What caused the Taiping Rebellion? How did it end? What caused the Taiping Rebellion? How did it end? What was opium? Why did the British use it in their trade with China? Describe the relationship between China and the West by the end of the 19th century.
Britain’s industrialized military easily defeated Qing naval t forces. The Treaty of Nanjing, which ended the war in 1842, largely on British terms, imposed numerous restrictions on Chinese sovereignty and opened five ports to European traders. Its provisions reflected the changed balance of global power that had emerged with Britain’s Industrial Revolution. But it was not the last of those treaties. Britain’s victory in a second Opium War (1856-1858) was accompanied by the brutal vandalizing of the emperor’s exquisite Summer Palace outside Beijing and resulted in further humiliations for the Chinese. Still more ports were opened to foreign s traders. Now those s foreigners were allowed to travel freely and buy land in China, to preach Christianity under the protection of Chinese authorities, and to patrol some of China’s rivers. Furthermore, the Chinese were forbidden to use the character for “barbarians” to refer to b the British in official documents. Following military defeats at the hands of the French (1885) and Japanese (1895), China lost control of Vietnam, Korea, and Taiwan. By the end of the century, the Western nations plus Japan and Russia had all carved out spheres of influence within China, granting themselves special privileges to establish military bases, extract raw materials, and build railroads.² M Spheres of Influence China, 1910 British Zone után 250 M 250 Kilometers France Baikal Russis French Zone British Zone Chongding French Indochina Russian Zone Japanese Zone Germany Zone Japanese Zone Yellow O Sea Macau (Port.) Britain Germany Japan Sea of Japan Korea East China Sea Taiwan Hong Kong (Br.) W Russia L E
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864) was one of the deadliest civil wars in history, caused by a combination of social, political, and economic factors. The immediate cause was the rise of Hong Xiuquan, who claimed to be the younger brother of Jesus Christ and the “Heavenly King” destined to overthrow the Qing Dynasty and establish a utopian “Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace.” Hong’s movement was fueled by discontent among the peasants due to the economic hardship, corruption, and ineffective governance of the Qing Dynasty. The spread of Christianity in China also played a role, as Hong and his followers blended Christian theology with Chinese traditions, creating a unique religious and political movement.
The rebellion initially succeeded in capturing large portions of southern China, including the capital of Nanjing. However, the Qing government, with assistance from Western powers like Britain and France, eventually crushed the movement. The rebellion ended in 1864 with the fall of Nanjing and the death of Hong Xiuquan, resulting in an estimated 20-30 million deaths. The Taiping Rebellion significantly weakened the Qing Dynasty and exposed its inability to manage internal unrest.
Opium is a narcotic derived from the opium poppy plant, which has been used for centuries for medicinal and recreational purposes. In the 19th century, British traders began exporting opium to China from India, primarily to balance trade deficits caused by the British demand for Chinese goods like tea, silk, and porcelain. The British East India Company found opium to be a highly profitable commodity, and its export to China grew rapidly, leading to widespread addiction. The Chinese government attempted to curtail the opium trade, which eventually led to the Opium Wars with Britain.
The Treaty of Nanjing (1842) ended the First Opium War, imposing heavy concessions on China, including the cession of Hong Kong to Britain and the opening of five treaty ports. In the Second Opium War (1856-1858), Britain and France defeated China again, extracting further concessions, including the right to establish trade and missionary operations in China. By the end of the 19th century, China had become increasingly fragmented, with Western powers, along with Japan and Russia, carving out spheres of influence. These foreign powers had special privileges, including military presence, economic control, and the ability to build infrastructure, severely undermining China’s sovereignty and contributing to its “Century of Humiliation.”