knowt logo

2. The Boxer Uprising (1889-1901)

An anti-foreigner attack led by the Chinese peasants, and supported by the Empress Dowager Cixi

Causes:

  • Humiliation by foreign powers as they extended their control over China’s economy

    • undermined the authority of the Qing => anger

  • Missionaries sent by foreign powers (Europe)

    • replacement of traditional Confucianism and Buddhism with Christianity

  • Hatred of ‘foreign devils’

    • religion and technology (railways + telephone lines)

  • Cixi encouraged attacks to avoid criticism of imperialism

    => Emperor Guangxu attempted to modernise to end criticism by granting concessions to foreigners

Events:

  • The Boxers began attacking foreigners and Christians

  • Attacks spread from Shangdong (E) to Shanxi (NE)

  • In Beijing, the German ambassador von Ketteler was killed

    => Westerners retreated into the British legion

  • Cixi declared war but couldn’t defeat the legion’s defences

  • International force of 20,000 (mostly Japanese) defeated the Boxers, ending their 55 day siege

Consequences:

  • Cixi had to accept a humiliating treaty to regain the throne

    • $67M in reparation over 37 years => taxes had to be raised

    • military fortifications and weapons arsenal to be destroyed

    • 10 officials executed at court

    • foreign troops permanently in Beijing

  • Authority of the Qing damaged

    • failure => not able to free China from foreign control

      => more revolutionary ways sought to achieve this aim

  • Cixi was convinced reforms must happen

    => reforms would be unsuccessful => fall of the Qing Dynasty

2. The Boxer Uprising (1889-1901)

An anti-foreigner attack led by the Chinese peasants, and supported by the Empress Dowager Cixi

Causes:

  • Humiliation by foreign powers as they extended their control over China’s economy

    • undermined the authority of the Qing => anger

  • Missionaries sent by foreign powers (Europe)

    • replacement of traditional Confucianism and Buddhism with Christianity

  • Hatred of ‘foreign devils’

    • religion and technology (railways + telephone lines)

  • Cixi encouraged attacks to avoid criticism of imperialism

    => Emperor Guangxu attempted to modernise to end criticism by granting concessions to foreigners

Events:

  • The Boxers began attacking foreigners and Christians

  • Attacks spread from Shangdong (E) to Shanxi (NE)

  • In Beijing, the German ambassador von Ketteler was killed

    => Westerners retreated into the British legion

  • Cixi declared war but couldn’t defeat the legion’s defences

  • International force of 20,000 (mostly Japanese) defeated the Boxers, ending their 55 day siege

Consequences:

  • Cixi had to accept a humiliating treaty to regain the throne

    • $67M in reparation over 37 years => taxes had to be raised

    • military fortifications and weapons arsenal to be destroyed

    • 10 officials executed at court

    • foreign troops permanently in Beijing

  • Authority of the Qing damaged

    • failure => not able to free China from foreign control

      => more revolutionary ways sought to achieve this aim

  • Cixi was convinced reforms must happen

    => reforms would be unsuccessful => fall of the Qing Dynasty