The Qing Dynasty became the last dynasty in 3,500 years of imperial rule in China. Under the Qing Dynasty’s Manchu rulers, China again grew prosperous and expanded to its largest size in history. As foreigners, Manchu initially faced resistance from Chinese subjects To win support, Manchu showed respect for Chinese customs, maintained Confucian traditions Resistance Manchu rulers carried over much Ming government structure Continued civil service exam system New Government The Manchu remained separate –Manchu not allowed to marry Chinese –Women forbidden to bind feet –Men had to wear hair in Manchu style. (Queue) Restrictions The Qing Dynasty

Qing China flourished under two outstanding emperors, Kangxi and his grandson Qianlong. Kangxi ruled from 1662 to 1722; reduced taxes for peasants, expanded empire into parts of Central Asia Intellectual, supported arts, entertained Jesuit priests at court Enjoyed learning about European advances in science, other areas Kangxi Ruled from 1736 to 1796, brought Qing dynasty to height Expanded empire to largest size by conquering Taiwan, Mongolia, Tibet Agricultural production continued to rise, population boomed Economy thrived, benefiting from improved transportation, foreign and domestic markets Qianlong Qing China

Setting the Stage Chinese looked down on all foreigners 1793 – Qing Emperor agrees to receive an Ambassador from England  Brings gifts (clocks, globes, musical instruments, and a hot-air balloon) Emperor was not impressed  Not interested in “strange objects” and gadgets from the West

China and the West China was self-sufficient  Healthy agricultural economy (rice, maize, sweet potatoes, and peanuts)  Mining (salt, tin, silver, and iron)  Manufacturing (silk, high-quality cotton, and fine porcelain) Only place westerners were allowed to do business was the southern port of Guangzho) Europeans eventually found a product they would buy…

What are the Chinese willing to buy from Europe? Opium - Narcotic made from the poppy plant Chinese doctors used it to kill pain Late 18 th Century – British begin to smuggle opium into China for non-medical use By 1835 as many as 12 million Chinese were addicted

Opium War Emperor Qing was angry and one of his advisors writes a letter to Queen Victoria The pleas to stop the illegal opium trade are ignored 1839 – Opium War  Battles took place mostly at sea  China’s outdated ships were no match for British steam-powered gunboats 1842 – Treaty of Nanjing  Gave British the island off Hong Kong

Extraterritorial Rights 1844 – additional treaty gives U.S. and other foreign citizens extraterritorial rights  Not subject to Chinese law at Guangzhou and four other ports Chinese resent foreigners and the trade in opium they conducted

Growing Internal Problems Number of Chinese grew from 430 million in 1850, a gain of 30% in 60 years Food production barely increased  Hunger was widespread  Opium addiction increased as people became discouraged

Taiping Rebellion Taiping means great peace Late 1830s – Hong Xiuquan began recruiting followers to help him build a “Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace”  All people would share wealth and no one would live in poverty 1850s – massive peasant army of one million people  Took control of large areas of southeastern China

Taiping Rebellion (continued) 1853 – Hong captures the city of Nanjing and declares it the capital  Hong gives family members and trusted lieutenants in charge of the government of his kingdom  Constantly feuded among themselves Qing and British troops launch attacks 1864 – combination of internal fighting and outside assaults brings down Taiping government  At least 20 million people die during the rebellion