Nature of The Boxer Movement
Nature of The Boxer Movement
No fruitful inquiry into the Boxer was a natural outcome of the economic
Movement would be possible without changes that took place in China following
answering 3 questions: the arrival of these imperialist powers.
Christian missionary activity too was not de-
(1) Whether the Boxer Movement was anti- linked from this economic exploitation by
foreign or anti-Christian; the foreigners in China.
(2) Whether the Boxer organization was a On the 2nd contention, George
militia or a heretical sect; Steiger firmly denied that the Boxers were a
(3) Whether the Boxer Movement was pro- religious sect with a heretical organization.
or anti-dynastic. Queen Tzu Hsi’s decree of 1898-99, gave the
Boxer organization an official status. The
Touching upon the 1st controversy Victor sole purpose of this organization was to
Purcell’s conclusion is that, “The Boxer control the growing advance of foreign
movement was anti-foreign and therefore imperialist powers. Heretical would suggest
anti-Christian.” The Chinese did not relish that the movement was unorthodox, anti-
the demonstration of cultural and racial government and anti-state, which Steiger
superiority by Western Christians in China. pointed out that, it was not.
The Western Christian drive to destroy
China’s cultural identity also invited anti- Victor Purcell has divided the Boxer
Western and anti-Christian feelings. But Movement into phases, where at different
Purcell pointed out that the Chinese were times the movement developed a religious
against the missionaries not because of their and heretical character and adopted an anti-
religion, but because they were foreigners Manchu stand, and at times a character
and all foreigners were symbols of similar to the militia. He treats the Boxer
imperialism. Movement as a continuation of and follow-
up of the White Lotus and the Nian
Centering on the Boxer Movement is rebellions. He pointed out similarities
the Western historians’ argument that, there between the White Lotus Society and the
took place the unprecedented demonstration Boxers such as the practice of calisthenics,
of xenophobia by the Chinese people. belief in equality of sexes, the reliance on
However, Purcell argues that the Boxer Buddhist and Taoist ideology, anti-Manchu
Movement was essentially a peasant leanings and Ming links.
movement – a struggle of the rural and
urban social strata against the feudal forces. Using a dialectic approach, Purcell
Further, though through the phases of said that in the early stages, the Boxer
merchant capitalism, industrial capitalism Movement was anti-Manchu, their slogan
and finance imperialism, foreign being “Overthrow the Qing, restore the
encroachments had increased, leading to a Ming.” At this stage, the Boxer organization
simultaneous increase in the hatred felt by did have a heretical character. But with the
the Chinese masses towards the foreigners, growth of foreign intrusion, Boxers became
this hatred cannot be called xenophobic. It pro-Manchu and at this stage adopted a
militia-like character, in response to the
Nature of the Boxer Movement