Shannon's+Research+Notes

 //1) __Events & Leaders__//

White Lotus Rebellion - between 1796 - 1804 - led by anti-Qing White Lotus secret society - aim to overturn Manchus & restore former Ming Dynasty - a religious movement fuelled by peasant discontent with the Qing order

Opium War - between 1839 - 1842 - British fought against China to force the Chinese to keep buying drup opium from British India - one result was that Hong Kong was signed over to Britain

-Taiping Rebellion - between 1850 - 1871 - tried to institute several social reforms (i.e. separation of the sexes, abolition of foot-binding, land socialization, mixed elements of Christianity and traditional Chinese religion) - 20 million people killed - Manchus were forced to get help from Europeans to put down rebellion

Second Opium War - between 1856 - 1860 - British French army attacked Beijing - Chinese had to pay 8 million taels to Britain & France

"Hundred-Day Reform Movement" - led by Kang Youwei - set of reforms that included establishing elected government assemblies, creating a Western-style   public education system, and establishing government ministries to foster commercial, industrial and    financial development Empress Dowager Cixi - 1861 -1908 - was uneducated and opposed to any type of reform or modernization that might have helped China economically and politically

Qian Long - reigned 1736-1795 Jia Qing - reigned 1795-1820 Dao Guang - reigned 1821-1850 Xian Feng - reigned 1851-1861 Tong Zhi - reigned 1862-1874 Guang Xu - reigned 1875-1908 Xuan Tong - reigned 1909-1912 Sources: [], [], [], [] // 2) __Climate & Geographic Factors__ //

- harvests failed & Yellow River flooded causing famine - floods and droughts ruined crops - successive famines and other natural disasters like floods, earthquakes and epidemics struck China

Sources: [], [] , []

//3) __Socio - Political Structure__ //

- seemed unable to modernise and accept changes that were happening - freedom of religion was established after Second Opium War (Westerners allowed this), treaties gave the Catholic and Protestant missionaries not only permission to travel freely in China with judicial immunity but the right to purchase property as well - states inability to sustain an enormous increase in population (300 million people by end of 18th century) - because of unemployment or starvation, Chinese peasants turned to banditry or joined rebel movements - population growth and food shortages were compounded by poor government leadership (even before Westerners invaded) - POPULATION GROWTH, CORRUPTION, FAMINE, & FLOODS lead to BANDITRY, RIOTS, & REBELLIONS - Treaty of Nanjing, the Supplementary Treaty of the Bogue & two French & American agreements (1842 -1844) were the first unequal treaties - increasing presence of European traders also strained the government's ability to deal effectively with change - China enjoyed a trade surplus by taking silver as trade for tea, silk and other goods - Peasants, who were required to pay their taxes in currency, benefited from the favourable exchange rates that resulted from the trade surplus - Wealthy landowners bought land from poor peasants who could not afford to pay their taxes, and an enormous class of tenant farmers emerged - China, however, was unable and unwilling to undertake necessary reforms - 1911 - government was taxing wealthier classes heavily to get money for new army - rebels took over the final reign of Qing Dynasty, created Republic of China in 1911 - government was poorly equipped to adapt to the demands of western powers - population grew every year despite unimaginable death rate - weak or child emperors contributed to the mess - successive famines and other natural disasters like floods, earthquakes and epidemics struck China - traded silk, lacquer, porcelain and tea to the western traders - 1790s, streets were well policed, crime and civil disorder were almost non-existent - 6 boards or Ministries, each run a by a Manchu and a Chinese Vice-President, each had its own function, personnel, revenue, rites, war, public works and punishments

Sources: [], [] , [|http://books.google.ca/books?id=E5jfpX0QZdwC&pg=PA34&lpg=PA34&dq=because+of+unemployment+or+starvation,+Chinese+peasants+turned+to+banditry+or+joined+rebel+movements&source=bl&ots=ZZ4lW7Iwfo&sig=hvwU-GOVMH-5jY-8dzBjnhaPmEA&hl=en&ei=3uH4SaffGdqgmAeo39GaDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1] , [] , [] , [] , [] , [] , []

//4) __Agriculture & Economy__ //

- expansion of agricultural production was unable to keep up with rapid demographic growth - arable land increased by less than 5% by 1800 - 1796 - 1820 - Yellow River flooded over 17 times - lack of rice - increase in population led to smaller farms because there was not enough land - Qing China carried out its relief efforts, which included vast shipments of food, a requirement that the rich open their storehouses to the poor, and price regulation, as part of a state guarantee of subsistence to the peasantry - increase in population and expansion in trade & manufacture were big changes in China - foreigners controlled 84% of Chinese shipping and all of iron production in 1907 - importation of opium hurt the agricultural process, land that had previously been used for food began to be used to produce opium - lots of money left the country to buy more drugs (opium) for addicted people - rulers preferred farming to trade which damaged economy - food production was inadequate - fish, deer and pork were very important food in the Mancu's daily life - method they used for cooking was usually either toasting or boiling

Sources: [|http://books.google.ca/books?id=E5jfpX0QZdwC&pg=PA34&lpg=PA34&dq=expansion+of+agricultural+production+was+unable+to+keep+up+with+rapid+demographic+growth&source=bl&ots=ZZ4lW7Iyhn&sig=frugKRncbeSRk4ul-KpG3-_4T88&hl=en&ei=ueL4Scb4LuKGmQe7hOCaDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1], [] , [] , [] ,http://www.lycos.com/info/qing-dynasty.html

// 5) __Transportation & Weaponry__ //

Opium War - 1840 - sent force of 16-men-of-war bristling with 540 cannon, 20 transports, 4 armed steamers, & 4,000 sailors - Chinese used obsolete flintlock guns that could not be used in the rain - imported western guns after OW, Chinese weapon industry ended - antiquated guns unable to match the powerful modern weapons of the Europeans - 1861 - Self Strengthening Effort - troops began to use Western-style firearms & artillery, Western patterns of military training - naval forces were created using armoured steamed-power ships - new arsenals & shipyards were created

Sources: [|http://books.google.ca/books?id=E5jfpX0QZdwC&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=Opium+War+-+1840+-+sent+force+of+16-men-of-war+bristling+with+540+cannon,+20+transports,+4+armed+steamers,+%26+4,000+sailors&source=bl&ots=ZZ4lW7IAkn&sig=_FDo2b9zqm30Yb4JNqZJJkgaCEw&hl=en&ei=nuP4ScKWOpKHmQe3gsiaDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1], [] , []

// 6) __Industrial & Artistic Technology__ //

- Chinese physicians excelled at diagnosis, acupuncture, and herbal treatments, they discovered that western doctors could use surgery to remove tumors and treat cataracts - high standards of Chinese medicine and land surveying - Chinese painters and calligraphers had always stood in the century-old tradition of elder patterns and models - end of 18th century, China was technically much more advanced than the west

Sources: []

Picture Sources (In order): [] [] []

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