Imperialism and Local Society: The Boxer Uprising
In this seminar we will explore the origins and impact of the Boxer Uprising, a
seemingly spontaneous movement involving farmers and folk beliefs which quickly
escalated in scale and violence. At its peak, the uprising involved tens of thousands
of young men and women described as ‘Boxers’ by the foreign press, who descended
on Beijing to attack the foreign embassy district with a combination of martial arts
prowess and a shamanistic belief in invulnerability. Beijing was eventually occupied
by a coalition army of Western powers who defeated the farmers. The ruling Qing
dynasty was forced to sign treaties with the Western coalition granting them greater
rights in China and forcing the Qing to pay a massive indemnity.
Main Questions:
Background:
--Leading up to the Boxer Uprising, what were some of the main political, economic,
and social challenges China faced?
--Who were the Boxers? What were their beliefs?
--What were they trying to achieve?
Discussion:
Which of these factors best explains why the Boxer uprising took place: imperialism,
ecological conditions (droughts and floods) or religion?
Thinking ahead to themes next week:
--Was nationalism a motivating factor in the Boxer movement?
--What were the consequences of the Boxers: both in immediate terms, but also—
think about the legacies of the power of the masses…
Core Readings:
Joseph W. Esherick, The Origins of the Boxer Uprising (Chapter 3)
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=acls;;idno=heb00382
Paul Cohen, History in three keys [electronic resource]: the Boxers as event,
experience, and myth. (Chapter 2 ‘Drought and the Foreign Presence’, Chapter 3
‘Mass Spirit Possession’)
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=acls;;idno=heb00361