#3024 - Week 3 Lecture Notes - Chinese Economic History Since 1850

Kangxi and Qianlong

• Well respected, hardworking and intelligent emperors of the previous century

• In contrast to 19^th Century who were corrupt

The Opium War was eminent

• Monetary and fiscal decline

• China relied on silver from South America

  • Supplies constrained with collapse of Spanish empire

• Britain found it unsuitable to ship large amounts of silver from Europe

  • Instead began to ship opium from India in exchange for silver

  • Further constraining silver supply

• Constraints of silver led to problems with tax collection

  • Farmers were unhappy to pay in silver, which was dramatically increasing in value

• In response, the government began to sell official ranks in return for silver

  • Against the tradition of civil examination system

  • Broke trust and principles in the bureaucracy

China conceded Hong Kong

• Although it was only rocks in the ocean back then

Also opened up treaty ports

• China was previously very closed

Chinas response to the opium/silver problem was slow

China could not grasp the concept of western politics

• Not used to warring nations and foreign competition

19^th century also so an increase in natural disasters and more frequent rebellion

Most prominent framework of studying Chinese history since Opium war

• Highly influential and effective

“Western challenge and Chinese response”

Advocated by John King Fairbank

Modern Chinese challenge was to search for an ideology and institutional response to the Western imperialism

Has some critics

• Paul Cohen et al. argue that it neglects:

  • Internal dynamism

  • The backlash against Western influence

• Overemphasizes external factors

• Western influence had huge regional variation

  • Barely reached the Hinterland

  • Focused on treaty port areas

• Chinas response was also economically rational and not just political or ideological

1^st stage: introduce Western technology

• Primarily military

2^nd stage: institutional reforms

• When 1^st stage failed

• Introduce Western style government, law and modern enterprise

3^rd stage: cultural reform

• Negation of Confucius ideology

Arrival of Western imperialism in China

Britain had little appetite for colonization

• Instead led to ‘free-trade’

Treaty ports placed Western commercial and political institutions in China

Started in Southern China

Caused huge damage to central and lower Yangzi regions

Two reasons for importance:

• Human cost (from 20 to 100 million)

• Qing government were bankrupted

  • Near hyperinflation

As a result, local militia rebellions formed and mobilized

• Took kelp from Westerners

• Introduced guns and modern warfare to China

Decline of Manchu military power

Rise of local Han Chinese bureaucrats

A period of trying to restore China after the Taiping Rebellion

Revival of traditional regime led by capable bureaucrats

• Zeng Guofan

• Li Hongzhang

• Zuo Zhongtang

Restoration of National Civil Service Examinations

Reinstated orthodox Confucius ideology

A conservative era

• But experimented with reform

  • ‘Self-strengthening movement’

Led by powerful bureaucrats of the Tongzhi Restoration

Wanted to introduce:

• Western military and heavy industry

• Modern navy

  • Seen as primary cause of Opium war defeat

But did not support private sector or public infrastructures

No major reform in governmental or legal institutions

Defeat by Japan was a turning point like the Opium war

• Japan won war by logistics

  • Had medical support, volunteers and nurses

Marked the collapse of the Self-strengthening movement

• Ineffectiveness of limited reform

Treaty of Shimonoseki legalized foreign manufacturing establishments in treaty ports

• Previously only trade and commerce was allowed

• Led to foreign direct investment

Led by Confucius scholars from Hunan province

• Confucius ideology came from central regions

Supported the young Guangxu emperor

Inspired by Meiji Japan after the Sino-Japanese War

Short-lived

• Crushed by the conservative forces connected with Dowager Cixi

Backlash against Western presence in China

• Particularly against missionary activities

• Claimed superpowers

Killed lots of Christian converts, missionaries and diplomats

• Western countries invaded including Japan

Following invasion, had to pay war reparations

• Gave Meiji Japan a basis to convert to the international Gold Standard

Dowager Cixi initiated reforms that echoed those of the Hundred Days’ Reform

Drafting of modern constitution and commercial law

• Helped by Japanese legal experts

Abolished National Civil Service Examination (1905)

Prepared for a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system

Founded new ministries

But had a vested interest in her self

Some argue that she slowed reform

• Others say this was in response to the Russian defeat by the Japanese in Manchuria

Qing collapsed in 1911

Beginning of republican...