1. China’s “Century of Humiliation”

2. Qing Dynasty at height
Initially, the Qing takeover resulted in a massive expansion of Chinese territory

3. Qing era “Mandarin”
By 19th Century -- Corrupt & Incompetent Governance
Manchu court employed bureaucracy of Confucian scholars
Conservative scholars (sometimes called “Mandarins”) prevented modernizing and westernizing
Path to power still Confucian exam system instead of mastery of science, mathematics, engineering

4. British consumers heavily relied on Chinese products
In this picture: at least three products:
Tea
Porcelain (“China”)
Silk (belts, flowers, etc.)
Possibly also furniture
And in the house – probably WALLPAPER

5. Chinese traders were only interested in Silver, which made up the currency of China at the time

6. Elsewhere (India) the British had large quantities of a medicinal herb called “opium”
Used in Europe as a medicine – Morphia
Highly addictive

7. Large portion of young male population addicted –esp
Large portion of young male population addicted –esp. class that would have become scholars
“The hole of an opium pipe is as small as a needle, but you can put a water buffalo in it and you can also smoke hundreds of mu of land through it.”
Upwards of 20% of officials also addicted

8. British importation of Opium grew and the number of addicted Chinese increased exponentially

9. Opium War
Chinese government conducts a “war on drugs”, destroys supplies
British merchants manipulate Parliament to wage war on China
Lack of Navy & superior western tech led to victory for British

10. Outcome: British victory
MFN status
Extraterritoriality
Opium trade legal again
Indemnities
British get Hong Kong until 1997
Establishment of trans-national businesses, e.g. HKSB

11. Self-Strengthening Movement
Adoption of Western military technologies
Commerce, Industry, Agriculture
Failure to politically reform & civil wars sabotaged movement
Outside interference

12. Foreign attack
2nd Opium War British & French invasion
Qing government deep in debt & couldn’t repay
British & French governments participated in recovery – “Tongzi Restoration”

13. Young emperor Xianfeng (Tongzi) died during 2nd Opium War
Cixi’s 5 year old son put on throne while Cixi ruled
Son died in 1875, Cixi official empress

14. Empress Dowager Cixi
Cixi’s government was corrupt & heavily influenced by court eunuchs

15. Cixi wasted money meant for navy on non-functional marble pleasure boat
Cixi’s government switched loyalties frequently, e.g. the Boxer Rebellion

16. Qing Dynasty – Outside powers
By the end of the Dynasty, outside forces had taken over much of the most important territory in China
Local governors and warlords started to gain power
Acted as administrators – not always just exploitative
Beginning of decentralization

17. Foreign exploitation
After Opium War, other European powers fought with China
“Spheres of Influence”
Foreigners occupied trade zones and ran some areas

18. Rebellions and Civil War
Taiping Rebellion (1850 – 1864)
Boxer Rebellion ( )

19. Hong Quixuan The Taiping Rebellion
Started by Hong Xiuquan, failed Confucian scholar candidate\
Influenced by egalitarianism, Confucianism, and Old Testament-style Christianity

20. Taiping Rebellion 1850-1864 Land-redistribution scheme
Began among marginalized Hakka minority community
Defeated communities forced to join
Women’s status better than Qing

21. Took over Nanjing & made it capital
20-30 million died from war, starvation, disease
Invasion by British & French segued into defeat of Taipings

22. Boxer Rebellion (Way of the Harmonious Fist)
Peasant movement associated with martial arts and anti-foreign spirit
Nunnery attacked for “eating hearts of girl children”
Movement spread to countryside

23. Christians massacred
Christian communities rescued by US marines
Use of modern weaponry stopped uprising

24. US troops involved
China forced to sign the “Boxer Protocol”
Payment to US: $333 Million

25. Return of the Plague
Spread of Bubonic Plague from SW China to rest (and onward to Singapore, India, San Francisco, London)

26. Overpopulation
Not enough land to feed 400 million, much less leave private plots near bones of ancestors

27. Chinese laborers in the United States (and elsewhere) from Gold Rush 1848-49
Majority laborers on Transcontinental Railroad
1860 – largest immigrant group in California

28. Faced discrimination – esp
Faced discrimination – esp. after TR project ended, accused of supressing wages by Unions
Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, not repealed until 1943
Permanent Chinese residents couldn’t go back to China & return: husbands permanently separated from wives, children, etc.

29. Flooding of Huang He (Yellow) River
1855 – Yellow River changed course, killing millions and flooding large parts of Shandong

30. Sino-Japanese War: 1894-1895 New foreign invasion – Japan