Research Paper on Failure of the Boxer Rebellion in China

Introduction

Any original inquiry into understanding 'Chinese Revolution' could spur an open discussion to a controversial series of complex events which include, Opium wars, Xinhai Revolution, Taiping Rebellion (Chappell 533-550), Cultural Revolution, and the Boxer Revolution. It is undoubtedly that the success of any form of Chinese Revolution as a whole is embedded in each dramatic and turbulent event that denotes that kind of revolution. Revolution in China is better understood through the long term course entitled the revolutionary process. It is critical that until today, no single general model of revolution is justified to explain all types of revolution which exist (Saxonberg 12-38). Various theorists like Karl Marx sees revolutions to be an outcome of desirable historical forces that end in a struggle between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. Indeed the Boxer Rebellion entailed a clash between sectarian and peasantry as evident from the elements of Boxers cult in contrary to Christianity and other foreign policies. This paper seeks to present an argument on the factors which ensured the failure of the Boxer Rebellion and what flaws the rebellion depicts about Qing Dynasty.

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Factors for the Failure of Boxer Rebellion

The unprecedented alliance which occurred in 1900 between eight powerful military nations in the world weaken the Boxer Rebellion. Despite the mission of the Boxer Rebellion being to exterminate all aspect of foreign influence in China, the countries which were to be terminated from China formed an alliance which had never emerged before to outdo the enemies one of them being Boxers. The powers that merged against the secret Boxer society include France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Austria-Hungary, Japan, the U.S., and Great Britain (Esherick 92). Britain utilized its better artillery to force China into the signing of the Nanjing Treaty that opened more ports to the foreign merchants. More western ideas dominated China as trading activities were put under the European control resulting in the spread of western philosophies, culture, and influence in the region. Reality depicts the Boxers as peasants who emerge from poor areas in China; the community believed that the westerners are the ones that cause poverty to the Boxers forgetting that the local warlords at some point were subjecting them to poverty (Druelle 23-78). The rebellious nature of the Boxers led western powers to deliberate on a way forward to counter the rebellion a result of the alliance.

The Boxers lacked sofiscated armaments to counter the western weapons. They depended on old Chinese agricultural tools like spades, forks, and clubs (Esherick 282). Also, the Boxers lacked military discipline and training making their attack to resemble that of hooligans against a well-planned military attack from the Western troop. Upon defeat, the Boxers resolved to practice some magic rituals which they believed could shield them from bullets. The leadership of the entire Boxer Rebellion was in a way confused. They were led by Prince Tuan who guided Boxers towards the emancipation from the influence of westerners. The reality is that they were puppets put in the hands of Qing Sovereign Dowager Tzu'u Hzi who acted deviously. At the point when Boxers emerge victoriously, she could link that success to herself claiming to have involved the help of the imperial army (Chappell 533-550). When the Boxers failed, she acts innocently as a fighter defending the Chinese land from the invasion of a foreign troop in Beijing.

Moreover, the frontal attacks wedged by the Boxers against the combined troops in Beijing was less fruitful on the side of the Boxers. The impending situation was that the western forces were flourishing in China amid the aim to relieve the existing legations in Beijing (Esherick 176). The more the number of white soldiers in China the more the dramatic situation faced the Boxers. The fixed military was not of any fruitful help to the Boxers when the foreign force wedged war against Boxer's headquarters; the Boxers began melting into the countryside as they could not withstand the pressure. Ironically, the rebellion acted in a manner less expected of them; leaders resolved to unite the enemies when they entered into a formidable coalition which divided other Chinese forces thereby merging a fragmented as well as a profoundly weak force. Basing on Chalmers revolution theory, the Boxer Revolution was inclined under four essential factors which include, social changes, incorporation of violence, success or failure, and based on distributive fairness in society. It is clear that social change was ostensibly at the introduction of the Boxer revolt in 1898 since the whole of China was facing an onslaught of numerous social upheavals an example of Opium wars, Sino-Japanese fights, and the Taiping unrest (Chappell 533-550). Series of turmoil induced more humiliation and stress to the Boxers where the effect of the burden laid on the peasant community while they struggle to avail sustenance. The Boxers thereby were defeated during the siege of Legations as the massive killings reduced the Boxer army.

Weaknesses That the Boxer Rebellion Reveal About Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty ran from 1644 to 1912; it is clear that the happenings in the Boxer Rebellion unveiled some hidden philosophies and other rot in the Qing dynasty. The empire was dominated by internal decay which it infested numerous different regimes in China and the neighborhood an example of the Romanov Empire in Russia. There was the development of corruption and incompetence which facilitated the emergence of revolutions a cause of the Boxer Revolution (Wasserstrom 159-168). The economy in China was poorly managed. Mismanagement of essential resources led to inflation which was out-of-control and much more affecting the peasant communities where the Boxer appraisal emerged from. Also, the Boxer revolt opened room for scholars to understand the ethnicity diversity which was in China over history. The Qing Dynasty was ruled by Manchu as well as China, which was enjoying ethnic diversity. Manchuria enjoyed ethnic diversity having communities like the Han as the majority of Chinese (Wasserstrom 159-168). Minority ethnic groups began developing mistrust together with the hatred that inspired popular anger from the Boxers against the reigning emperor.

The revolt to counter the Qing Dynasty wedged by the Boxer revolt (1899-1901) showcases an open salvo in anti-monarchical movements which proved nationalism in China. Yat-Sen was among the superior nationalists who came up with strong nationalism movement to end the Qing Dynasty. The struggle envisaged by the Boxers reveals what Karl Marx termed as the struggle between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie showing how landowners had to reiterate in an objective to protect the land they own from bandits. Qing government was spending more on military and other luxurious life for Ching which negatively impacted on the general economy of the empire (Wasserstrom 159-168). Reaching the year 1800, all the economic base of Ching's empire was weakening up much, and the population linking to Ching was significantly adding up. The population increase led to the emergence of many unemployed individuals who were quickly recruited to rebel troops like the Boxers. The revolt opens up room to understand the hardship which peasants were subjected to by Qing government that landed them into rebel groups to sustain life.

Boxer movement reveals how the Qing Empire was afraid of political competition in the land. When communism was not effectively working in China, some citizens like Sun Yat-Sen took the mantle to try and enhance how communism could be realized in China. In 1890s Sun Yat-Sen came up with an anti-Qing secret society which was to help peasants understand communism policy (Wasserstrom 159-168). The urge to make China a republic made Sun be a wanted man in the country leading to his escape out of the state in 1895. The main aim of Sun Yet-Sen was to have China that respects the three vital principles which include; democracy, people's active livelihood, and nationalism. The Qing Empire was in need to assassinate Yet-Sen illuminating Qing government as an enemy of freedom (Harrington 1-46).

Qing dynasty is not only considered as a weak empire. There are a significant amount of achievements which scholars attribute them to the kingdom. The art together with culture in China links to the reign of the Qing Empire. Numerous volumes of the encyclopedia were achieved amounting to 26,000 during Qing government. Also, during the reign, one of the best Chinese novels was written by the name 'Story of the Stone' that explicitly expresses Chinese emotions. The art of painting also expanded through the establishment of color schemes, particularly in porcelain. Finally, the borders of China grew and extended which was a very remarkable advancement by Qianlong. It is therefore imperative if any historian and politician acknowledge Qing Empire in China as it is the basic foundation of China as an art and cultural nation since what exists in the Chinese culture and art culminated from Qing Empire.

Works Cited

Chappell, Jonathan. "The limits of the Shanghai bridgehead: understanding British intervention in the Taiping rebellion 1860-62." The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History44.4 (2016): 533-550.

Druelle, Clotilde. "The Occupation of Belgium and Northern France." Feeding Occupied France during World War I. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2019. 23-78.

Esherick, Joseph W. The origins of the Boxer Uprising. Univ of California Press, 1988.

Harrington, Jerry. "Iowa's Last Liquor Battle: Governor Harold E. Hughes and the Liquor-by-the-Drink Conflict." The Annals of Iowa 76.1 (2017): 1-46.

Saxonberg, Steven. The Fall: A Comparative Study of the End of Communism in Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, and Poland. Routledge, 2017.

Wasserstrom, Jeffrey. "The Qing Dynasty's Past and the Communist Party's Future." The Washington Quarterly 39.3 (2016): 159-168.