Civilizations in Crisis: Ottoman Empire, Islamic Heartlands, Qing China

Decline of the Ottomans Weak rulers allowed for power struggles among the janissaries, ayans, and religious leaders Decrease in artisans and economic power because of European imports Outside threats: Europeans and Russians Inside threats: nationalism (Balkans breaking up, Greek independence)

Attempted Ottoman Reform Selim III- (r.1789-1807) tried to reform army and administration but angered factions in bureaucracy and Janissary Corps toppled him in 1807 Mahmud II succeeded two decades later Got European support in building an army to topple the Janissaries in 1826 and then subduing the ayan Patterned reform on the west, which increased western European involvement Tanzimat reforms 1839-1876 (universities, railway, newspapers, legal reform, constitution to protect minority religious groups) No benefit for artisans and women from reforms

Revolt in the Ottoman Empire Sultan Abdul Hamid (1878-1908) returned to despotic absolutism after reforms threatened the position of the sultan Got rid of constitution and restricted civil liberties 1908 bloodless coup overthrew the Sultan Exiled intellectuals and political activists formed a society (Society for Reform and Progress, a.k.a.-Young Turks) and demanded return to 1876 constitution

Crisis in the Arab Islamic Heartlands Islamic heartlands open to invasion by western Europe with Ottoman decline Arabs also resented Turkish rule of their territory

Muhammad Ali 1798 Napoleon invaded Egypt (to hurt British control of India) His threat is discounted by Mamluks and they win early battles However, British defeat French and 1801 French withdraw Muhammad Ali, in response to Mamluk defeat, built up European-style military but fell short of total westernization Khedives- Ali’s successors who had intermarried with Turkish families sent from the Sultan and who didn’t have the territorial ambitions of Ali would rule until 1952 as puppets of the British

Foreigners in Egypt Khedives slowly ruined the economy enriching the landowning classes at the expense of the poor and borrowing money from the French and British 1869 Suez Canal made Egypt extremely strategic because it linked Europe with its colonial holdings Ineptitude of the khedives prompted discussion of how to to ward off invaders and then for the need for Muslim unity Ahmad Orabi challenged foreign interests of the khedive but the British crushed his rebellion in 1882

Jihad British drawn to the South (Sudan) where everyone wanted control of the Nile Egyptian authority greatly resented there Mahdi (Muhammed Achmad came to be the promised deliverer) rebelled to purge Islam and gained control of Sudan 1896 British General Kitchener defeated them at the battle of Omdurman

Rise of the Qing Dynasty Manchu conquest of China (Nurhaci united the tribes and became Manchu leader) Weakness of the Ming gave the Manchus the opportunity to seize China, where they took the dynastic name Qing

Rule under the Qing Retained much of the political system of the Ming Examination system continued, patrons of the arts, social system maintained Attempt at alleviating rural distress Population increased Favorable balance of trade until 18th century

Rise of Internal Problems Exam system corrupt Revenue loss decrease military Deterioration of the dikes led to flooding

The British and Opium Europeans creep in on trade but British have unfavorable balance of trade Only desirable product to reverse this is opium Opium imports increase from 200- 40,000 chests a year from 1700-1840 Opium war reversed the balance and forced China to open up trading ports Hong Kong became the center of British commerce

Rebellion Begins Taiping Rebellion 1850s-1860s- led by Hong Xiuquan offered alternative to Qing and Confucian civilizations by drastic reform Attack on scholar-gentry led to bloody suppression of the rebellion- 20 million deaths! Self-strengthening movement- movement to westernize (some people felt it was necessary) Dowager Empress Cixi further crushed serious reform effort in 1898 1898-1901 Boxer Rebellion (crushed by foreign troops)

The Fall of the Qing Rise of secret societies Revolutionaries hostile to European involvement 1899- U.S. forces China to establish Open Door policy to open up trade 1911 opposition and rebellion force out the last Manchu leader in 1912 and marked the end of Confucian values as basis for society and the era of the scholar-gentry