15,697
edits
Changes
no edit summary
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS8iXxtejC4</youtube>
__NOTOC__
[[File:Foreign_armies_in_Beijing_during_Boxer_Rebellion_copy.jpg|thumbnail|300px|left|Foreign Armies in Beijing during Boxer Rebellion]]
The Boxer Uprising (1899-1901) was a key event in the history of China, as it reflected the colonial powers increasing influence in Chinese affairs and the weakness of late 19th century China.<ref>For an overview of this period, see: Preston, Diana, and Diana Preston. 2001. <i>The Boxer Rebellion: The Dramatic Story of China’s War on Foreigners That Shook the World in the Summer of 1900</i>. New York: Berkley Books.</ref> The rebellion consisted of an uprising led by a group known as the Boxers, which culminated culminating in a siege of representatives of the eight colonial powers in Beijing. The rebellion began in the Shandong province of China before leading to Beijing and spreading throughout much of the northern countryside, with many foreigners and converted Chinese Christians attacked. The Boxers were mostly peasants who performed a type of shaman act that has come down through Western interpretation as a sort of boxing, giving rise to the term Boxers. <ref>For a discussion on shamanism and its role in the rebellion see: Esherick, Joseph W. 1987. <i>The Origins of the Boxer Uprising</i>. Berkeley: University of California Press, Pg. 5-7, 39.</ref> While it is often believed the Boxers were not supported by or were against the main Chinese court and government at the time, the fact is once the uprising was underway it was indeed supported by the Qing Dynasty and its army.
The origins of the conflict can be traced to increased foreign presence rebellion began in China, particularly by Great Britain, the United States, Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Austria-Hungary, and eventually Japan. <ref>For an overview of increased foreign presence in the 19th century see: Duara, Prasenjit. 1995. <i>Rescuing History from the Nation: Questioning Narratives Shandong province of Modern China</i>. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, Pg. 60.</ref> Mass conversion of locals before leading to Christianity Beijing and seizure spreading much of property and areas led to increase resentment, while the local population was very poor and the region densely populated. A drought and failed harvest in the great northern plain in Shandong then proved to be the final spark after a period of increased violence against countryside throughout, with many foreigners and converted Chinese Christians attacked. The Boxers were mostly peasants who performed a type of shaman act that then that led has come down through Western interpretation as a sort of boxing, giving rise to the outward expression of anger and mass mobilizationterm Boxers.<ref> For a discussion on shamanism and its role in the rebellion, see: Esherick, Joseph W. 1987. <i>The Origins of the Boxer Uprising</i>. Berkeley: University of California Press, Pg. 3005-7, 39.</ref> Just 14 years before While it is often believed the Boxers were not supported by or were against the main Chinese court and government at the Great Wartime, this event also proved to be one of the last instances that all of fact is once the great powers of uprising was underway, it was indeed supported by the day were unitedQing Dynasty and its army.
A drought and failed harvest in the great northern plain in Shandong then proved to be the final spark after a period of increased violence against foreigners and Chinese Christians that then that led to the outward expression of anger and mass mobilization.<ref> Esherick, Joseph W. 1987. <i>The Origins of the Boxer Uprising</i>. Berkeley: University of California Press, Pg. 300.</ref> Just 14 years before the Great War, this event also proved to be one of the last instances that all of the great powers of the day were united.
==Competition Among Major Powers==Foreign Interests in China====The late 19th century was also a period After the arrival of intense industrialization and competition among Marco Polo in the 13th century, Western powers. Initially it was Germany, France, Britain, and Russia, but soon the United States, that foreigners in China began to play an increasing role in foreign affairs.<ref>or a discussion on 19th century political competition see: Held, David, Anthony McGrew, David Goldblatt, and Jonathan Perraton, eds. 2002. <i>Global Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture</i>. Stanford, Calif: Stanford Univ. Press, Pg. 43.</ref> Throughout much of the late 1800s, a weak Qing Dynasty that technically ruled China characterized the political power in China, but foreigners consistently took possessions within China or did as they please when it came to building or seizing land needed a place for their trade economic opportunity and basesmass conversion to Christianity. While foreign powers competed with each other throughout much of the world in In the 19th century, it was mainly Britain and its powerful navy that began to increase its presence in China held mutual interests as the largely one-way and control of trade was benefiting all in the imperial powers collectivelyregion.<ref>See the discussion For an overview of how trade and drugs in Chapter 3 regarding the great powers particular fueled British interaction and ultimately increased interest in China before the Boxer Rebellionsee: Silbey Lovell, DavidJulia. 20122011. <i>Ya Pian Zhan Zheng = The Boxer Rebellion Opium War: Drugs, Dreams and the Great Game in Making of China</i>. New YorkLondon: Hill and WangPicador.</ref>
One particular commodity of interest was opium, which became a product of increased demand in the West in the early to mid 19th century. Two main wars were fought over access to opium, which China had fought to restrict in trade, with the British, assisted by the French and United States in the second war, successfully defeating the Chinese in both wars. The Second Opium War (1856-1860), as it was called, was the most critical, as it was the key war that led to the opening of China to many countries, traders, and missionaries. The presence became affiliated with allegations. It allowed the British, French, the United States, and Russia bases of operations and great access to China, including in Beijing and key port cities. This began a period of a rapid increase in Western influence in China, which was increasingly seen by many Chinese as largely favoring Western interests and against their own.<ref>See Chow, Gregory C. 2007. <i>Knowing China</i>. New Jersey ;London: World Scientific.</ref>
==Collaboration in the Rebellion==Competition Among Major Powers====[[File: 1200px-Beijing Castle Boxer Rebellion 1900 FINAL.jpg |thumbnail|Foreign Armies attack Beijing Palace during Boxer Rebellion]]Similar to what happened in the Second Opium war, the Boxer Rebellion created The late 19th century was also a situation where a mass uprising forced all period of intense industrialization and competition among the great Western powers with concessions in China to collaborate. Initially, as each one was to limit in resources to tackle the rebellion effectively. One great irony it was by 1900 there was already great tension between the Western powers. Germany, or more specifically Prussia, and France had fought a bitter war in 1870-1871, Germany was seen as the rising rival to Great Britain, the Russo-Japanese War was only 4 years away at this pointand Russia. Still, although Great Britain began to draw more closely with soon the United Statesbegan to play an increasing role in foreign affairs. <ref>For or a discussion on Anglo-US relations in the late 19th -century political competition see: EllisHeld, SylviaDavid, Anthony McGrew, David Goldblatt, and Jonathan Perraton, eds. 20092002. <i>Historical Dictionary Global Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture</i>. Stanford, Calif: Stanford Univ. Press, Pg. 43.</ref> Throughout much of Anglothe late 1800s, a weak Qing Dynasty that technically ruled China characterized the political power in China, but foreigners consistently took possessions within China or did as they pleased when it came to building or seizing land needed for their trade and bases. While foreign powers competed with each other throughout much of the world in the 19th century, China held mutual interests as the largely one-American Relationsway trade was benefiting all the imperial powers collectively. Historical Dictionaries of U<ref>See the discussion in Chapter 3 regarding the great powers in China before the Boxer Rebellion: Silbey, David.S2012. Diplomacy 10<i>The Boxer Rebellion and the Great Game in China</i>. Lanham, MdNew York: Scarecrow PressHill and Wang.</ref>
====Collaboration in the Rebellion====[[File: 1200px-Beijing Castle Boxer Rebellion 1900 FINAL.jpg |left|thumbnail|Foreign Armies attack Beijing Palace during Boxer Rebellion]]Similar to what happened in the Second Opium War, the Boxer Rebellion created a situation where a mass uprising forced all the great powers with concessions in China to collaborate. Each one was to limit resources to tackle the rebellion effectively. One great irony was by 1900. There was already great tension between the Western powers. Germany, or more specifically Prussia, and France had fought a bitter war in 1870-1871; Germany was seen as the rising rival to Great Britain, the Russo-Japanese War was only 4 years away at this point, although Great Britain began to draw more closely with the United Chinese Against States. <ref>For a discussion on Anglo-US relations in the Imperial Powers==late 19th century see: Ellis, Sylvia. 2009. <i>Historical Dictionary of Anglo-American Relations. Historical Dictionaries of U.S. Diplomacy 10</i>. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press.</ref>
====Conclusion====We can conclude that in many ways , the Boxer Rebellion was seen as a Western victory that allowed the great powers to continue their trade and political policies in China; however, as is often the case, the events had more of an impact on local populations. Resentment to the West continued for decades and may have ultimately pushed a large number of many peasants and some urban intellectuals to take up the Communist cause in the Chinese Civil War.<div class="portal">====Related DailyHistory.org Articles====*[[What Was the Fate of Women During the Bangladesh Liberation War?]]*[[How did the Silk Road develop?]]*[[Practical Pursuits by Ellen Gardner Nakamura]]*[[How did Mussolini become Prime Minister of Italy?]]*[[What Were the Beliefs of the Samurai?]]*[[Why was France defeated in 1940?]]</div>
====References====
<references/>
[[Category:Wikis]]
[[Category:Chinese History]] [[Category:19th Century History]] [[Category:Imperialism]] [[Category:European History]] [[Category:Asian History]]
{{Contributors}}