Causes and Course of the Boxer Rebellion (1900–1901)
- The Boxer Rebellion was an anti-foreign and anti-Christian uprising led by peasants known as the Righteous and Harmonious Fists.
- Years of natural disasters, poverty, and anger toward foreign influence caused resentment among ordinary Chinese.
- Boxers targeted foreign missionaries, Chinese Christians, and Western businesses, blaming them for China’s suffering.
- Many local officials tolerated or secretly supported the movement because it directed anger away from the Qing government.
- When the Boxers reached Beijing, Empress Dowager Cixi declared war on foreign powers, leading to a disastrous invasion by the Eight-Nation Alliance (Britain, Japan, Russia, France, Germany, USA, Italy, Austria-Hungary).
Definition
Missionary
- a person sent to spread a religion, often Christianity.
Definition
Alliance
an agreement between countries to support each other militarily or politically.
The Boxer Rebellion
The Uprising
- The Boxers destroyed foreign property and killed foreigners and Chinese converts to Christianity.
- They believed martial arts and spiritual rituals made them invulnerable to bullets.
- The Qing court’s mixed response divided leaders; some saw the Boxers as patriots, others as a threat.
- The siege of foreign legations in Beijing led to brutal fighting and foreign intervention.
Consequences of Defeat
- The Boxer Protocol (1901) forced China to pay 450 million taels of silver in indemnities to foreign powers.
- Foreign troops were stationed permanently in Beijing to protect diplomats.
- China’s sovereignty was further weakened, and the Qing dynasty’s reputation suffered.
- The defeat showed that China needed urgent modernization to survive in a world dominated by industrial powers.
The Late Qing Reforms (1901–1911)
- After the Boxer defeat, Cixi and reform-minded officials introduced the Late Qing Reforms to modernize government, education, and the military.
- These reforms aimed to rebuild China’s strength and prevent revolution.
- The New Policies (1901–1911) focused on centralizing administration, expanding education, and improving defense.
