1. Imperialism in Asia: China Edition

2. Europeans in China
Europeans had a much more difficult time with imperialism in China than in India
By the 1700’s, China was already 4500 years old, with a rich history, a strong emperor, and a strong military
They had invented gunpowder, paper, the compass, silk, porcelain and tea

3. Agriculture Was Also Key
Unlike other parts of Asia that benefitted from European farming techniques- China was already self-sufficient in agriculture, growing enough to feed its people

4. China Had Every Advantage
For years, China only allowed Europeans to trade at one port, Guangzhou
In addition, China made the most money from trade, as Europeans wanted Chinese tea, but had nothing that the Chinese wanted

5. In Order To Control China’s Market
England was determined to find a product that China wanted
It took them a while, but eventually they found one: Opium
Opium is an addictive narcotic, used as a pain-reliever at the time

6. What England Did Took Decades
They grew poppy plants in India
From the poppies, they produced opium
They smuggled opium into China, until as many as million had an addiction to the drug
So England now had a crop that the Chinese wanted, because they were addicted to it

7. The Opium Wars
Lin Zexu, the Emperor of China, became so mad at England that he declared war in 1839
But China’s military technology was behind that of Industrial Europe (especially Britain’s Navy), and China lost
England gained Hong Kong, which they held until 1999

8. After the Opium Wars
Europeans increasingly forced their way into Chinese trading ports
The French, Dutch, and even the Germans and Americans would eventually come along
The areas of trade that each of these countries controlled are called “spheres of influence”

9. Growing Nationalism In China
We see a number of movements to get rid of foreign influence
The first of these is the Taiping Rebellion
Taiping is a Chinese word meaning “great peace”

10. What happened?
In the 1850’s, a young man named Hong Xiuquan began recruiting followers to create a rival government, claiming the emperor had failed China by allowing the British and others inside China
His followers took massive amounts of Chinese territory, and captured the city of Nanjing
The Chinese government got so worried about the Taiping Rebellion that it allied with British and French in order to put down the rebellion
By 1864, the Taiping Rebellion was over, but over MILLION Chinese died in the fighting

11. After the Taiping Rebellion
The Emperor was in trouble, because he had help from outside forces
England, France, and other nations began to demand more trade territory, and the Emperor felt compelled to comply

12. Chinese Nationalism
Poor Chinese peasants and workers resented the power given to foreigners
Eventually, that resentment bubbled up into the Boxer Rebellion

13. The Boxer Rebellion
Was the nickname given to the group that started it, a secret society known as the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists
In the Spring of 1900, about 20,000 of its members lay siege to the capital city of Beijing
Lasted several months but was ultimately doomed
The Harmonious Fists believed that strong devotion to Chinese gods would make them impervious to European weapons
They were wrong, and a multi-national forces wiped them out

14. However…
There was perhaps one positive note, and that is the Chinese government began to recognize that its own people were unhappy
They tried reform over the next four decades, with mixed results