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Lesson Plan of the Day – Social Studies – Chinese History and Philosophy – Lesson 15 – the Fall of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)

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Lesson 15 – The Fall of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)

  1. The Taiping Revolution (1850-1864 in 16 provinces and 600 cities helped to cause the gradual decay of the Qing Dynasty. This revolt was followed by others from 1850-1878.
  2. Chinese dynastic forces suffered from the task of having to stifle a domestic rebellion and at the same time counter foreign invasions.
  3. The eventual result of the Taiping Rebellion were the foundations for the roots of communism in China . Even though it was put down in 1878, a full thirty years before the Russian Revolution, it included full equality for all men and women.
  4. By 1870, power had shifted from the Manchus to the Chinese.
  5. Emperor Tung Chih (1862-1874) was replaced, unofficially, by the empress dowager Tsu-Shi, who ruled until the virtual end of all dynasties in 1908. Pu-Yi was the last and least powerful emperor of the Qing.
  6. The Sino-Japanese War of 1894 had dire results for China . Japan crushed China at sea and China had to make more concessions to a foreign power. A lopsided treaty followed that forced China to give Korea its independence. In 1895.
  7. The defeat of China practically destroyed the Manchu dynasty and Japan was now the undiputed leader of Asia in world affairs.
  8. Russia intervened, rather disastrously, for China against Japan and was soundly beaten by the Japanese Navy. This event led to the Russian Revolution.

Critical Questions

  1. Why was full equality of men and women a radical idea in 1878 in China ?
  2. Why were the revolutions of 1850-1878 in China and the Russian Revolution of 1917 similar?
  3. Why did Japan ‘s victory over China in 1894 change the balance of power in Asia ?
  4. How did the defeat of China help to bring about the Russian Revolution?

Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:

Chinese Studies

http://www.easternstudiesdatabase.cn

Qing

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/later_imperial_china/qing.html

Taiping Rebellion

http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/core9/phalsall/texts/taiping.html

Augmentation of Lesson 15

  1. The Lotus Rebellion was followed by the widespread Taiping Rebellion.
  2. The Taiping Rebellion was a forerunner to the communist takeover of 1949 and included equality for women, an elimination of foreign incursions and a renewed spirit of nationalism.
  3. The Qing never fully recovered from the Taiping Rebellion even though they eventually suppressed it.

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