1. China in Crisis

2. China’s Population Explosion
In many ways, China was the victim of its own success
Amazing population growth
100 million people in 1685
430 million people in 1853.

3. Unlike Europe . . . China had no Industrial Revolution
China’s could not produce enough food to feed all those people
Chinese territorial expansion did not generate great wealth

4. by the early 19th century China experienced
Growing pressure on the land
Smaller farms for China’s huge peasant population
Unemployment and impoverishment
Misery and starvation.

5. The Chinse Government
China’s centralized and bureaucratic state was too small  
The state could not perform basic functions
Tax collection
Flood control
Social welfare
Public security.
Provincial officials held the real power
They were corrupt
They treated peasants very harshly

6. Europeans penetrate China
During the first half of the 19th century
Europeans penetrated China.
Established a military & economic presence
This disrupted internal trade routes
This created substantial unemployment
This led to higher taxes on the peasants

7. The Taiping Uprising The Taiping Uprising 1850 - 1864
A peasant uprising
Rejected Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism
A unique form of Christianity

8. Hong Xiuquan The leader of the uprising
Proclaimed himself the younger brother of Jesus
Sent to cleanse the world of demons
To establish a “heavenly kingdom of great peace.”

9. Leaders wanted revolutionary change in china
The abolition of private property
Radical redistribution of land
The end of prostitution and opium smoking
A reorganized society
Sexually segregated military camps
Men and women.
Denounced the Qing dynasty as foreigners

10. The Taiping uprising In 1853, the Taiping rebellion begins
Establish a capital in Nanjing
Taiping leadership was divided
Could NOT unite all of China’s rebel groups
1864, provincial military defeats Taiping forces
Helped by pro-Qing western military forces

11. Qing dynasty severely weakened
Provincial gentry consolidate power Civil war weakens China’s economy 20 to 30 million people dead China takes a decade to recover

12. Pressure from the West
Middle of the 19th century External pressures from the industrializing West China’s becoming subordinate to Europe As evidenced by the famous Opium Wars

13. Opium
Introduced to China by Arab traders Long been used as a drinkable medicine Regarded as a magical cure for dysentery

14. Opium becomes a problem in China
Late 18th century
England used opium to cover trade imbalance
Western merchants made great profits
Opium is a highly addictive drug
: Chinese opium imports explode

15. Chinese authorities recognize the problems
It led to corruption
Opium importation was illegal
Corrupt officials were bribed to let in into the country
It created a serious trade imbalance
Silver poured out of China
Causing more economic problems
Millions of Chinse men and women addicted
court officials
students
soldiers
common laborers

16. Lin Zexu In 1836 Lin Zexu led the campaign against opium
Chinese seize 20,000 chests of British opium
Britain outraged by this seizure of property

17. The first Opium War,
British sent a naval expedition to China To force the Chinse to accept opium The Treaty of Nanjing (1842) Restrictions on Chinese sovereignty Open five ports to European traders Hong Kong to the British First of the “unequal treaties” Eroded China’s independence

18. The second Opium War,
French and British vs. Chinese Treaty resulted in further humiliations. More ports were opened to foreign traders Foreigners allowed to travel freely & buy land in China, Foreigners allowed to preach Christianity Foreigners allowed to patrol some of China’s rivers.

19. Spheres of Influence By 1900 foreign nations had divided China
Western nations plus Russia and Japan
Carved out spheres of influence within China
Granting themselves special privileges to
Establish military bases
Extract raw materials
Build railroads.
China part of Europe’s informal empire
The Qing dynasty remained in power, but very weak

20. Spheres of influence

21. The Self-Strengthening Movement c. 1861 – 1895
A period of institutional reforms Qing Dynasty Mixing Eastern and Western ideas Overhauled their examination system Restoring rural economy Textile and steel factories Telegraph system Expanded coal production Modernized arsenals and shipyards “Self-strengthening” proved to be inadequate

22. The boxer rebellion,
An anti-foreign movement Throws northern China into chaos The Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists The “Boxers” Boxers killed Europeans and Chinese Christians Boxers laid siege to the foreign embassies in Beijing

23. Western retaliation
Western powers and Japan crushed the rebellion They occupied Beijing Imposed a huge payment on China as a punishment China clearly dependent country China substantially under foreign control

24. The End of the Qing Dynasty
Growing disillusionment with the Qing dynasty
It was foreign – Manchu
It could not protect China.
Reformers want to westernize Chinese politics
Want to limit authority of the ruler
Want to greater political participation among the public
They continued to pressure the government for reforms
In 1912 the last Chinese emperor abdicated – Pu Yi
With only a modest nudge from organized revolutionaries