Lecture Terms- Imperialism in China, Australia, & New Zealand

The Qianlong emperor restricted European trade to the port of Guangzhou starting in 1759.
Foreign merchants could only engage with licensed cohongs.
Europeans paid high prices in bullion due to a lack of demand for their goods.
- The British East India Company shifted focus to the opium trade.

Opium was grown in India and shipped to China, where it was illegal.
The drug was exchanged for Chinese silver, which was then used to buy Chinese goods.
Significantly, no British bullion was required.
Chinese addiction to opium surged, balancing trade for the British.
Consequences of the opium trade included:
- Corruption among Chinese officials allowing continued opium trade.
- A negative toll on the societal structure due to increasing drug addiction.

In 1838, Commissioner Lin Zexu took action by destroying confiscated British opium, leading to the Opium War.
British military advancements outclassed Chinese forces, leading to their refusal to surrender.
The war ended in 1842 with a steamship/gunboat attack on the Grand Canal.
This resulted in unequal treaties imposed on China with various western powers.

Marked the end of the Opium War
Key conditions included:
- Cession of Hong Kong to Britain.
- Opening of five Chinese ports to British trade, including Shanghai.
- Extension of most-favored-nations status to Britain.
- Extraterritoriality was granted to British subjects.

Other nations including France, Germany, Japan, and the United States received similar treaties that:
- Legalized the opium trade and established Christian missions in China.
- Opened more ports under foreign control and restricted the Qing government’s ability to impose tariffs.
- Resulted in the loss of tributaria states like Vietnam, Korea, and Burma.

Growing nationalist sentiments in response to European control initiated social unrest.
Widespread poverty, population growth, and unbalanced land ownership intensified peasant suffering.
This situation led to several rebellions, notably the Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864).

Led by Hong Xiuquan, who aimed to overthrow the Qing Dynasty and promote societal reforms,.
Proposed reforms:
- Abolishing private property and establishing communal wealth.
- Prohibition of foot binding and concubines, along with promoting public education.
Revolutionary claims for democracy and industrialization gained traction.

The Taiping movement grew to control Nanjing, eventually targeting Beijing.
Although Qing forces, led by Dowager Empress Cixi, eventually defeated them, the rebellion resulted in a devastating death toll of 20-30 million.
The rebellion led to significant agriculture decline and famine, further exemplifying the need for reform.
Qing reforms attempted through Confucianism and technology adaptation were largely ineffective due to internal resistance.

China risked total destruction as Western powers gained exclusive rights in various regions under the Qing government.

Encouraged by scholars Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao, attempts were made to modernize China, including:
- Establishing a constitutional monarchy and civil liberties.
- Modernizing education and military alongside economic development.
These reforms faced immediate pushback from Dowager Empress Cixi, who subsequently imprisoned Emperor Guangxu.

Led by the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists, aimed to expel foreign influence.
Antiforeigner sentiment culminated in violence against foreign nationals and missionaries.
A coalition of foreign powers retaliated, ultimately suppressing the Boxer Rebellion and further weakening the Qing Dynasty.

The sudden deaths of Emperor Guangxu and Cixi in 1908 marked the impending downfall of the Qing Dynasty.
The Chinese Revolution emerged in 1911, signaling the end of imperial rule in China.

Australia and New Zealand were marked by British colonization efforts.
Indigenous populations, such as Aborigines and Maori, faced significant displacement.

Students must apply specific cognitive processes, leading to critical historical comprehension and analysis.