1. What was the Opium war, and why was it fought?

2. What were the Taiping and Boxer Rebellions?

3. Who was Sun Yixian, and what did he want?

However, rulers of the Qing dynasty refused to westernize, or adopt western ways.

For years the Chinese traded silk, porcelain, and tea to European merchants for silver and gold.

Early Trade

Early Trade

The Chinese had a favorable balance of trade, while Europeans had a trade deficit with China.Balance of Trade – difference between how much a country imports (buys) and exports (sells).

Trade Deficit –when a nation imports more than it exports.

By the 1800s, Europeans wanted to increase their trade with China because they needed raw materials to fuel their industries.The Chinese refusedto increase trade with the West, believing they had nothing to gain.

Early Trade

In the 1800s the British East India Company began growing opium, and sold it to the Chinese.

Opium Trade

ChineseOpium Addict

Many Chinese became addicted to the drug. Silver flowed out of China in payment for the opium, which disrupted the Chinese economy.

The Chinese government outlawedopium, destroyed all it could find, and executed the Chinese drug dealers. Nevertheless, British merchants continued to export the drug from India into China.

Opium Trade

ChineseOpium Den

ChineseOpium Den

ChineseOpium Den

In 1839 British and Chinese warships clashed in the Opium War. The British won easily because of their modern navy.

Opium Trade

Chinese Soldiers

Chinese Fort

British Victory

The Treaty of Nanking

Signing the Treaty

After the war, Britain made China accept the Treaty of Nanking, which gave Hong Kong to Britain, opened five ports to foreign trade, and made China pay for war losses. China was also forced to accept extraterritoriality, which allowed foreigners to live under their own laws while in China.Other western powers also forced China to sign unequal, or one-sided, treaties.

British attacksPorts opened after the Treaty of Nanking

The Treaty of Nanking

The western powers carved out spheres of influence in China, which were areas where they claimed exclusive trade privileges.Russia and Japan took parts of China as well.

Taiping Rebellion

Imperialism increased poverty, corruption, drugs, and chaos throughout China. From 1850 - 1864, poor, angry Chinese peasants revolted against the weak and corrupt Qing dynasty in what became known as the Taiping Rebellion.

The rebellion of “Heavenly Peace”lasted 14 years and cost 40 million lives.

The leader of the rebellion, HongXiuquan, was inspired by visions, and believed he was a prophet. Hong was influenced by Christian missionaries.

Taiping Rebellion

Hong Xiuquan

Although Hong lost and committed suicide, the Qing dynasty was severely weakened.

Boxer Uprising

The Europeans called them Boxers because they were skilled in the martial arts.

By 1900, strong anti-foreign feelings grew among the Chinese. Frustrated Chinese formed a secret society called the “Righteous and Harmonious Fists.”

The goal of the Boxers was to remove all the foreigners and end their influence upon Chinese religion, architecture, customs, and technology, as well as unfair trade.

In 1900 the Boxers made their move and attacked foreign communities across China, killing many westerners.

Boxer Uprising

With the Boxers defeated, many Chinese realized the need for westernization and reform.

In response, the western powers and Japan sent troops to China and crushed the uprising.

Sun Yixian

Sun Yixian

After the Boxer Uprising was suppressed, nationalismgrew in China. Reformers wanted individual rights, an end to the Qing dynasty, and a strong, respected China.Sun Yixian, the leader of the reformers, was educated in the west. Sun had “Three Principles of the People”which he used to rally the Chinese.

Sun Yixian

Sun Yixian

1. Nationalism: China must be free of foreign rule.2. Democracy: China must no longer have a ruling dynasty, and everyone must be equal.3. Livelihood: There must be economic security for all Chinese.

Sun’s Three Principles were:

In 1911, workers, peasants, students, and warlords toppled the 2,000-year-old monarchy, and Sun Yixian was named the president of the new Chinese Republic.

For the next 37 years China would be filled with war, and the Republic was finally overtaken by Mao Zedong and the Communists in 1949.