China Resists Outside Influence
IBF * Mr. McEntarfer * Global III
Main Idea
• Western economic pressure forced
China to open to foreign trade and
influence.
Isolationism
• China traditionally rejected outside influences and
kept foreign ideas, technology and influences out.
This was the purpose of China’s Great Wall.
• The famous Chinese explorer Admiral Zheng He was
called back by the Chinese government because he
brought back foreign influences such as Islam, which
he had converted to while trading in Africa.
• Discussion: How did the policy of isolationism hurt
China and make vulnerable to western imperialists
Self Sufficiency
• The Chinese were able to isolate themselves
because they were self sufficient and did not
need foreign products.
• The British found that the only thing they could
trade in China was the drug opium
Opium Addiction
• Opium is a narcotic and is more
commonly used in the form of
heroin or codeine. It is highly
addictive and users often find
themselves unable to go
without it.
Opium War
• The Chinese Emperor’s advisors were so angry about the sale
of opium in China they wrote the following memo to Queen
Victoria:
• “By what right do they [British merchants]…use the
poisonous drug to injure the Chinese people?...I have heard
that the smoking of opium is very strictly forbidden by your
country; that is because the harm caused by opium is clearly
understood. Since it is not permitted to do harm to your
country, then even less should you let it be passed on to the
harm of other countries”
Lin Zexu
Question: What reasoning do the Chinese advisor use in ending
England’s sale of opium in China?
Opium War
• China attempted to force Britain to stop selling
opium in their country. The conflict resulted in
several sea battles in which the Chinese were
soundly defeated.
Picture Analysis: Judging from the following
picture why did the Chinese lose the Opium
War’s with Britain?
Treaty of Nanjing
(806)
• What were the terms of the Treaty of Nanjing?
Population Explosion
•
The number of Chinese grew to 430 million
by 1850. A 30% increase in 60 years causing
many internal problems.
Questions:
1. What problems would result from this rapid
population increase? (806)
2. What is the fundamental cause of Political
Revolution? How might internal issues in
China promote Revolution?
Taiping Rebellion (807)
• Cause
• Effect
Foreign Influence Grows
• What advantages did
western countries gain in
having a sphere of
influence in China?
• Why was the U.S.
concerned about the
growing European
influence in China?
• How did “sphere of
influence” differ from the
“Open Door Policy”?
The Boxer Rebellion
• What act by the
Dowager Empress
helped cause the
Boxer Rebellion?
• On which group did
the Boxers focus
their attention?
Writing Activity
• Write a dialogue between two of
Dowager Empress Cixi’s advisers – one
arguing for continued isolation, the other
for openness to foreign influence and
trade.