Transcript Imperialism in China - Garnet Valley School

Imperialism in China
China’s
“Century of Humiliation”
Key Terms

Opium

Spheres of Influence

Opium Wars
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Open Door Policy
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Treaty of Nanjing
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Taiping Rebellion
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Unequal Treaties
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Boxer Rebellion
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Extraterritoriality
Powerful China
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1514 – Portuguese arrived in East Asia to trade
(Ming Dynasty)
 Chinese


thought Europeans = Barbarians
Review – Chinese people called their country the “Middle
Kingdom”. Why?
Ming and early-Qing Rulers placed very strict rules
on foreign traders
 Restricted
 Some
port access
merchants specialized in dealing with
Europeans
Power Shift

Aging-Qing Dynasty was weaker
 High
taxes were unpopular with the Chinese
people
 Growing population did not have enough food


Losing the “Mandate of Heaven”?
Europeans were more powerful than the
Chinese… Why?
 Europeans
gained power through the Industrial
Revolution

Europeans took advantage of weakened
Chinese rulers
Opium War 1839-1842
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British traders brought opium to China
 Chinese
became addicted
 Qing Emperors tried to stop the drug trade;
Europeans ignored them

Qing Dynasty tried to ban Opium
 WAR!!!...
Chinese
British military invaded and defeated the
Treaty of Nanjing

Chinese government forced to sign The Treaty of
Nanjing after defeat in the Opium War
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Results:
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British took control of Hong Kong
British allowed to control ports throughout China
Other European Countries followed Britain’s lead and
forced the Qing rulers to sign “unequal treaties”

Unequal Treaties – China was forced to give up some control of
their own country to foreign imperialist powers.
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Extraterritoriality – foreigners in China were not subject to
China’s laws. (A condition of the Unequal Treaties).
“Spheres of Influence”

Spheres of Influence - Areas where imperial
powers (Europeans, Japan) had exclusive trading
rights throughout China
 Each
imperialist country claimed an area

Economic control leads to political control

USA was against this trend; they supported an
Open Door Policy
Door Policy – Anyone can trade with China.
Rejected the concept of “Spheres of Influence”
 Open
Spheres of Influence
Taiping Rebellion (1850s)

Chinese people were upset and
embarrassed by the Qing Dynasty &
Treaty of Nanjing
 The
people blamed the Qing Dynasty for
giving up power to imperialist countries
 Wanted
the imperialist powers out!
– Chinese people vs. Qing
Dynasty
 Revolt!

Review – How is this like the Independence
movements in Africa? How is it different?
Taiping Rebellion (1850s)
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Outcomes:
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Qing Dynasty asked the Imperialist Powers to help fight
against the people (BAD MOVE!)
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People lost. Imperialist Powers gained even more power.

20,000,000 people killed in 14 years
Chinese
Rebels
Qing Dynasty
European
Powers
Boxer Rebellion 1900
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Hostility directed at all foreigners (AGAIN!)
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Boxers – (AKA “Society of Harmonious Fists”)



Chinese Rebels
Goal was to expel all foreigners
This time, the Qing Dynasty supported the Chinese
rebels
Boxers
Qing Dynasty
European
Powers
Japanese
Boxer Rebellion (1900)

Outcomes:
 20,000
troops from Britain, France,
Germany, Russia, and Japan
defeated the Boxers
 These
nations ended up with more
influence
 Qing
Dynasty lost nearly all power.
They would never recover. 4,000
years of dynastic rule would soon
come to an end…
Review

Imperialist powers from Europe and Japan showed up
in China, and started imposing their will. The Chinese
despised their presence. However, the Qing Dynasty
was too weak to keep the imperialists out of China.
The Opium Wars, Treaty of Nanjing, Taiping
Rebellion, and the Boxer Rebellion all resulted in the
Qing Dynasty losing control of China to Imperialist
Powers. This time period would become known as
China’s “Century of Humiliation”.
Reflection

When did the Qing Dynasty side with the Chinese
people? When did they side with the Imperialist
Powers?
 Opium Wars
 Taiping Rebellion
 Boxer Rebellion
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In your opinion, how should the Qing Dynasty
have reacted to foreign involvement?
does the idiom “stuck between a rock and a
hard place” mean? How does it relate to the Qing
Dynasty during the 19th century?
 What