The Opium War &

The Tai Ping Rebellion

Asia Studies
Pew, Wittida Chantawichayasuit 1104
Jidd, Vorawan Chanvorawit
1104

How the conflicts

in China lead to
the decline of
Qing Dynasty?

Internal conflicts:
- The corruption

The Decline of
Qing Dynasty

- Peasant unrest

Conflicts

- Lack of food sources

- Inability of the government

- Overpopulation

- Lack of advancement in military

technology
- Pressure from the West

The Decline of
Qing Dynasty
Conflicts

External conflicts:
- Trade deficit

1.The Opium War

The Decline of
Qing Dynasty

2.The Tai Ping Rebellion

Events

5. Imprisonment of The Emperor

Guang Xu

3.Self-strengthening
4.Sphere of Influences

6. Open-door Policy
7. The Boxer Rebellion*

The Opium War

Causes
China = isolated superior
- isolationist trade policy with the West wants nothing
External conflict: Trade deficit between Britain and China
- Britains import from > export to China
- import: tea, silver, silk
- export: opium

Causes
Anglo-Chinese War
- Chinese resisted Britains free-trade
demands and practices
- End high Chinese import on foreign trading
- The British found an excuse for war:
1. Unconditional trade in opium
2. China prohibited the importation of the drug
- Chinese addicted seize more opium

Causes
The high demand of opium in China widespread illegal
exportation of opium to the country.
- no longer can be ignored
- disrespectful to the emperor
- violate the Chinese law
- extraterritoriality in China British were superior to China

Effects
British won

Extraterritoriality - live in the

host country but use their
own laws

1842 - Treaty of Nanjing: China

- Opened 5 new ports trade with the West.
Canton, Amoy, Foochow, Shanghai, and
Ningbo.
Accept the concept of extraterritoriality
- Trade taxes limited to 5%
- pay for the cost of the war
- gave Hong Kong

Effects
A massive loss for the Chinese
Great Britain: trade profit
- West traded goods change
Introduction of free trade
Western influence

How the Opium

War influence
China today?

What?
Western Influence

How?
Remodernized! New
ideas about economic
system (use
nowadays) and
recognizes several
other powers that exist
in the world.

Change the mindset

about world

What?
Gave Hong Kong to
Britain

How?
Hong Kong became
one of the most
prosperous cities in
China.
China released a
movie named The
Opium War in 1997 to
represent the events
and lost.

Get Hong Kong back in

What?
Opened 5 ports for
trading with western
nations

How?
Economic growth in
China increase

Top 10 richest country

#2 economy (but low per
capita income)

Chinese per capita

GDP from 1980 2005

Chinese per capita GDP in 2009

The Tai Ping

Rebellion

Causes
Internal conflict: Inability of government
- corruption, overpopulation, famine
Solving economic problem
Peasant revolt Leader Hong Xiuquan

Hong Xiuquan
Teacher in southern China
- believed himself = younger brother of Jesus Christ.
- claim that he had a mission:
1. to save mankind
2. destroy the Qing dynasty.
Economic changes gathered peasants and people

Tai Pings Beliefs

Many sources had been used to create the Tai Pings belief
- Different religions
Christianity, Confucianism, Buddhism and, Daoism
- Ancient writings
An ideal system that had never practiced before
Very powerful
Confucianism/Ruism - a system of
philosophical and ethical-sociopolitical
teachings

Tai Pings Beliefs

Introduced common property
- Land reform
- Equal in gender
- NO Addictive substances
- Calendar and literary reforms
- New political-military organization

Effects
Qing Dynasty won
- weaken the dynasty
20 million people died
Treaty of Tianjin
- legalize the opium trade
open new ports

How the Tai Ping

Rebellion
influence China
today?

What?
Hong Xiuquan

How?
Sun Yat-sens
Nationalist idea
+
Mao Zedongs
Communist idea
=
Inspiration

Communist Revolution
(still uses communist
nowadays)

What?

How?

Lost of life in the incident

Once-fertile area in
Yangtze Valley was left

Created a desert for

next hundred years

References
1. Why Are Hundreds of Harvard Students Studying Ancient Chinese Philosophy?. (20132015). The Atlantic. Retrieved September 28, 2015 from
http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/10/why-are-hundreds-of-harvard-st
udents-studying-ancient-chinese-philosophy/280356/
2. The First Opium War. (n.d.). Period7-1Imperialism10. Retrieved September 28, 2015
from
http://period7-1imperialism10.wikispaces.com/Causes+and+Results+of+the+First+O
pium+War
3. Opium Wars. (2008-2015). Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved September 28, 2015 from
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Opium_Wars.aspx
4. Opium Wars. (2015). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved September 29, 2015 from
http://global.britannica.com/topic/Opium-Wars

References
5. Taiping Rebellion. (2010-2015). FindTheData. Retrieved September 28, 2015 from
http://wars.findthedata.com/l/25/Taiping-Rebellion
6. Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864). (2009-2015). Asia for Educators. Retrieved September
28, 2015 from http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/china_1750_taiping.htm
7. The Taiping Rebellion. (1998-2015). Exploring Chinese History. Retrieved October 1,
2015 from http://www.ibiblio.org/chinesehistory/contents/03pol/c03s02.html