What Caused the Revolution of 1911-1912 in China - Thesis Example

Revolution of 1911-1912 in China al affiliation Revolution of 1911-1912 in China The China revolution of 1911-1912 is oneof the revolutions that have been shed light on by historians. With the increase in the control of the Europeans and continuous imposition of rules on the Chinese, a lot of conflicts came up as a result. The Chinese citizens were not happy with this move to be controlled by an external party. Despite the high number of populations in the country, it is alarming how control was being imposed on the populace. In this case, therefore, it is justified to argue that the Chinese had no confidence in the kind of leadership in the country. A great percentage of them disliked the kind of ruling by the Qing dynasty that had been existent in the country for a very long time. The otherwise called Xinhai revolution, on a great extent can arguably be caused by be deficient in of able Ching emperors to rule the country. Ho, Kuo-Liang. Chinas Reforms and Reformers. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004. Print. In the work of Ho, the inability of the Ching emperors to rule the country instilled a lot of violence among the citizens1. This work continues to bring out the view that, in as much as the dynasty was the most prominent, the fall of that dynasty created numerous issues for the country’s well being. By the 19th century, the dynasty was completely inflexible which saw the country experience a lot of challenges in terms of rebellions in the country, poor economy, imperialism from the west, poor produce and sales. By the end of 1911, the country had already gone through rebellion from the citizens. In 1912, Henry Pu Yi, the then emperor, stepped down from the leadership position to pave way for more reforms. From the work, it is evident that the emperor was clearly not needed by the citizens and was sapped by the revolution in 19122. A critical analysis of this situation brings out a clear indication of the fact that the major reason behind the revolution is that the Chinese populace did not appreciate the manner in which the country was being run by the Ching dynasty. With poor leadership, it is evident that the misappropriation of funds would have its way, just like in the case of China. This misappropriation of funds led to the country being overtaxed, and the taxes fell in the hands of a few people. With the population growing on a tremendous manner, the dynasty could hardly deal with the demands of the populace, which in turn led to the revolts among the populace. Lockard, Craig. Societies, Networks, and Transitions: Since 1450. London: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. In this work, it is apparent that the Qing dynasty was completely ineffective3. With this in mind, the Chinese citizens could not wait for the providence of the administration to lapse their hopeful future. In reaction, the chief engineer of the uprising, Sun Yat-Sen aimed to stage an upheaval that would reinstate the lost glory of the great country. The rebellions also aimed at deposing the Manchu dynasty and implant nationalist feelings among the citizens4. This is yet an additional factor that can lead to the rationalization of the fact that the Chinese insurgence of 1911-1912 mostly revolved around the verity that the citizens had no poise in the headship systems of the country. Sun Yat-Sen wanted to make the government establish economic modifications in the country, so that the general public would have a better chance to develop themselves economically. Since the system of ruling could not provide the demands of the citizens, Sun Yat-Sen felt obligated to hold the revolution. On another point of view, the system of ruling did not please the citizens as it revolved around constitutional monarchy. The citizens needed chance to elect their own leaders, a move which they argued would be resolve the numerous woes facing the country. Masuda, Wataru. & Fogel, Joshua. Japan and China: Mutual Representations in the Modern Era. London: Routledge, 2000. Print. This work clearly indicates that having the Manchu dynasty and the Qing dynasty was indeed a shame to the country5. From these stern views on the current system of ruling, nothing much can be said on how much the citizens were dissatisfied with the current regime. In response, the citizens felt that the only way to pacify reforms in the country is to overthrow the current regime and elect on that would take care of their needs. The Qing dynasty lacked the ability, virtue and caliber to institute reforms. Without reforms, it is obvious that a lot of complaints will be made by the taxpayers, who continually demand for value for their taxes. The country was witnessing limited amounts of food production channels; the land was not good enough for production to feed the entire country as well as the funds to invest in production projects has no hope of bearing fruit in the tough economic times in the country. On the other hand, the rulers undertook measures of increasing the taxes, so that they can embezzle a lot of funds into their accounts. More and more of the blunders and oppressive measures imposed on the citizens pushed the citizens to the corner. As a result, the populace had no option, but to stage a revolt to champion for their rights6. Conclusively, it can be argued that the oppressive Qing dynasty is the major reason behind the China revolution of 1911-1912. From the oppressive regime, the rest of the predicaments follow suit. Mote, Frederick. Imperial China 900-1800. Harvard: Harvard University Press, 2003. Print. The work by Mote is yet another that validates the theme that the China revolution of 1911-1912 revolves around the oppressive regime of Qing dynasty. From the compilation it is valid to argue that the regime was suspicious of the citizens and that they were sure that a lot of people were going taking part in anti- Manchuism and Qingism. The Manchu, according to this compilation, came up with unrealistic policies that not only derailed the progress of the country, but also manipulated the citizens7. The suspicion by the government is a clear indication of the fact that the government was not doing its best to fulfill the needs of the citizens as well as act within the confines of the terms and conditions of the constitution. This work also aims to bring out the view that the government was not fast enough to institute reforms that would get the country out of the challenges that it was facing. In the case of the military for example, could not cooperate and work in the reformation process. This means that the country could not manage to offer security to its citizens, paving way for the intrusion of other external parties to make the country a punching bag, notable countries in Europe. In this case, the peasants and other commoners in the country could not handle the oppression and injustice from the government; thus, took part in the revolution to pressure the government to make the necessary changes in the country. Olson, Stuart. An Ethnohistorical Dictionary of China. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1998. Print. This work clearly indicates that the Manchu dynasty was discredited by the local populace. In fact, Olson indicates that the chief reason that saw the continuation of the regime after the revolution in the year 1912 revolves round the reason that the country had no better regime to replace the prohibited one8. It is also evident that the Chinese investors were not at all comfortable with investing in the country as the conditions were in no way likely to make their capital accumulate funds, but the same would go down the drain. This is clear indication of the fact that the government was clearly not taking charge of the conditions of investing in the country; thus scaring away investors. This work also mentions the moves by the official revolution instigator, Sun Yat-Sen, and his efforts to ensure that the country would have changes that would allow for selection of leaders on the basis of merit from the citizens side, as well as creation of new military that would have the ability to defend the country both on the internal and external front. In the meantime, the country was facing a lot of financial drawbacks, since the government was spending twice its initial expenditures. Worse still, the conditions of the citizens in terms of employment and pay rises did not improve, yet the taxes were on the increase. Long term projects by the government came to a halt; therefore, the country was operating at the mercies of fate for their survival. The slow move by the government to instituting reforms led to the uprisings by the citizens of China, in what came to be known as the Xinhai revolution or rather the Chinese rebellion of 1911-1912. Zarrow, Gue. China In War And Revolution, 1895-1949. London: Routledge, 2005. Print. Zarrow’s work is yet another that validates the theme that the major cause of the Chinese rebellion of 1911-1912 has a lot to do with the current regime of the time- Qing dynasty. This author clearly brings out the fact that the kind of ruling by the Qing dynasty was weak and could not match the demands of the Chinese citizens9. From the instabilities witnessed in the country, the country went through a system of dislocation all that aimed at ensuring that the citizens force the government into leading the country to a democratic move that would see justice for all in the country. The government had no option, but to make room for changes in the country. This revolt according to this work involved students, business persons, whose major aim was to see the regime come up with polices that would reduce the powers of the government and allow for democracy. Conclusively, it is justified to argue that the major reason behind the Chinese rebellion of 1911-1912 is the failure by the regime to provide the citizens with favorable conditions of living- starting form security, employment, investment securities amongst others. The rebellion was majorly centered on creation of a more democratic, safe and liberal environment. References Ho, Kuo-Liang. Chinas Reforms and Reformers. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004. Print. Lockard, Craig. Societies, Networks, and Transitions: Since 1450. London: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Masuda, Wataru. & Fogel, Joshua. Japan and China: Mutual Representations in the Modern Era. London: Routledge, 2000. Print. Mote, Frederick. Imperial China 900-1800. Harvard: Harvard University Press, 2003. Print. Olson, Stuart. An Ethnohistorical Dictionary of China. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1998. Print. Zarrow, Gue. China In War And Revolution, 1895-1949. London: Routledge, 2005. Print. Read More