China's Qing Dynasty and its Collapse - Research Paper Example

 China's Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912) and its Collapse The Qing Dynasty which started in 1644 and lasted till 1912 was the last imperial dynasty in China in a line of many including the Zhou, Han, Tang, Song and Ming dynasties before the government of the Republic of China took over. An empire that ruled one of the biggest territories in Asia fell in 1912, and this can be attributed to several issues such as internal rebellion, inept or traditional monarchy, internal strife and coming of the Europeans, which are some of the major reasons for the decline of the Qing dynasty. Although the entire Qing lineage and their political and economic policies are very interesting, this paper will deal primarily with the fall of this great empire. The Qing dynasty was started by a Manchu tribe, the Jurchen Aisin Gioro clan, from northeast of China (“Qing Dynasty”). The first three rulers had peaceful and prosperous reign and the administrative system used by the Qing rulers had mostly been inherited from the Ming dynasty with minor modifications. The military setup under the Qing was noteworthy. The army which was owned by the ruler was divided into separate units that had individual banners and troops. The civil servants were sometimes chosen from the banner men (“Qing Dynasty”). The Qing dynasty was able to preserve its identity although it reigned over the Chinese. The rulers would go back to Manchuria during summertime and would speak their language. They even prohibited inter-marriages between Manchus and Chinese. The Manchu troops and Chinese troops were delegated with duties separately. Several other changes in social behavior such as men shaving heads and wearing queues were initiated. However, the peace during the early part of their rule allowed for growth and development in all areas such as public works. The taxation structure was light, and the benevolent rulers would even reduce taxes during famine. This led to a spurt in the growth of trade and commerce. Art and learning were patronized. Porcelain painting was revived with new shades of colors, and European influence could be observed in the samples of that era. Under Qianlong’s rule, China had the largest territory ever. Though a mostly prosperous reign, signs of internal disturbances were becoming evident. The impoverished masses rose in the form of popular uprisings, and though they were effectively handled, the causes for the uprisings remained unresolved. Some of these reasons were to provide the fuel for future uprisings such as that of the Taiping rebellion in the 1850s and 1860s, which would prove to be a big blow to the Qing dynasty. However, the disintegration of the empire did not seem evident till the mid nineteenth century. The major reasons for the decline of the Qing dynasty can be put under several heads. 1 - Backward Imperialism The last few rulers of the Qing dynasty were trapped in backward traditions and did not keep up with technological advancements of other nations in the contemporary context. They thought of themselves as divine rulers of a grand nation and looked at European inventions such as canons and artillery with suspicion. Hence, they failed to upgrade their war equipment and lacked modern infrastructure as well. In comparison to the Self Strengthening Movement in China (1861-1895), the Meiji Restoration in Japan was very successful and this gave the Japanese the role of a formidable opponent during the late nineteenth century. This even resulted in losing the First Sino-Japanese war in 1894-95. 2 - Foreign invasion Another reason why the Qing dynasty began to fail was that of the strong European colonial influences. Britain was interested in trade with China for tea and silk. However, with nothing else to import the British started opium trade with the Chinese. This proved to be a disaster for the people of China since many got addicted to opium and began producing it in land plots meant for food grains. Also, the high exchange rates of opium put a tremendous strain on the already dwindling Qing coffers. In view of these issues, the opium trade was finally abolished in 1838 by Daoguang Emperor through an able bureaucrat Lin Zexu (“Lin Zexu”). However, this sparked off war with Great Britain known as the Opium Wars, the first war between 1839 and 1842 and the second one between 1856 and 1860. The unfair and slightly lopsided treaties after the Chinese defeat, such as the Treaty of Nanking (“The Penetration of China”), led to the transfer of Hong Kong and its governance to the British. Five ports were also opened up for trade with the Europeans. The aspirations of the European powers were not guarded against properly, and the obsolete military tools and techniques employed during Qing’s rule were no match against the Western industrial powers (Wilson). The bulky Chinese army and naval force were not able to provide a strong enough front, and it is said that many Chinese ships made of wood were made to sink even before the war. The British continued their trade in opium, and the Qing government’s refusal to indulge in trade of opium was used as an excuse to openly invade China. The Chinese territories were split through unequal treaties, and atrocities were perpetrated on the Chinese population. This further undermined the Qing dynasty’s rule in China. 3 – Internal Rebellions Widespread unrest among the masses and internal disturbances caused due to a series of natural calamities and losses in war against European powers led the nation to the brink of a civil war within the country. These internal rebellions corroded the power of the later Qing rulers. The Taiping rebellion is very well known. Although the basis of this rebellion was social reform with religious undertones, the suppression of the revolts by the Qing dynasty aided by the British and French military forces caused heavy loss to lives and property and to the people’s faith in their rulers. Hong Xiuquan, a heterodox Christian, (“Hong Xiuquan”), who led the rebellion, claimed to be the brother of Jesus Christ and sought to purify or convert Confucians and Buddhists to Christianity. The aftermath of the rebellion was cruel suppression, starvation and the devastation caused to the lives of the Chinese population was huge as the numbers are supposed to range from 20 to 30 million. Mao Zedong considered this rebellion to be one of the first revolts against a corrupt feudal system (“Hong Xiuquan”). There were several other internal uprisings as well. Foreign aggressors, such as Japan and Russia, further aggravated the rapid downfall of the empire. The Sino-Japanese war has been discussed previously. Treaties between Russia and China under Xianfeng Emperor, such as the Treaty of Aigun in 1858, redefined border between China and Russia and dictated terms of trade across these borders between the two nations. The Convention of Peking gave more weight to the previously uncertain terms of the treaty, reducing land under the Qing rulers and transferring them to Russia. 4 - Corruption Among other causes of disintegration of the empire was widespread corruption among the ranks of the rulers and administrators. All the while that the struggles were taking place, the emperors kept getting younger and younger and the real power lay in the hands of empresses and advisors. The most powerful of them all was Dowager Empress Cixi, who was uneducated and was opposed to modernization of any sort. Hence, China had become economically and politically very weak. The worst effect of inept administration was felt when Queen Dowager was able to oust the young emperor and his group of reformist scholars. The modern views on reforms and industrialization as envisaged by the emperor were not supported by many conservative factions even within the court. The Empress Dowager Cixi, unable to comprehend immediate requirements of the people, went on to spend lavishly on the Summer Palace and her tomb using Navy funds, disrupting Chinese military development. Under her rule, many prominent government officials had become rich and complacent and failed to pay heed to the threat from Europeans and the cries of starving commoners. The reformers who felt that China had to change and even the former emperor were executed. The empress died in 1908, leaving behind a two year old infant Puyi as the crown prince. This led to further weakening of the government and strengthened the revolutionaries. The Late Qing Reforms initiated between 1901 and 1911, in fact, added another cause of disintegration of the Qing Empire. 5 - Rise of Nationalism The intellectuals realized that the only way to defeat the European powers was to use modern technologies against them; thus, the need of the hour was to overthrow the corrupt and outdated imperialist Qing Dynasty. This was the final nail in the coffin for the Qing dynasty, and the year 1911 marked the end for this imperial regime. Conclusion There were numerous reasons for the decline of the once enormous Qing dynasty; they included corrupt officials, inept administration and unfair treaties after losing wars against British, Russian and Japanese imperial forces. Among other foreign forces were France, United States and Germany, and the later rulers depended on the foreign imperialist to stay in power. This undermined the Qing rule and provided impetus to unrest within the Chinese territory. The internal revolts like the Taiping rebellion may have caused the collapse even earlier, had it not been for the interventions by the foreign powers. Hence, the disintegration of the dynasty which started in the 1860s under the later weak rulers culminated with the formation of the Republic of China with Sun Yatsen as the provisional President on January 1, 1912 (Pennsylvania State University). Works Cited “China’s Qing Dynasty and its Collapse.” Pennsylvania State University. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. “Hong Xiuquan.” Cultural-China.com. Web. 5 Nov. 2012. “Lin Zexu.” Cultural-China.com. Web. 5 Nov. 2012. “The Penetration of China.” Korea in the Eye of the Tiger. Web. 5 Nov. 2012. Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). China Connection Tours. Web. 5 Nov. 2012. Wilson, Andrew. "Foreign Policy Research Institute." Foreign Policy Research Institute 13.3 (April 2008). Web. 5 Nov. 2012. Read More