15.4- China and the West

China China is isolated because of its geography: Himalayan Mountains Gobi Desert Coastlines The Ancient Chinese were exposed to other cultures through trade on the Silk Road and the voyages of Zheng He. China was ______________________- believed they were superior to all other cultures

Chinese Isolation Ming China- had no interest in Europe Only allowed European traders to trade in South China under supervision of imperial officials Qing China- The Macartney Embassy 1793- British Lord George Macartney was charged by King George III to go to China and negotiate with the emperor to open more trade ports for the British Macartney refused to perform the traditional kowtow, and further insulted the Chinese by speaking of the natural superiority of the English

Trade with China Trade Surplus- export more than you import In the 1700s China had strict trading limits The Chinese traded silk, tea and porcelain for gold and silver—they did not want European made goods This led to a favorable balance of trade for the Chinese, who had a trade surplus, while the Europeans had a trade deficit Then 2 things happened that changed China’s relationship with the West China enters a period of decline Industrial Revolution creates a need for more markets and gives Europeans superior military power Trade Surplus- export more than you import Trade Deficit- import more than you export

Opium In the late 1700s, the British discovered they could sell Indian grown Opium to the Chinese in exchange for tea and money, leading to huge profits. Opium is made from the poppy plant. It is HIGHLY addictive, and soon many Chinese had become addicted to the drug. The British had a strict ban on opium in England, but continued to export it to China. Right or wrong?

Why were the British able to defeat the Chinese so easily? The Opium Wars The Chinese government soon outlawed opium- executed Chinese drug dealers and called on Britain to stop the trade (they refused) In 1839 Chinese warships fired on British merchant ships carrying opium, triggering the Opium Wars However, the British had the latest military weaponry, and easily defeated the Chinese Why were the British able to defeat the Chinese so easily? Industrialization

Treaty of Nanjing The British forced the Chinese to sign the Treaty of Nanjing in 1842—this was the first in a series of “unequal treaties” that had China give up rights to Western Powers According to the treaty, China had to: Pay the British indemnity- money for losses Give Britain Hong Kong Open 5 ports to foreign trade Give British citizens extraterritoriality Favored Nation Clause- if China gave any rights to another nation, the British would automatically gain those same rights. Extraterritoriality- the right for foreign people living abroad to live under their own laws and be tried in their own courts

Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864) By the early 1800s, the Chinese government was riddled with corruption— gov’t officials abused their power, the rich avoided paying taxes, and the peasants were left to shoulder the economic burden The most significant peasant revolt was the Taiping Rebellion, led by Hong Xiuquan Xiuquan called for radical changes: public ownership of land and property, equality of men and women, strict morality, and the end of the Qing Dynasty

Taiping Rebellion At the start of the rebellion, some Europeans sympathized with the peasants, but they quickly realized that if the Qing Dynasty fell they could lose their trading rights It took the Chinese government 15 years and tons of money to suppress the rebellion. Over 20 million Chinese were killed in the fighting.

Chinese Spheres of Influence After the Taiping Rebellion, the Qing Dynasty is considerably weakened. Western powers take advantage of this and begin carving out spheres of influence. What is a sphere of influence? An area in which an outside power has exclusive trading privileges

What does this cartoon say about Western imperialism in China What does this cartoon say about Western imperialism in China? What does it remind you of?

Sovereignty- people pick their government and rulers Open Door Policy (1899) The United States did not join in the race for Spheres of Influence in China. Instead, the US simply announced the Open Door Policy, calling for equal trading rights regardless of Spheres of Influence. While this did stop further expansion of European power in China, it did little to restore Chinese sovereignty Sovereignty- people pick their government and rulers

Boxer Uprising (Rebellion) By the start of the 20th century, the Chinese were fed up with foreigners who were “polluting the land” with their alien ways. In 1899, groups of Chinese peasants formed a secret society whose goal was to drive the “foreign devils” out of China. Westerners who watched them trained dubbed them Boxers. The Boxers attacked and killed foreigners and Christian converts across China from 1899-1900. In response, Western powers and Japan united and crushed the uprising.

Consequences The Qing Dynasty was extremely weakened by the Boxer Uprising Boxers and Chinese government officials involved in the uprising were severely punished, and China had to pay more than $330 million in reparations China also had to allow soldiers from foreign nations into its borders, and could not import weapons for 2 years However, this did little to stop feelings of Chinese nationalism from spreading

Review The Sepoy Mutiny in India, the Boxer Rebellion in China, and the Islamic Revolution in Iran were similar in that they restored power to the hereditary monarchies attempted to reject the traditional cultures in these countries resisted foreign influence in these countries reestablished the power of religious leaders

Review During the 19th century, Europeans were able to divide China in Spheres of Influence mainly because the Chinese were eager to adopt western culture Europeans had technologically superior military forces Europeans were willing to adopt Chinese customs Chinese lacked raw materials and resources

Review The Boxer Rebellion of the early 20th century was an attempt to eliminate poverty among the Chinese peasants bring western-style democracy to China restore trade between China and European nations remove foreign influences from China

Review During the 1840’s, China signed “unequal treaties” with Western nations mainly because China had won the Opium War Western nations had superior military technology leaders in China favored expansion China had requested economic assistance from the West

Review During the 18th and 19th centuries, increased contact between European and the continents of Africa, Asia, and South America resulted in closer cultural cooperation between Europe and these continents a return to the political and economic systems of feudal Europe preservation of the rights of the indigenous peoples the exploitation of the labor and resources of these continents