DECLINE OF THE QING DYNASTY Causes For Decline

DECLINE OF THE QING DYNASTY

Causes For Decline • Some of the reasons for decline included gov’t corruption, peasant unrest, rapid growth of population and food shortages • A major reason was the intense external pressure applied to Chinese society by the West – The ships, guns, and ideas of foreigners highlighted the growing weakness of the Qing dynasty and hastened its end

The Opium War • Chinese rulers believed all nations besides China were barbaric and wanted little contact with them – Restricted European merchants to a small trading outlet at Guangzhou (Canton) – The British do not like this since they have an unfavorable balance of trade with China • Import tea, silk, and porcelain, but the Chinese don’t want European goods • Have to pay in silver to cover the difference – Try to negotiate with the Chinese to improve the trade balance – this fails

• Britain turns to trading opium – Opium is a highly addictive drug that is grown in northern India – Demand increases in South China and silver starts to flow out of China into British pockets • The Chinese gov’t is upset – Know opium is addictive and dangerous – Have previously made opium trade illegal – Appeal to the British gov’t on moral grounds to stop the drug trafficking • However the opium trade is making Britain lots of money and they refuse to stop the trade

• The first drug war 1839 -1842 – The Chinese blockade the area around Guangzhou and order the destruction of British opium – The British respond with force and China is no match for the British navy – The British destroy Chinese coastal and river forts and sail unopposed up the Yangtze River to Nanjing

• Treaty of Nanjing – First in a series of unequal treaties that benefit European countries at the expense of China – Terms the Chinese agree to: • Open up five more ports for trade • Limit tariffs on British goods • Pay for cost of war • Give island of Hong Kong to Britain • Agree to extraterritoriality = Europeans who are accused of crimes have the right to be tried in their own courts, not Chinese courts and are not subject to Chinese laws • Marks the beginning of the establishment of Western influence in China

Tai Ping Rebellion • Internal economic problems and the failure of the Qing to resist Western powers led some Chinese to believe that the Qing had lost the mandate of heaven – All this leads to a peasant revolt called the Tai Ping Rebellion (1850 -1864) – Led by Hong Xiuquan, a Christian convert • Views himself as the younger brother of Jesus • Believes God gave him the mission to destroy the Qing dynasty • With the help of large numbers of peasants, Hong captures large territories in southeastern China

– Proclaims a new dynasty, the “Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace” • Europeans come to the aid of the Qing because they see the Tai Ping as destructive – The Qing, with European help, recapture Nanjing and destroy the remaining rebel force

• The Tai Ping Rebellion was one of the most devastating civil wars in history – More than 20 million people died • The Qing failed to deal with internal problems because they were busy struggling against the West – In 1856 Britain and France launched more attacks against China and captured the capital of Beijing in 1860 – Treaty of Tianjin – another unequal treaty • Chinese agree to legalize the opium trade • Open more ports for trade and give Britain the peninsula of Kowloon

European Imperialism • Imperialism in China consists of spheres of influence created by European powers – Spheres of influence = areas where the imperial powers had exclusive trading rights and extraterritoriality – Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and Japan all establish spheres of influence

Open Door Policy • The U. S. fears that the European powers would overrun the country and divide it among themselves – If this happens, then the U. S. would lose its profitable trade in China • 1899 U. S. Secretary of State John Hay proposes the Open Door Policy – Equal access to the Chinese markets for all nations and preserving the unity of the Chinese Empire – Reflects American concern for the survival of China and the desire for American trade – Did not end the spheres of influence

The Boxer Rebellion • Several nationalist groups wanted to restore glory back to China • One group was called the Boxers = popular name given to members of a secret organization called the Society of Harmonious Fists – They were upset by the foreign takeover of their country – Especially disliked foreign missionaries and Chinese converts – saw them as threats to Chinese traditions • Beginning of 1900, Boxer bands started roaming the countryside, killing missionaries and converts, along with foreign businessmen and a German envoy

– The Boxers also laid siege to the foreign compounds in Beijing and held the foreigners hostage for 55 days • An allied army consisting of 20, 000 troops from Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Japan, and the U. S. attack Beijing – They end the rebellion and restore order – In return they demand more concessions from the Chinese gov’t and force the gov’t to pay an indemnity • Indemnity = payment for damages – Left the gov’t even weaker • In the end, internal problems and the European advance into China proved to be the undoing of the Qing

Opium War Between Causes Leader Who Wins Results Britain and China British selling opium in China N/A Great Britain Open more ports Hong Kong Tai Ping Rebellion Peasant rebels and the Chinese gov’t Economic problems, weak gov’t Hong Xiuquan Qing Dynasty with the help of the Europeans Bloodiest civil war with 20 million dead Extraterritoriality Foreign influence: Increased or Decreased? Increased

1911 Revolution • Radicals started calling for the overthrow of the Qing dynasty and the creation of a Chinese republic • One of the leaders of these radicals was Sun Yat-sen – He wanted to replace the Qing with a ruling nationalist party that would act as a guardian until the Chinese people were ready for democracy • In 1912 the emperor abdicated, bringing an end to the last dynasty of China – China then declared itself a republic