Qing Dynasty(Chinese Revolution) Notes

Chinese revolution

Manchu overthrows Ming dynasty and establishes Qing dynasty 1644 1839: 1st opium war-China is defeated by the British 1842: The treaty of Nanjing forces China to admit European traders on their terms 1851: Taiping rebellion. (Hong xiuquan declares himself the Heavenly King) 1853: Taiping takes Nanjing and establishes their capital 1860: 2nd opium war. France and Britain defeat China. More unfair conditions. Summer palace （圆明园） was burnt down. 1864: Nanjing falls. Taiping Rebellion ends 1873: Emperor Tongzhi is old enough to rule 1875: Emperor Tongzhi dies :( 1889: Guangxu ascends the throne 195 years 1894: Sino-Japanese war (over korea)Japanese won 1895: Treaty of Shimonseki signed 1896: Yuan Shikai sets up military academy in Tianjin 1898: Guangxu propsed 100 days reform. He was later put on house arrest 1900: Boxer rebellion 1901: Boxer protocol signed 1902: Many reforms forced on Cixi 1905: Sun Yatsen forms Tongmenghui 1908: Death of Guangxu and Cixi. Puyi the new child emperor 1911: Wuhan uprising. Qing Dynasty is overthrown(Puyi abdicates) 1912: Republic is formed.

2 opium wars China was defeated by the Opium wars (Britain and France) Lost as China did not have the resources to win the war. War junks were no match for British Frigades. Causes of the opium war: -China wanted to suppress opium trade The 1st opium war-Forced China to sign the treaty of Nanjing. The treaty of Nanjing had ended the first opium war, which was the first of a series of unequal treaties between China and other imperialist powers. China paid the British an indemnity, ceded the territory of Hong Kong, and agreed to establish a “fair and reasonable” tariff. British merchants, who had previously been allowed to trade only at Guangzhou (Canton), were now permitted to trade at five “treaty ports” and with whomever they pleased. 2nd opium war forced China to sign treaty of Tianjin Consequence of opium war: Exposed China as technologically & militarily backward & to a century of Western Imperialist exploitation in China.

Taiping rebellion Taiping Rebellion, radical political and religious upheaval that was probably the most important event in China in the 19th century. It lasted for some 14 years (1850–64), ravaged 17 provinces, took an estimated 20 million lives, and irrevocably altered the Qing dynasty (1644–1911/12). The rebellion began under the leadership of Hong Xiuquan (1814–64), a disappointed civil service examination candidate who, influenced by Christian teachings, had a series of visions and believed himself to be the son of God, the younger brother of Jesus Christ, sent to reform China. A friend of Hong’s, Feng Yunshan, utilized Hong’s ideas to organize a new religious group, the God Worshippers’ Society (Bai Shangdi Hui), which he formed among the impoverished peasants of Guangxi province. In 1847 Hong joined Feng and the God Worshippers, and three years later he led them in rebellion. On January 1, 1851, he