Untitled Flashcards Set

The Middle Kingdom

China's self-image of being superior to others, contributing to its rejection of foreign influence.

Taiping Rebellion

A significant civil war in China from 1850 to 1864, led by Hong Xiuquan, against the Qing dynasty, characterized by widespread peasant grievances.

Mandate of Heaven

A traditional Chinese belief that heaven grants the emperor the right to rule based on their ability to govern well.

Opium Wars

Conflicts between China and Western nations, primarily Britain, due to the opium trade in the 19th century.

Treaty of Nanjing

A peace agreement from 1842 that ended the First Opium War, imposing restrictions on China and opening five ports to European trade.

Self-strengthening

Policies aimed at revitalizing traditional China by cautiously adopting Western technologies in the 1860s and 1870s.

Boxer Uprising

A violent anti-foreign rebellion in China from 1899 to 1901 led by the Society of the Righteous and Harmonious Fists.

Unequal treaties

Agreements forced upon China and the Ottoman Empire that favored Western powers at the expense of Chinese and Ottoman sovereignty.

Colonialism

The practice of acquiring control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.

The Raj

The British government in India, representing British colonial rule.

Sati

A former practice in India where a widow self-immolated on her husband's funeral pyre.

Zaibatsu

Large Japanese industrial conglomerates that played a significant role in Japan's economy.

Defensive modernization

A strategy of strengthening military and economic defenses against external threats while adopting some foreign practices.

Tanzimat Reforms

Western-inspired reforms in the Ottoman Empire from 1839 to 1876 aimed at modernization.

Young Turks

A revolutionary group in the Ottoman Empire that led a coup and initiated reforms in the early twentieth century.

Christianity and modern education

The association of Christianity with educational advancements, especially in colonial Africa.

Fukuzaawa Yukichi

A Japanese advocate for girls' education, gender equality, and the end of prostitution and concubinage.

Meiji Restoration

The political revolution in Japan in 1868 that restored power to the emperor and initiated significant modernization.

Diet

A legislative assembly in Japan established as part of modernization efforts during the Meiji Restoration.

Colonial economy and women’s roles

The transformation of women's responsibilities and opportunities in the colonial era, especially in Africa.

Sphere of influence

A region where one nation holds significant power over another nation's political or economic life.

Extraterritoriality

The right of foreigners to be governed by the laws of their own country rather than the host country.

“Sick man of Asia”

A term used to describe the declining state of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, often reflecting its vulnerability to external pressures and interventions.

“Sick man of Europe”

A phrase used to refer to a European country experiencing economic or political decline, particularly during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Hundred Days of Reform

A series of institutional reforms initiated in China in 1898 aimed at modernizing the country and preventing foreign domination.

The British East India Company

A trading company formed in 1600 that played a significant role in the economic and political control of India by the British Empire, eventually leading to direct British rule.

Conservative modernization

A political approach that seeks to modernize a country's institutions and economy while preserving traditional values and social structures.