Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
RULINGS: QING DYNASTY - Coggle Diagram
RULINGS: QING DYNASTY
KEY FIGURES
- Cixi: Manchu noblewoman. She wanted power in the court so adopted Guangxu to make herself Empress Dowager. Between 1898-1908 she struggled to manage rebellions, faced Western threats, and had failed attempts at reform- despite this she had to maintain support from coutiers. Died in 1908.
- Guangxu Emperor: Weak and inexperienced ruler. Adopted by Cixi to maintain power in court, and was overthrown by her in the 100 Days (1898).
- Puyi: Became emperor at 2yrs old- chosen by Cixi as her nephew. Ruled from 1908-12 but his uncle, Prince Chun, named regent, and his mother were the ones actually ruling. Overthrown by Yuan Shikai in 1912 but remined living in China.
- Yuan Shikai: General and statesman. Initially served Qing but joined forces with Sun Yatsen as practical leader following fall of Qing (1911).
- Sun Yatsen: Emerged ideas of nationalism/CM. Became ideological leader alongside Yuan Shikai following fall of Qing (1911). Led China's Republic Era (1912-49)
-
EVENTS
- Confucianism: believed in prioritising social harmony- achieved by accepting status quo, embreacing social order, people must be obedient to their superiors. harmful to challenge social order- challengers would be imprisoned or killed. China stuck to beliefs despite global modernization. Civil servants were prestige gov roles, enetered through hard Confucian exams.
- Rebellions: Taiping (1850-64)- largest and most threatening, 50M dead (crushed by Qing-West army), led by Hong and supported by Hakka and peasants
Nian (1853-68)- Qing neglected northern peasants struggling with flooding, wouldve been serious if allied with other rebellions
Dungan (1862-77)- Han Chinese vs Muslim groups, took long to stop but wasnt serious
Panthay (1856-73): Muslim rebel groups, Qing-French suppressed ruthelessly
Boxer (18981-1901)- attacked West, rebels believed they were bulletproof, Qing worried about them being a threat- sent Yuan Shikai to stop them, Qing-Boxer army began and later was defeated by the West.
- Reforms: Caused by- Opium Wars, rebellion prevention, China giving ports and wealthy cities to West, concession zones also given as part of peace agreements, expensive reperations to West ($36M after both opium wars), forced to trade with West without taxes. Done to deter China from Western resistance, and for West to exploit them. China tried to strengthen economy to afford to fight back- meant theyd afford to defeat rebellions which would benefit efficient ruling as a united country.
- Self-Strengthening Movement (1861): Began with Li Hongzhang who'd been asked by Cixi to try strengthen the economy- acted freely as a non-gov representative which excluded prevention by conservative confucius faction. Avoided challenging political structure to smoothen reform process and wanted to learn from West to help Chinese economy to be free from West and suppress rebellions better- he arranged commercial deals with foreign companies and gov, made joint-stock companies so companies can grow with priv/gov agency investment developed Shanghai textile industry, ensured steamships used for trading, developed telegraphs and railways for more profit. He never embraced Western democracy/education to avoid capitalist growth- complexicated capitalist reforms that could grow economy.
- Sheng: Continued this by making Imperial Bank of China (1897) to try stabalise volatile finances- linked this to HSBC which also advised him which in turn strenghtened them. Quickly became successful yet bank wanted to act independent of foreign influence. Merchant ships improved to help trading- more ships encouraged more textile factories, coal mines, iron and steelworks. Expanded railways, improved telegraph system. Made an engineering university, sent cadres to study in Japan due to better military knowledge. Navy built more arsenals and bought new warships to resist West- maintained by dry docks.
- Movement neglected South/inland areas- reforms became geographically uneven, especially as Self-Strengtheners made a small part of the population. Li and Sheng struggled with passing reforms- limited due to regressive royal court. Cixi, although progressive, occaisionally sided with conservative courtiers for support. Royal court misspent self-strengtheners money. Movement couldnt train enough mc workers/managers for proper reform implementation due to China's poor, Confucian education. Infrastructure reforms overlooked necessary fixings. Chinese had very little sense of entrepreneurship- reforms wouldve progressed faster otherwise.
- 100 Days Reforms (1898): China forced to give treaty ports and $230M silver dollars to Japan in Treaty of Shimonoseki post-1st Sino-Jap War. West leveraged weaknesses in Scramble for Concessions. Guangxhu advised to start a new set of (economic) reforms- many Confucian conservative advisors/officials wanted obedience to status quo. Reforms abolished Confucius exams- wanted to replace officials with technological/managerial knowledge. Modified civil service. Reorganised industry. Conservative officials (court majority) opposed it before it could even progress. Cixi leveraged this for a coup to steal power from Guangxhu with official conservative support. She said she was traditional but didnt want China to be Western (despite embracing reforms). Her army sent to the Forbidden City forced Guangxhu to retreat his once he realised her practical power and suppports. Propositions outside of educating officials, the civil service, and industry, were stopped.
- Constitutional Monarchy Reforms: Japan’s CM and its 1905 victory over Russia, which secured part of Manchuria, highlighted to China the need for reform to survive. After the Boxer Rebellion (1899), reformist Liang Qichao pushed for nationalism and a CM, pressuring the Qing court into constitutional reform. In 1906, Cixi approved changes, leading to local elections and parliaments by 1907. However, reforms stalled as the court retained imperial control, issuing only an "Outline of the Constitution" in 1908 and delaying implementation for nine years. Prince Chun established Provincial Assemblies in 1909 but slowed reforms to preserve Manchu dominance. Attempts by provincial representatives in 1910 to petition for a national parliament failed. In 1911, Chun’s "Royal Cabinet," dominated by Manchu elites, confirmed the Qing’s reluctance to reform. Provincial assemblies protested, but the Qing’s resistance to meaningful change undermined any progress.
- 1911 Reforms: The 1911 Revolution stemmed from multiple causes, including Qing land seizures with inadequate compensation, private company influence, and high taxation largely funding treaty payments and palace expenses instead of aiding peasants. Calls for a national assembly were ignored, fuelling resentment towards the Qing for using constitutional reforms to strengthen Manchu power, such as the Clan Cabinet. Revolutionary ideas spread through education, the army, and Sun Yat-sen’s advocacy for nationalism and a CM. Secret societies and local armies loyal to Yuan Shikai or regional leaders increased rebellion risks.In October 1911, revolutionary soldiers in Wuhan overthrew local Qing leaders, supported by Han commercial leaders and secret societies. Provinces declared independence, forming a republic in Nanjing by November, with Sun as president. Yuan Shikai, dismissed by the Qing, joined the revolutionaries and forced the Qing to abdicate in early 1912. Yuan emerged as leader, overshadowing Sun in a power struggle.
COMPARISON TO OTHER ERAS
-
SIMILARITIES
- GMD: both achieved through censorship
- Mao: both supported by smaller political sectors + both had ultimate (absolute) power
- Yuan: both had forms of imperial powers
- Warlords: both had 0 democracy