Ch 19 module

1. What accounts for the massive peasant rebellions of 19thcentury China?

Peasants rebelled claiming that they did not support the Qing Dynasty because of its foreign Manchu origins.
They demanded that the northern region be returned to the Han Dynasty. These peasants rejected Confucianism,
Daoism, and Buddhism as their primary ideology was their own form of Christianity. The leaders of this rebellion
had no intention of restoring Chinese society, instead they wanted a revolutionary change. Their demands were
as follows: the abolition of private property, redistribution of land, end of prostitution and opium smoking,
and the organizatio of society into sexually segregated military camps of men and women. Leaders claimed
that the Qing Dynasty had “poisoned China” and “defiled the emperor’s throne.”

2. How did Western pressures stimulate change in China during the 19thcentury?

Opium was a Western pressure that stimulated change in China. This is due to the fact that British,
American, and other Western merchants found that there was a profitable market for opium. This is
the main reason for the Opium Wars in China. Opium was smuggled into China and the addiction spread
from men and women, to court officials, students preparing for exams, soldiers going into combat,
and common laborers. Millions had become addicted and that’s when China decided to take action.
In 1836 the matter was taken to court where it became a matter of whether the rug should become
legalized or not. The decision was suppression of the drug. The first Opium War ended in 1842 as
the British imposed restrictions on Chinese sovereignty and opened five ports to European traders.
This agreement was the first of the “unequal treaties” to the Chinese people. The second Opium war in
1856 was a victory for the British who would take control of China.

11. How did Japan’s relationship to the larger world change during its modernization process?

The Treaty of 1902 acknowledged Japan as an equal player among the Great Powers of the world.
Japan was able to launch its own empire-building enterprise. The wars won against China and Russia
made Japan an intimidating military competitor in East Asia, since they were able to defeat a major
European power. In addition, Japan was able to gain control over Korea, Taiwan, and Manchuria.
Europeans and Americans saw Japan as an economic, political, and military competitor in Asia.
Japan’s defeat of Russia led to a widespread admiration among those who viewed Japan as a model
for the modern development of their own country and an ally in the struggle against imperialism.
People from all over the world began talking about the achievements of Japan. An Egyptian nationalist
by the name of Mustafa Kamil stated, “we are amazed by Japan because it is the first Eastern government t
o utilize Western civilization to resist the shield of European imperialism in Asia.” Although many admired
Japan, countries that faced Japanese imperialism had a very different point of view than the rest of the world.