FREE ESSAY ON THE BOXER REBELLION

THE BOXER REBELLION

The Boxer Uprising
China during the late nineteenth century was in turmoil from external and internal
forces. The underlining internal pressures were exacerbated by the thrust of western
imperialism and exploitation. Imperialism and the west were the catalyst for the Boxer
Uprising. The ingredients of descent and conflict were always present in the late
nineteenth century. China had its difficulties without the west's intrusion. The Boxer
Uprising was a reaction against the West, not a rebellion against the Qing Dynasty. The
Boxer uprising differs from Taping rebellion in that regard. 
In this essay, I will illustrate the slow incremental effects of the Imperialist powers
on China. This process gives insight into the origins of the Boxer Uprising. I will also
argue, that the way the Chinese government choose to deal with the West compounded its
problems. There were major decisions which led to the Boxer Uprising and the demise of an
empire. The first decision between gunboat and appeasement in dealing with the west. The
second decision was between Chinese culture and western studies. The third major decision
between managing western powers and ignoring them. The Chinese leadership made key
decisions which led to the ultimate demise of Imperial China. So I will look at the
impact of outside influence on China and how China reacted to the pressure. Finally, I
will look at the impact of the Boxer Uprising. 
China's first major change in policy with regard to the west was set with the Portuguese.
The Portuguese first attempted to trade with China, there was an awful precedent that the
rest of the West would follow. The Portuguese used force to get what they wanted with
regard to trade, port access, and settlement. The Portuguese were considered like
bandits, but the Chinese allowed for them to trade and eventually settle. The Chinese
viewed themselves as superior and these foreigners as less than civilized. This was
integral part of Chinese thinking and was a major factor in the reasoning in the way
China dealt with the West. According to Wakeman, the Chinese viewed themselves as
superior to all other societies, he states, "The Chinese did not stereotype all
barbarians in a single undifferentiated category. They were acutely of the differences
between Mongols khans....and Dutch merchants. But all barbarians were placed beneath the
Chinese in an ideal world order of which their empire was the Central Kingdom" (pg. 111).
This Chinese "world order" has an extreme consequence later when western powers flooded
into China. This view of superiority sets the tone for the relationship between China and
the West. 
As England moved in to the Trade picture, represented by the East India Company, it would
eventually bring opium. Opium was illegal in China and England regardless, imported it to
balance trade. Opium became toxic to the economy of China, to its addicts, and to the
framework of Chinese agrarian society (Wakeman pg. 127-128). This drug bled the silver
out of China and destroyed the value of copper and the ability of peasants to pay their
rent. The illegal importation of opium and the war over it, illustrated the extent the
west was going to act over profit, China's perception of the west as barbarians, I feel
clouded their perception and affected their decision over what to do about some critical
decisions. Granted, opium was a serious problem, but even the most simplest of life
forms, barbarians, can cause major problems. After China losing the Opium Wars, they
marked the entrance of western imperialism into China with Treaty of Nanking. If China
perceived the West as a real threat and not as a barbarian, why concede? The Treaty of
Nanking was one of many known as "unequal treaties" (Wakeman, pg. 137). The treaty was
based on a policy of appeasement that gave the west a strangle hold in China. China was
now dealing with the west on its terms and those terms would be granted to all other
countries, this was known as the most-favored nation principle. China's defense was to
deal with the West, "Divide and rule" was breached (Wakeman 140). The Treaty of Nanking
set an era of concessions, appeasement, and marked a beginning for resentment against the
west. The Treaty of Tiensen ratified the force of the west and the Chinese appeasement
policy. This treaty forced the Chinese to legalize opium. 
As the west intruded into China, according to Esherick, the main disturbances to Chinese
day to day life and that affected the Boxer activity came from the cotton trade and
Christian missionaries. The affects of western mass production affected the Chinese
competitiveness with hand woven cotton. Although, according Esherick, "The Western and
Japanese imperialism had no economic impact on this (Boxer) area. Rather it seems that
these regions lost crucial markets to foreign imports of yarn and cotton, yet ....too
lacking in alternative resources to enjoy and stimulate effects. The Chinese could not
replace their cotton industry, kind of like California with its aerospace industry, thus
they lost their competitive edge in a global market. This added one type of underlining
antagonism against the west and an essential part of the undermining of the Chinese
economic competiveness. The next and more profound direct affect on China and the Boxer's
perception of the west and added to internal pressures was through Catholic missionaries.
One major element of discontent produced by these missionaries is their use and abuse of
political power for their converts. Esherick states that, "Christian duty required
foreign missionaries to intervene to defend their converts in all manner of
disputes...occasionally dishonest persons will try to misuse the kindness of the
missionary," and these converts had, "The unfair advantage Christian gained from their
foreign connection- especially in lawsuits..." (pg. 82 -83). This helped undermine the
confidence of the Chinese people in their own government. This also alienated another
group of people in a society plagued with inequalities: from peasant to gentry. The two
elements described here are not reasons for revolution, but are elements that polarize an
already difficult situation. The West became a catalyst for a formula with volatile
ingredients. The Chinese economy already had economic and political inequalities, but
adding the West into mix complicated the situation. The foreigners were gaining influence
and power over the China's government, which gave its citizens reasons to unite around. I
would argue that the West set the wheels moving faster, may be I'm a little
deterministic, but I feel that the people of China were discontented and desired change.
I also feel that extremism breeds extremism. That during extreme times of economic
decline or the use of extreme abuses of power can bring about, an opposite and equal
extreme reaction. All also feel that politics starts at the local level. The origins of
the Boxer movement is a reaction to the extreme actions taken by the West and the extreme
economic hardship endured by the people. The difficulty with calling these problems
extreme is because the change was incremental, long-term, and affected all levels of its
society. The West pressured China internally and externally. 
The reaction by the Chinese government compounded its problem. There were two options for
the government, adapt and replicate or keep them "at arms length" and "control the
barbarians" (Wakeman pg. 139). The progressive argument, was to master the West's
technology and use it against them. The conservatives argued, that threatened China'
values and way of life (Wakeman pg. 139). They went down the path of the conservatives
and paid for it. I would argue, that China started using Western values when they signed
the Treaty of Nanking. They became apart of the West and its values: most-favored nation,
extra-territorial rights of foreigners and free-trade by opening up ports. These are the
values Western powers today still fight for, what's more Western? As China viewed the
West as sub-human, they didn't adapt until it was too late. The success of Japan can be
measured on their ability to adapt, at the same time, keep certain cultural values. China
is a different circumstance than Japan, but the decision and perception of China
definitely changed its course, once again deterministic. The Boxers were the reaction to
the helplessness of China's government and actions by foreigners. 
In a state of chaos and anarchy, like in the streets of Los Angeles, one searches for
away to survive and find security. The Boxers were founded on
quasi-religious/entertainment movement. As the need for protection came about, so did the
need for Boxers. The Boxer's belief in magical power element seems self-serving for those
looking for a feeling of security, especially when faced against all odds. The Boxer
movement was became more and more powerful by filling the gap left by the government's
inability to respond to change. Change that was stimulated by the concessions to the West
and the inability to adapt to those changes. As major problems to tend to divide, it also
can unite, as the United States united against the Soviet Union in the Cold War. With a
history of xenophobia, it was easy for the Boxers to unite against a common enemy, those
foreigners. Everything about the West was foreign, from its religion to its goods. As it
adopted the motto, "Support the Qing, destroy the foreign," the goal was simple (Esherick
pg. 68). The interesting thing, to me, is the fact the Boxer Uprising didn't blame the
Qing Dynasty for not keeping the Mandate of Heaven. This seems to reflect the
non-traditional origins of the Boxer Movement and illustrate more of a reaction to a
current circumstance than a long-term political movement. 
The impact of the West was a slow long-term process, as the Boxer 
movement was. As the West slowly undermined the power of the Chinese government, the
Boxer usurped the power by default. The difficulty in finding the trigger to the Boxer
Movement was in the slow process of Western Imperialism. The face of Western Imperialism
came with opium, unequal treaties, and Catholic Missionaries. The internal pressure of
social and political inequalities had always been apart of Chinese society. But with the
West, the Boxers put a face on inequality and found a common enemy.