Lesson 15 – The Fall of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)
- 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.
- Chinese dynastic forces suffered from the task of having to stifle a domestic rebellion and at the same time counter foreign invasions.
- 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.
- By 1870, power had shifted from the Manchus to the Chinese.
- 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.
- 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.
- The defeat of China practically destroyed the Manchu dynasty and Japan was now the undiputed leader of Asia in world affairs.
- 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
- Why was full equality of men and women a radical idea in 1878 in China ?
- Why were the revolutions of 1850-1878 in China and the Russian Revolution of 1917 similar?
- Why did Japan ‘s victory over China in 1894 change the balance of power in Asia ?
- 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
- The Lotus Rebellion was followed by the widespread Taiping Rebellion.
- 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.
- The Qing never fully recovered from the Taiping Rebellion even though they eventually suppressed it.