How Did The Boxer Uprising Affect China

The Boxer Uprising China during the late nineteenth century was in turmoil from external and internal forces. The underlining internal pressures were exacerbated by the thrust of western imperialism and exploitation. Imperialism and the west were the catalyst for the Boxer Uprising. The ingredients of descent and conflict were always present in the late nineteenth century. China had its difficulties without the west’s intrusion. The Boxer Uprising was a reaction against the West, not a rebellion against the Qing Dynasty. The Boxer uprising differs from Taping rebellion in that regard. In this essay, I will illustrate the slow incremental effects of the Imperialist powers on China. This process gives insight into the origins of the Boxer Uprising.
So I will look at the impact of outside influence on China and how China reacted to the pressure. Finally, I will look at the impact of the Boxer Uprising. China’s first major change in policy with regard to the west was set with the Portuguese. The Portuguese first attempted to trade with China, there was an awful precedent that the rest of the West would follow. The Portuguese used force to get what they wanted with regard to trade, port access, and settlement. The Portuguese were considered like bandits, but the Chinese allowed for them to trade and eventually settle. The Chinese viewed themselves as superior and these foreigners as less than civilized. This was integral part of Chinese thinking and was a major factor in the reasoning in the way China dealt with the West. According to Wakeman, the Chinese viewed themselves as superior to all other societies, he states, “The Chinese did not stereotype all barbarians in a single undifferentiated category. They were acutely of the differences between Mongols khans....and Dutch merchants. But all barbarians were placed beneath the Chinese in an ideal world order of which their empire was the Central Kingdom”
The conservatives argued, that threatened China’ values and way of life (Wakeman pg. 139). They went down the path of the conservatives and paid for it. I would argue, that China started using Western values when they signed the Treaty of Nanking. They became apart of the West and its values: most-favored nation, extra-territorial rights of foreigners and free-trade by opening up ports. These are the values Western powers today still fight for, what’s more Western? As China viewed the West as sub-human, they didn’t adapt until it was too late. The success of Japan can be measured on their ability to adapt, at the same time, keep certain cultural values. China is a different circumstance than Japan, but the decision and perception of China definitely changed its course, once again deterministic. The Boxers were the reaction to the helplessness of China’s government and actions by foreigners. In a state of chaos and anarchy, like in the streets of Los Angeles, one searches for away to survive and find security. The Boxers were founded on quasi-religious/entertainment movement. As the need for protection came about, so did the need for