Opening up China to foreigners 1860-70 Flashcards
when did Britain initially try to open up China
1793
why did Britain fail initially
British representatives failed to perform the Kowtow
what is the Kowtow
sign of respect performed before the emperor
what caused the first Opium war in 1839
Chinese officials attempted to stop the British opium trade in china
events of the first opium war
Britain crushed china with their superior navy, Chinas military was very outdated
what were some terms in the Treaty of Nanjing
- opened up 5 Chinese port cities to western trade
- made Britian MFN
- 21 million paid to Britain
- Extraterritoriality
- Honk kong was ceded to Britain
extraterritoriality
exempt from the jurisdiction of local law
Canton System
Chinas old foreign trade system were only a select few merchants by the emperor were allowed to trade with foreigners
why were Britain interested in China early on
Britain wanted to sell their goods in china as they saw a huge market, they also wanted Chinese porcelain and tea
When was the treaty of Nanjing
1842
what was the impact of treaty of Nanjing
seriously destabilised china and opened them up to foreigners, it only sparked foreign interest in china
Barbarian
inferior term for uncivilised people, china used it for foreigners
Why was Britain not happy with the treaty of Nanjing
- Qing officials didn’t want to cooperate
- Chinese citizens weren’t interested in British goods and couldn’t afford them
why were china happy to fight the foreigners in the mid 1800s
they still viewed themselves as military superior
what were the events in 1856 that Britain and France used as an excuse for war with china
Arrow incident where British merchants on the ship were arrested by China for smuggling, Britain then went to war as they received no apology or assurance, France also had a catholic missionary murdered
what were the events in the second opium war
- British and French warships destroyed Chinese defence capturing Canton and threatening Beijing
What are the dates for the second opium war
1856-60
Terms of the Treaty of Tianjin 1860
- Opium was legalised
- Christianity was tolerated and missionaries allowed free movement
- Opened up ten more treaty ports
- Large war indemnity sums
- clause permitting Chinese emigration on British ships
What happened in Tianjin in 1859
British and French officials travelled there to negotiate the treaty but China reignited their opposition and fought back which angered the foreigners further so the treaty became harsher and they burnt the summer palace.
Why was the treaty of Tianjin significant
it opened China up even further to foreign trade and opened them up culturally
who wanted to destroy the entire Forbidden City in 1860
Lord Elgin
Why did the British not want to be too harsh on the Qing dynasty and keep them in power
Britain didn’t want to endanger a Qing collapse which would jeopardise all their concessions and trade agreements, so they aimed for peace.
Taiping Rebellion
led by Hong Xiuquan rebelled against the Qing dynasty in favour of social reform
what is the date of the Taiping rebellion
1850-64
Why did the foreigners ally with China after the treaty of Tianjin and defeat the Taiping Rebellion
They wanted to protect their economic interests in China that stood with the Qing dynasty and didn’t want negotiate with a new government
What was the ever victorious army
The group of western mercenaries led by Frederick Townsend Ward who subdued the taiping rebellion
What was the change in China between 1800 and 1860
Foreigners had now become equal in China and it was Clear China must adopt foreign ways and methods to modernise and not collapse
Self - Strengthening movement
China needed to adopt western strategies mainly military in order to be able to defeat them
who was the new emperor after the treaty of Tianjin
Tongzhi
What are some examples of the self strengthening movement
- Jianghan Arsenal 1865
- Fuzhou Shipyard
- Sent students to learn abroad
what were the flaws in the self strengthening movement
didn’t focus at all on infrastructure and industrialisation which would be necessary to truely modernise
Why were treaty ports opening on the Yangtze significant
it allowed foreign trade to spread inland
Why was legalising Opium significant
it hugely negatively impacted Chinas finances as so much money was spent on opium and benefitted Britain greatly
Why was the opening of treaty ports significant
growth in foreign presence and trade which began to modernise china very slowly
how did Britain abuse their extraterritoriality in treaty ports
they impose low tariffs so they could import in large amounts of British goods to china
one example of foreign trade modernising in port cities
cotton mills were established in Shanghai
Comprador
Chinese agents who worked for foreigners translating helping to promote foreign trade
why were the Compradors significant
Chinas first entrepreneurs and first formation of a middle class in China which showed a growing modernisation
what did the conservatives in the Qing Government believe
Opposed growth in foreign trade and adoption of anything foreign as it challenged sacred Chinese confucian values
Why was foreign trade limited
- restricted to only port cities
- most Chinese population were too poor to buy foreign goods
- conservative Government
Tongzhi Restoration
Chinas attempt to modernise and strengthen following internal rebellions and opium wars
Why did Shanghai prosper
its geography at the mouth of the Yangtze River and it already had established trade routes as a fishing port
when did Britain establish a settlement in Shanghai and what did it cause
1845 and it became very western with luxury things and many banks like HSBC 1865
Tongwenguan
school established in 1862 to teach foreign languages and science
What was wrong with Chinas previous Education
- Jinshi exams were thousands of years old
- Studied only Chinese culture
- Studies calligraphy
when were other foreign language schools made in Shanghai and guagnzhou
1863
Why were the jiangnan arsenal and Fuzhou shipyard schools significant
they educated students on western technology and languages feeling the self strengthening movement
what is the Zongli Yamen and when was it set up
Chinese Governments first board of foreign ambassadors in 1860
what did the Zongli Yamen aim to do
familiarise with international law and diplomacy so China would be exploited by unfair treaties again
What is the example of Zongli Yamen and Prince Gongs growing diplomatic understanding in 1864
China pointed out the error in the Prussian capture of 3 danish ships in Chinese waters and were compensated.
What was Elements of International Law 1836
Book about diplomacy used by zongli amen and translated in 1864
What were other examples of growing diplomacy in the 1860s
China sent delegations on international missions to improve relations and understanding of the western world
What was the most clear example of growing western influence in China
Growth of Christianity from missionaries
Who did Christianity become popular with in China
poorer Chinese and oppressed minority groups who opposed Qing rule
How did missionaries help China to modernise socially
Chinese converts to Christianity became associated with social reform as they were against the Qing and old Chinese traditions like foot binding
how many Chinese converted by 1900
700 000 catholics
Why was the hostility towards christians and converts
- accused of rape and incest
- associated with Taiping rebellion
proselytising
converting to christianity
Why were missionary schools significant
- translated many western works
- educated Chinese youth on christianity from a young age
- gave basic learning to many Chinese
- weakened the Qing by proposing alternative religion to confucian
How did missionaries help socially
- cared for diseased and opium addicts
- created orphanages
- helped give women status as women were significantly subservient in china
What caused Chinese resentment that led to the Tianjin massacre in 1870
- Catholic nuns had been kidnapping children for orphanages
- Baptism caused disease
- French church was constructed on site of buddhist temple
feng shui
Chinese belief of the flow of energy and Catholic Churches blocked this
What were the events that directly caused the Tianjin massacre
anti catholic protesters gathered outside the cathedral and a French diplomat demanded to the local magistrate that they dispersed and ended up shooting his servant
what were the events of the Tianjin massacre
- 60 converts and missionaries dead
- French diplomat was murdered
- cathedral and orphanage were burnt down
- French gunboats were dispatched
impact of the Tianjin massacre
- Chinese instigators were executed and a formal apology presented
- only further increased anti foreign feeling in china
- Foreign distrust in Qing government
- showed western powers were still far superior with gunboat diplomacy
