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outdated Chinese wooden navy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
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