The Chinese Empire Under Siege
The Opium War and the Unequal Treaties
- There was little demand for European products in China, so European traders mainly
exchanged silver bullion for Chinese silk, porcelain
- The British East India Company used opium grown in India as an alternative to bullion;
opium was exchanged for Chinese silver coin that was used to buy Chinese goods
- In attempts to stop the opium trade, Chinese govt hired Lin Zexu to confiscate/destroy
opium shipments; this led to Opium War
- Lin Zexu’s letter to Queen Victoria seeking her support to stop opium trade
- Opium War illustrated difference in military power between Britain/China: Chinese
soldiers fought with swords, knives, muskets against British soldiers with rifles
- British gunboat Nemesis advanced up the Yangzi River, which provoked China’s
surrender
- Treaty of Nanjing: ceded Hong Kong to Britain, opened Chinese ports (Guangzhou,
Shanghai) to commerce, extraterritoriality granted to British subjects
- Unequal treaties (between France, Germany, US, Japan and China) legalized the opium
trade, allowed for Christian missions, opened ports
- Map shows spheres of influence in China
- Treaties released Korea, Vietnam, Burma from Chinese authority, dismantling Chinese
system of tributary states
Why did European traders mainly trade silver bullion for Chinese goods?
How did the East India Company use opium as an alternative to silver bullion?
What led to the Opium war?
How did the Opium War illustrate the power difference between Britain and China?
What led to China’s surrender?
What were the impacts of the Treaty of Nanjing?
Taiping Rebellion
- Chinese population grew by 50% from 1800 to 1900; population growth strained Chinese
resources and increased poverty of Chinese peasantry
- Concentration of land in wealthy elites, govt corruption, and drug addiction contributed to
peasant discontent
- Rebellions: Nian rebellion (1851-1868) in NE, Muslim rebellion (1855-1873) SW, Tungan
rebellion (1862-1878) NW; Taiping rebellion (1850-1864) throughout China
- Taiping reforms appealed to peasants by proposing abolition of private property, creation
of communal wealth, prohibition of footbinding, free education, literacy for masses
- Hong Xiuquan (Taiping leader) and his followers in Society of God Worshippers took
Nanjing and spread throughout China
- Qing govt used regional armies made up off Chinese soldiers instead of Manchu soldiers
that were commanded by scholar-gentry class (shift by empress dowager Cixi); these
armies were aided by European advisors and weapons to defeat Taipings
- Taiping rebellion failed, resulting in defeat in Nanjing (100k Taipings killed), 20-30M lives
lost, and decline in agricultural production (poverty)
- Picture shows violence at Nanjing
The Opium War and the Unequal Treaties
- There was little demand for European products in China, so European traders mainly
exchanged silver bullion for Chinese silk, porcelain
- The British East India Company used opium grown in India as an alternative to bullion;
opium was exchanged for Chinese silver coin that was used to buy Chinese goods
- In attempts to stop the opium trade, Chinese govt hired Lin Zexu to confiscate/destroy
opium shipments; this led to Opium War
- Lin Zexu’s letter to Queen Victoria seeking her support to stop opium trade
- Opium War illustrated difference in military power between Britain/China: Chinese
soldiers fought with swords, knives, muskets against British soldiers with rifles
- British gunboat Nemesis advanced up the Yangzi River, which provoked China’s
surrender
- Treaty of Nanjing: ceded Hong Kong to Britain, opened Chinese ports (Guangzhou,
Shanghai) to commerce, extraterritoriality granted to British subjects
- Unequal treaties (between France, Germany, US, Japan and China) legalized the opium
trade, allowed for Christian missions, opened ports
- Map shows spheres of influence in China
- Treaties released Korea, Vietnam, Burma from Chinese authority, dismantling Chinese
system of tributary states
Why did European traders mainly trade silver bullion for Chinese goods?
How did the East India Company use opium as an alternative to silver bullion?
What led to the Opium war?
How did the Opium War illustrate the power difference between Britain and China?
What led to China’s surrender?
What were the impacts of the Treaty of Nanjing?
Taiping Rebellion
- Chinese population grew by 50% from 1800 to 1900; population growth strained Chinese
resources and increased poverty of Chinese peasantry
- Concentration of land in wealthy elites, govt corruption, and drug addiction contributed to
peasant discontent
- Rebellions: Nian rebellion (1851-1868) in NE, Muslim rebellion (1855-1873) SW, Tungan
rebellion (1862-1878) NW; Taiping rebellion (1850-1864) throughout China
- Taiping reforms appealed to peasants by proposing abolition of private property, creation
of communal wealth, prohibition of footbinding, free education, literacy for masses
- Hong Xiuquan (Taiping leader) and his followers in Society of God Worshippers took
Nanjing and spread throughout China
- Qing govt used regional armies made up off Chinese soldiers instead of Manchu soldiers
that were commanded by scholar-gentry class (shift by empress dowager Cixi); these
armies were aided by European advisors and weapons to defeat Taipings
- Taiping rebellion failed, resulting in defeat in Nanjing (100k Taipings killed), 20-30M lives
lost, and decline in agricultural production (poverty)
- Picture shows violence at Nanjing
