Chapter 21East Asia Under Challenge

• Shang (1766-1122 BCE)• Zhou (1122-256 BCE)• Qin Dynasty (221-207 BCE)• Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE)• Sui Dynasty• Tang Dynasty (618 to 907)• Song Dynasty (960 to 1279)• Yuan Dynasty (1279 to 1368)• Ming Dynasty (1369-1644)• Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1911)

Timeline of Chinese History

• The Ming (“Bright”) Dynasty– Ethnocentricity: belief that you are

ethnically superior– “younger brother” mentality– 1514: Portuguese explorers are first direct

contact with the West since Marco Polo– At first receptive to foreigners, although

seen as unusual barbarian– Christian missionaries– Clocks and eyeglasses

China At Its Height

• Ming declined due to government corruption, high taxes, and peasant unrest

• Qing (“Pure”) Dynasty established when Manchus conquered Beijing

• Foreign rulers forced all Chinese men to adopt Manchu dress and hairstyles

The Qing Dynasty

• Unfortunately for the Chinese the decline of the Qing coincided with further European involvement/trade

• Qing government sold trade privileges, but in small area with limited firms

• Chinese merchants and British pressured the government to expand trade, but they refused

Contact With the West

• External pressure from the West• Internal problems

• Government corruption• Rapid growth of population

• By 1900 had 400 million people• Food shortages

Causes of Qing Decline

• British did not like the unfavorable balance of trade

• British grew opium in northern India and shipped it into China

• Opium – a highly addictive drug – became in high demand in China

• Balance of trade shifts in Britain’s favor

Opium Wars (1839-1842)

• China appealed to the British to stop selling opium, which was illegal in China

• British refused to stop, so the Chinese blockaded the foreign trade port

• The British responded with force, and the Chinese were no match technologically or militarily

Opium Wars (1839-1842)

• The Treaty of Nanjing 1842• 5 ports opened to British for trade• Limit taxes on imported British goods• Chinese had to pay the costs of the war• British were given island of Hong Kong• Extraterritoriality

• Concession eventually also given to other foreigners

Opium Wars (1839-1842)

• Failure of Chinese government to deal with internal economic problems leads to peasant revolt

• Led by Hong Xiuquan • Many of these changes sought

mirrored the Communist Revolution of the 20th century• It called for social reforms like

giving land to peasants, treating women as equals

• Called for people to give up possessions and move to a communal life, outlawed tobacco and alcohol, and eliminated footbinding

Tai Ping Rebellion (1850-1864)

• 1853 seized Nanjing and massacred 25,000 men, women, and children

• 1856 forced to sign Treaty of Tianjin: legalized opium trade, open more ports, give Kowloon to Britain

• Most devastating civil war in history• Lasted 14 years• 20 million people died

• Ended when Europeans (and local warlords) helped Chinese defeat the rebel forces and recaptured Nanjing

Tai Ping Rebellion (1850-1864)

• “Self-Strengthening” • China should adopt Western technology

while keeping its Confucian values and institutions

• Production of modern weapons and ships• Kept imperial bureaucracy and Confucian

civil service exams• Some supported ideas of democratic reform,

but this was too radical for most

Efforts at Reform

• Spheres of Influence• Areas where

European powers had exclusive trading rights

• 1894 China defeated by Japan

• Concessions to Germany

Foreign Impact

• Emperor Guang Xu launched the One Hundred Days of Reform, which sought to make huge changes to government and education

• Emperor’s aunt Ci Xi and conservatives at court imprisoned the emperor and ended all reforms

More Internal Turmoil

• U.S. pushed to have all major states with economic interests in China should have equal access to all markets

• Didn’t end the spheres of influence but did reduce restrictions on foreign imports imposed by powers in each sphere

• Helped to reduce imperialist hysteria about access to the Chinese market

Open Door Policy

• Secret organization called Society of Harmonious Fists thought their shadow-boxing made them impervious to bullets

• The Boxers hated the foreigners taking over Chinese lands: “Destroy the foreigners”

• Roamed countryside, slaughtered missionaries and Chinese Christians and foreign businessmen

• Allied foreign army restored order and forced China to pay an indemnity (payment for damages)

Boxer Rebellion 1900

• Empress Dowager Ci Xi finally embraced reforms, but these changes were too little and too slow for the emerging elite

• Rise of Sun Yat-sen• Thought China had to be united under a

strong government to stop being at the mercy of other countries

• Forms what becomes the Nationalist Party

Fall of Qing

• Series of revolts break out across China, but the government was too weak to stop it

• Qing Dynasty collapsed but the Nationalist Party didn’t have the military strength to run the country

• General Yuan Shigai asked to serve as the new president of the new Chinese Republic

• His dictatorial rule was opposed and further rebellion occurred and eventually slipped into civil war

Revolution of 1911

Unification of Japan in late 16th century

• Feudalism• Daimyo: heads of noble families who

controlled the han (territorial domains)• Tokugawa shogunate

• Isolation• Missionaries

• Maintained formal relations only with Korea; informal trading links to China and the Dutch

An End to Isolation

• Western nations wanted to open up Japan for foreign economic interests

• Matthew Perry, 1853• US sailed into Edo Bay with letter

requesting opening relations• Treaty of Kanagawa

• Signed under military pressure• Opened two ports, est. US consulate,

returned shipwrecked sailors

Resistance to New Order• Especially strong among the samurai

in Satsuma and Choshu• 1863 Sat-Cho alliance

• Forced shogun to end relations with the West

• Restored authority of the emperor in 1868, ending the shogunate system

The Meiji Restoration• Policy of reform transforming Japan

into a modern industrial nation• Emperor Mutsuhito and his

“Enlightened Rule”• Truly, though, emperor controlled by

Sat-Cho leaders

Transformation of Japanese Politics

• Undercut power of the daimyo• Stripped of titles to lands• Named governors of the new

prefectures• Careful study of Western political

systems• Commissions sent to study gov’ts• Development of political parties

• Role of emperor• In theory had all executive authority,

but in practice just a figurehead• Real executive authority in hands of

prime minister and cabinet• 2 house legislature

• Upper house of royal appointments and nobles

• Lower house elected

Meiji Economics• Land reform program

• Traditional daimyo lands now private property of peasants

• New land tax good source of revenue but hurt the farmers

• Promotion of industry• Gave subsidies, training and foreign

advisors, improved communications and transportation systems, new educational system

• Little reliance of foreign money• Key industries: tea, silk, weapons,

shipbuilding, sake

Building a Modern Social Structure

• “Strengthen the Army”• Imperial army based on compulsory

service• Modern weapons

• Universal education• American 3-tiered model• Stressed science• Foreign teachers, bright students sent

abroad• Emphasis still on traditional virtues

Daily Life and Women’s Rights

• Before reform: community and hierarchy• Social class determined occupation

and relationship to others• “three obediences”

• Child to father• Wife to husband• Widow to son

• AFTER: Special privileges for aristocracy abolished

• Women allowed higher education• Western influence on culture

• Ballroom dancing• Baseball• Eating habits• Clothing

• Problems brought about by change• Exploitation of laborers

• Increased attention to human rights

Why stress imperialism?• Lacked resources, no room for natural

expansion, densely populated• Colonies provided raw materials,

inexpensive labor, and markets• Needed to compete with Western

Europe and US

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Japanese Expansion During the Meiji Era

Beginnings of Expansion• Korea

• War with China in 1894• Independence of Korea recognized,

transferred Taiwan and Liaodong Peninsula to Japan

• Japan forced to return Liaodong Peninsula

• Rivalry with Russia intensifies over influence in Korea

War With Russia• 1904 Japan launches surprise attack

on Russia’s Port Arthur on Liaodong Peninsula

• Move into Manchuria• Russians also suffer naval defeat• Peace in 1905

• Russia gave back Liaodong Peninsula to Japan

• Southern part of Sakhalin• JAPAN BECOMES A WORLD POWER

US Relations• US recognized Japan’s role in Korea in

return for Japanese recognition of American authority in Philippines

• Japan annexes Korea in 1910• Japanese resented US efforts to

restrict immigration• Americans began to fear rise of

Japanese power in East Asia• The “Gentlemen’s Agreement” of 1907

Culture in an Era of Transition

• Literature• Novels patterned after French realism

• Invited technicians, engineers, architects, and artists from Europe and US

• Architecture• Backlash to Westernization• Japanese arts and crafts, porcelains, textiles,

fans, folding screens, woodblock prints become fashionable in Europe and US

• Japanese gardens especially popular in US