China & European
Imperialism
World History - Libertyville HS
The Manchu Dynasty (1644-1912)
• Founding the Dynasty
– Manchu were settled
nomads, the Jurchen, from
Manchuria
– Rebelled against Ming &
destroyed dynasty
– Claimed Mandate of
Heaven (Ming lost –
rebellions, famine)
– AKA Qing Dynasty
Manchu Dynasty
• Ethnic tension in Manchu
Dynasty
– Manchu were ethnically
Jurchen
– Most of China were ethnic
Han
– This meant a minority group
ruled China
• Extent of Empire
– At height, 13 million sq
miles
– Expanded into Tibet,
Russia, Taiwan
Extent of Manchu Dynasty
19th C: Foreign Pressure
• Problems facing Manchu
– Economic stagnation (agr
based economy)
– Population explosion
(famines)
– Antique gov’t system not
strong
– Isolation from rest of
world, esp. Europe
Britain, Germans, Russians, French
& Japanese divide China
Contact w/ European Nations
• 1793: Brits attempted
alliance w/ Manchu
(refused)
• After 1815, world trade,
dominated by Europeans,
expanded quickly
Caricature: “The Reception”
– Massive Chinese markets
drew Europeans
– Chinese trade goods (silk,
tea, ceramics)
Chinese Trade w/ Europe
• Chinese demanded
silver bars in payment
(no mfgr’d goods)
• Brits, French didn’t
want to give up
limited specie
• Brits, French sold
opium into China
(addictive) for
Chinese silver
First Opium War (1838-1842)
• Manchu gov’t outlawed
opium in China
• British gov’t declared
war
– Royal navy destroyed
outdated Chinese wooden
navy
– British army, w/ rifles,
artillery, crushed Chinese
First Opium War
• Treaty of Nanking
– Demanded reparations
(payments) for Brit
losses
– Unrestricted access to
Chinese markets for
European countries
– Annexed Hong Kong
as British city
Second Opium War (1856-1860)
• Brits tried to re-negotiate
Treaty of Nanking
– Allow Brit trade access to
Chinese rivers
– Est. permanent Brit
embassy in Peking
(capital)
– Chinese refused to sign =
war
• Chinese crushed, again
Second Opium War
• Treaty of Tianjin
– All official Chinese docs to
be written in English
– Brit warships given
unlimited access to
Chinese rivers
– Christian missionaries
allowed
– Other foreign embassies
allowed
– Opium importation
legalized
The Empress Dowager
• Tsu His started as
peasant concubine of
Emperor (1850-1861)
– Very intelligent, clever,
manipulative
– Outwitted 8 regents to
become regent to her son
– After son died (1874) she – Known as “Empress Dowager”
continued to rule in
or the “Dragon Lady
nephew’s name, until her – Focused her reign on keeping
death in 1908
China whole in face of foreign
aggression
Boxer Rebellion (1900)
• Righteous Harmony
Society (“Boxers”)
– Native Chinese focused
on throwing “foreign
devils” out of China
– “Devils” included Catholic,
Protestant missionaries &
their Chinese converts
– Empress Dowager
attempted to remotely
control the Boxers
Boxer Rebellion
• German ambassador
murdered by Boxers
in Beijing
– European delegations
besieged in Beijing
embassies by Boxers,
Chinese troops, for 55
days
– European nations, US
allied vs Chinese to
save their citizens
Boxer Rebellion
• Eight nations,
European and
America, conquered
Beijing
– Dowager Empress fled
city
– Treaty ending fighting
was harsh
• Reparations
• Permanent European,
US presence in China
End of Manchu
• After death of Empress
Dowager, baby emperor
took over
• Regent council
established
– Rebellions broke out;
regions est. indep. Gov’ts
– 1912: Child Emperor
forced to abdicate
• Ended 2000 years of
Chinese emperors, as
local warlords ruled