1. The Decline of China

2. The Mongols Nomadic horsemen living on the steppes of Central Asia
In the 1200s, the Mongols were united under Genghis Khan-Ruler of all between the oceans
Conquered a great empire including Russia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and China
The Mongols were brutal as conquerors, but peaceful as rulers

3. The Yuan Dynasty
Genghis Khan’s grandson, Kublai Khan, defeated the last Song emperor and established the Yuan Dynasty
Military leaders and high government officials were mostly Mongols
After Kublai Khan’s death, heavy taxes, corruption, and natural disasters angered the people
The Mongols were overthrown and replaced by the Ming Dynasty

4. The Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty saw great cultural achievements and economic growth
Admiral Zheng He built huge fleets to explore the world
Eventually, the Ming emperors recalled the fleet and isolated China
They resumed building the extremely expensive and costly Great Wall, angering the people
The Ming were overthrown by the Qing, the last dynasty of China

5. Trade with the British
By the late 1700s, China was in decline, and the Industrial Revolution caused Europeans to look for new markets for their goods
The British began trading opium grown in India and Afghanistan for Chinese tea
Soon, millions of Chinese were addicted and the country was broke

6. Opium Wars
China outlawed opium and executed drug dealers, leading to war with the British
The British easily defeated the Chinese, and forced them to pay for the losses of the war, give them Hong Kong, and open more ports to British trade
Soon, France, Russia, and the United States also forced their way into China

7. Taiping Rebellion
By the 1800s, the Qing Dynasty was in major decline-they failed to govern the country, while imposing heavy taxes to support their lavish lifestyles
A peasant revolt known as the Taiping Rebellion occurred
It lasted 14 years, and killed between million Chinese
The Qing Dynasty survived, but was weakened, and Westerners continued to make inroads

8. Changes?
As Westerners continued to arrive in China, the Chinese argued about whether to adopt their ways
Traditional Chinese rejected industrialization and trade, because they said Chinese wealth came from the land
They also hated the Christian missionaries who arrived in China, since they threatened the Confucian order
Any attempts to modernize were small and slow

9. Further Decline
In 1894, China and a modernized Japan went to war, with Japan easily defeating China
European countries carved up “Spheres of Influence” in China
Europeans and Americans agreed on an “Open Door Policy” in China-giving them all the right to trade in Chinese lands
These Westerners were now basically governing China

10. Boxer Uprising
In 1899, a Chinese group called the Righteous Harmonious Fists rebelled against the Westerners
Westerners called them Boxers, and were able to defeat them
After the rebellion, even conservative Chinese supported modernization
Eventually, the last Qing emperor was thrown out, and China became a republic