CHINA LOSES ITS EDGE

The population booms to 100 million in 1685 to 430 million in 1853. At this time China lacks the technology, no industrial revolution occurs, and insufficient agricultural production to accommodate this increase in population. This leads to unemployment, impoverishment, misery, and starvation.

The state government(centralized and bureaucratic) did not enlarge itself. Not enough government administrative to effectively control the following; tax collection, flood control, and social welfare.

The Qing Dynasty is in decline and a growing number of gangs leads to internal crisis.

Taiping Uprising(a.k.a. peasant rebellion) 1850 - 1864
The leader of this revolution is Hong Xiuquan. He embraces Christianity and rejected confucianism, Daoism & Buddhism. Ideology behind this movement is, men and women are equal, redistribution of land, denounced the Qing dynasty, end of foot binding, prostitution, and opium. H. Xiuquan cousin develops plans for reform. The Revolution grows and establishes itself a capital in Nanjing 1853. Taiping revolution declines because of divisions and indecisiveness. Qing Dynasty loyalist reestablish reign. 20 - 30 million lives lost in this rebellion(civil war), this left China's economy disrupted and weak.

In a stupor - The Opium Wars
Opium originated from Arab traders during the 8th Century. It was considered a magic cure for dysentery. This drug became a problem in the late 18th Century, to the fault of the British. The British pushed this drug to counter balance their deficit trade with China. Without it the British would have not collateral with China. The havoc opium caused in China; 1. it was illegal 2. it corrupted officials 3. to pay for the opium, it depleted China's silver resources 4. it made addicts by the millions (it was common for laborers to use it as a way of escaping the pain of work)

The 1st opium war 1839 - 1842 and 2nd Opium Wars leaves China in a stupor. Lin Zexu leads the first battle against opium, seizes and destroys 3 million pounds of opium and expels these Western drug traders from the country. The British retaliate and a treaty is agreed upon in 1842, in the favor of the British. This treaty promised the following; $21 million and ceded the island of Hong Kong to the British. To open 5 ports to trade, with a fixed tariff of 5%, and allowed foreigners to live in China under their own laws.

2nd 1856 - 1858 Opium War - Summer Palace in Beijing vandalized, more treaty ports are opened to foreign traders and foreigners are allowed to buy land in China. China erodes and loses control. Everyone has a piece of China, except China itself.

1860's - 1870's "self- strengthening" and " reconstruction", China attempts regain control of its country.

The Boxer Rebellion 1900's - was an anti - foreign movement that destroyed foreign embassies in Beijing and killed many europeans and Christians in the process. The rebellion was not successful. Huge payment was imposed upon China as punishment.

The Rape of Nanjing, WWII - Japan invades China