The Boxer Uprising

Question 1

When was the Boxer Rebellion?

Answer 1

1899-1900

Question 2

Who were the Boxers?

Answer 2

‘The Righteous and Harmonious Fists’- anti-foreigner group who practised martial arts and believed they had special powers to deflect bullets

Question 3

What was the Boxer’s chief catchcry?

Answer 3

“Support the Qing, exterminate the foreigners!”

Question 4

What did they call Westerners?

Answer 4

Primary Hairy Ones

Question 5

What did they call Chinese converts to Christianity?

Answer 5

Secondary Hairy Ones

Question 6

How many people did the Boxers kill?

Answer 6

250 Westerners

Countless Chinese

Question 7

What did the Boxers destroy?

Answer 7

Anything related to foreigners, such as churches and missionaries and railways

Question 8

Why did the Boxers initially rise up?

Answer 8

The increasing influence of the West was harming the feng shui of the country… e.g. the railways were cutting the “dragon’s vein”

Thus, the severe flooding and drought in Shandong was believed to be a result of increased foreign influence

Question 9

What did Cixi do between 1899 and 1900 to support the Boxers?

Answer 9

Released edicts to endorse and encourage their behaviour

Question 10

Where did the Boxer’s begin their rampage (geographically)?

Answer 10

Hubei and Shandong

Question 11

When did the Boxers reach Beijing?

Answer 11

13th June 1900

Question 12

What did the Ironhats do to show their support for the Boxers in Beijing?

Answer 12

Invited them to serve as guards at their homes

Question 13

When were the British and German diplomats killed? And what did this cause?

Answer 13

June 1900

Legations opened fire on the Boxers

Question 14

How did Britain respond to the Boxer crisis in Beijing?

Answer 14

Moved a precautionary force from Tianjin to Beijing- they were turned back by the Boxers

Question 15

What made Cixi decide, on the 21st June, to side with the Boxers, rather than the foreign countries by declaring war on these countries?

Answer 15

• The British march to Beijing was perceived as an act of war against her country
• She did not want to lose the faith of the people, who supported the Boxers as they were getting rid of the foreign problem

Question 16

What was the response of Chinese Viceroys?

Answer 16

Refused to help the Boxers attack legations between 21st June and 14th August to maintain their lucrative ties with the west- They even protected the embassies

Question 17

When did the nine nation army march on Beijing?

Answer 17

4th August

Question 18

How many soldiers were in the 9 nation army?

Answer 18

18,000

Question 19

When were legations liberated?

Answer 19

14th August

Question 20

Where did Cixi and Guangxu flee to?

Answer 20

Xi’an

Question 21

What did the foreign invaders do to Beijing after the defeat of the Boxers?

Answer 21

• Loot, pillage, rape

- Divided into sections controlled by each country

Question 22

When was the Boxer Protocol signed?

Answer 22

1901

Question 23

What were the monetary conditions of the protocol?

Answer 23

Foreign power received indemnity of 450 million silver dollars

Question 24

What were the military conditions of the Boxer protocol?

Answer 24

• Forts of Dagu not to be rebuilt
• Two-year ban on arms importations
• Foreign troops stationed indefinitely

Question 25

What were the non-military and non-monetary conditions of the Boxer Protocol?

Answer 25

• Pro-boxer officials removed from office
• Permanent guard patrolled foreign legations in Beijing
• Imperial exams in Boxer dominated regions suspended for 5 years

Question 26

In terms of the Chinese people, what was the result of the Boxer Uprising?

Answer 26

Emerging sense of nationalism among people

Damaged popular support for the Qing- the uprising and subsequent protocol were the culmination of China’s humiliation at the hands of foreign powers

Question 27

Immanuel Hsu on the Boxers-

Answer 27

“The war dogs had been unleashed, and would now, uncontrolled, run ravening and slavering about Northern China”

Question 28

Cixi contemplating her decision-

Answer 28

“if the Boxers are not suppressed, the Legations threaten to take action- if the attempt to suppress them is made… [we] will be converted into an anti-dynastic movement”

Question 29

Cixi on China-

Answer 29

“China has been extremely weak, if we lose them, how can we maintain our country?”