idea of a nation... 1) Distinct geographic borders 2) Common language 3) Common ethnicity 4) Common religion 5) Common culture 6) Urbanization 7) Common history

28 Nationalism continued... Key Concepts Importance of imagined community Nationalism vs. patriotism l l l Needs of the political entity (and government) outweigh cultural traditions Based on the masses, not the elite Recognizes other nations as legal equals Stimulating factors l l l Mistreatment by others Unifying technological or economic forces Created through education, army, celebrations, etc. Tension with women's equality movement

29 Key Concepts Social Darwinism Natural selection, applied to societies l Advanced societies thrive, weak societies perish Closely linked to imperialism Can be used to justify both exploitation and aid Unequal treaties The White Man s Burden (excerpt in Ebrey, p. 313)