Modern China: The Qing Dynasty and the Rise of Western Influence - Prof. Larissa Kennedy, Study notes of Asian literature

Download Modern China: The Qing Dynasty and the Rise of Western Influence - Prof. Larissa Kennedy and more Study notes Asian literature in PDF only on Docsity! History of East Asia Modern China Manchu – Group that led China with Confucian style government called the Qing. Foreign tribe, borrowed Mongol military ideas, and Confucian government from Chinese. 90% government posts held by Chinese 10% by their own people. (More appealing to China) Tried to avoid signification. Qing – Dynasty declared by the Manchu. It lasted 250 years. Used Chinese ideas and people, resulted with a stable long-lasting dynasty. (1368 – 1644 Ming & Qing/Stable Monarchy) The 2nd and 4th emperor were most powerful. Chinese faced with modernship; fell because of lack of strong leadership. Prosperity Population growth; China at peace; stable government; increased food supply Problems  Empire started to decline, lack of power; Rebellion on the rise, turned to tribute system Rites Controversy – (1740’s) A conflict between rival catholic orders. (Jesuits v. Franciscans & Dominicans) “ Is Ancestor Worship Idolatry?” Jesuits: They believed in ancestor worship. Worked with the most educated. Approached ancestor worship in a secular way. They respected Confucianism, allowed them to maintain contact with government. “Can’t force our converts to give up their culture.” They were respected by the emperor. Franciscans & Dominicans: They worked with the poor who approached ancestor worship in a more superstitious matter. *Issue taken to the Pope who sided with the Franciscans & Dominicans. (Significance – Ended the Missionary period) Canton Trade System – Trade and foreign policy are separated. Merchants (Can only stay in Canton for 6 months) This led to the Opium War. It was meant to separate Trade & Government. {Opium War: British were frustrated that they were subject to Chinese law in the Canton trade system. War ended with the Unequal Treaties} Opium War – (1839 -1842) British selling Opium to the Chinese. British wanted fair and open trade with China. They wanted to end the Canton Trade System. Started: Chinese commissioner Lin publically destroyed British opium. Represented a loss of $. Then British men kill a Chinese man. England does not want to turn him over to Chinese, want to punish him under British law. England pulls out of Canton Trade System. Americans handle British trade. (British surpassed Chinese military; demonstrate superiority  Qing surrender in 1842 because the Qing thought their hold on China would be weakened. Unequal Treaties - Ended the Opium War. 1st : Treaty of Nanjing: Canton trade system abolished. Fair and regular tariff was set. Hong Kong ceded to the British. Five ports opened to trade. Estraterritoriality – British citizens under British law. China had to pay for the War and the destroyed Opium. 2nd Treaty: Similar treaty but with France and Germany. (Chinese intellectuals feel deep humiliation 1840’s – 1900’s) Taiping Rebellion – (1853 -1864) 20 Million Deaths; Religious cults causes… General Condition of Chinese life in decline. (Population increase, quality of government decrease, decline in public works projects.) *Rebellion most widespread in the South – because of influence by the west, it was the last area to be conquered by the Qing. Hong Xiuuguan – He was a scholar who failed his exams four times. He was influenced by protestant missionaries. He had an incomplete view of Christianity. In 1837 after failing for the third time he had a vision that he was with God and Jesus who gave him a mission: Save Mankind, Overthrow the Manchu. He destroyed Confucian temples& idols; Buddhist temples & idols etc. He lost his job and began to preach. He started an armed revolt in the 1850’s. In 1851 Claimed Dynastic Revolt against the Qing. New Dynasty – “Taiping” means heaven – Significant to Chinese. Tried to expand their Kingdom North to Beijing but they were spread too thin to maintain control. No scholar officials were available to govern. *People were required to live by Hong’s teaching (Confucianism and Protestant Christianity.) He borrowed from the Old Testament; was against slavery, adultery, witchcraft, gambling, alcohol, opium, tobacco. Women were seen as equal. Hong thought himself to be God’s second son. He was emperor because this gave him the mandate of heaven. His Economic plan was to redistribute land to give everyone an opportunity. He was a proto-communist. Equalize men and women. Chinese influence on government staffing. He set up an exam system given in the vernacular. It covered the Bible, religious pamphlets, and the Taiping writings. The standards were lower thus the quality of the bureaucrats decreased, which ultimately led to their decline. The Decline of the Taiping: Fanaticism (They only accepted true believers) When they attacked Manchu (appealing) they also attacked Confucianism (Not appealing). They failed to recognize Shang Hai as a potential source of foreign aid. They insisted on using the tribute system. Their government had a lot of corruption. (Unequal treatment, competition, new “visions” . *They were not viewed as a Dynasty. They never overthrew the Manchu. new youth magazine. Intellectuals and protestors had a voice. More people were literate, thus more receptive. 3,000 students gather at Tiananmen square. (Peaceful protest) A few protestors attack a Chinese official who was seen to favor Japanese. Government forced to respond. They responded by cracking down on protestors and ordered for the arrest of the leaders of the protest. (Problem: Popular protest) Government arrested over 1100 students. They didn’t have the jail space so they turned the university dorms at Beijing University into a jail which sparked a new protest on behalf of the students. “Right to have opinions heard.” Sparked a boycott of Japanese goods. Workers and students staged strikes that closed down schools and government offices. Ultimately Successful. Released prisoners, government forced to reject the treaty. Significance: Informed all future political protests. Even in 1989 students still affected by 1 st protestors. Results: Win for New culture movement. Against: Imperialism, warlordism, blindly following tradition (The New Culture Movement was In favor of Nationalism, patriotism, democracy, freedom) Intellectual movement becomes more radicalized and organized. Communist party emerged. Mao Zedong – 1949 Founded People’s Republic of China. Born in Hunan in SE China, on a farm. Had a basic education in classical Chinese. Pursued a modern education against fathers’ wishes. 1917 moved to Beijing. (during the new culture movement) 1921 founder of Chinese Communist party. In 1920’s he joined the Nationalist party in order to fight warlordism. {Beginning of Separation from Chinese Communist party} After 1st United Front ended in 1927 his focus turned to peasants. (European model focused on workers not peasants. Differing opinions) China not as industrial as Russia, more agricultural. Argued that the revolutionary force was in the countryside, not the city. He broke with the party. Moved to Jiangxi and set up communist society. Small revolution and land reform. Jiangxi was frequently attacked by Nationalists. 1930’s CCP came to see reasoning behind Mao’s claims about peasants. CCP left Shang Hai and joined Mao in Jiangxi. 1934 Set out on long march. 86,000 started (35 women) only 8,000 arrived. They picked up close to 20,000 recruits along the march. By the Time they arrived at their new base in Yanan they have about 20000 with them. Mao comes to power on the march. 1935 put in charge of all military affairs for the party. Dominated CCP until his death in 1976Significance: Mao is personally responsible for sinification of communism. Chinese Communist Party – One of main political parties. Founded in Shang Hai in 1921. They defeated the Nationalists in 1949; established the PRC and was ultimately led by Mao Zedong. Nationalists (GMD) - One of main political parties founded by Sun Yet Sun in 1912. Founded a government at Nanjing (1926 -1937) Defeated by Chinese communist party in 1949. Fled to Taiwan where they continued the Republic of China. (Name of their government) First United Front- 1925 Northern Expedition.: Troops move North taking warlords as they went. Believing a nationalist government would take its place. Set up new government in Nanjing.Called Nanjing decade. (1926 to 1937) (North still controlled by warlords, South mostly under control of Nationalists) Not an effective government. Considered harsh/repressive. Were seen as legitmate government of China up through 1949. (Civil war communists v. nationalists. Communists win, nationalists flee to Taiwan) End of 1st United Front: Spring of 1927 violent split w/ Chinese communist party. In Shang Hai, communist party member organized labor unions and were planning a strike. Nationalists heard about it, hired a gang + police to stop strike. Ended up massacring some communists and workers. Forced Communists into hiding.