Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • Boxer Movement

    Uploaded by

    shauryapratapsingh294
    42 views3 pages
    The Boxer Rebellion of 1900 was a major peasant uprising in China against foreign imperialism and Christian missionaries. It emerged from secret societies that practiced martial arts and sought to expel foreign influence. Though initially not supported by the Chinese government, the Boxers took on a nationalist character and opposed both foreign powers and the weakened Chinese dynasty. The uprising dealt major blows to imperialists but was ultimately suppressed. However, it significantly raised Chinese nationalist sentiment and patriotic consciousness, fueling later revolutionary movements that weakened foreign control and eventually led to the fall of the Chinese monarchy.

    Original Description:

    Boxer rebellion in china

    Original Title

    boxer movement

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document
    The Boxer Rebellion of 1900 was a major peasant uprising in China against foreign imperialism and Christian missionaries. It emerged from secret societies that practiced martial arts and sought to expel foreign influence. Though initially not supported by the Chinese government, the Boxers took on a nationalist character and opposed both foreign powers and the weakened Chinese dynasty. The uprising dealt major blows to imperialists but was ultimately suppressed. However, it significantly raised Chinese nationalist sentiment and patriotic consciousness, fueling later revolutionary movements that weakened foreign control and eventually led to the fall of the Chinese monarchy.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf or txt
    42 views3 pages

    Boxer Movement

    Uploaded by

    shauryapratapsingh294
    The Boxer Rebellion of 1900 was a major peasant uprising in China against foreign imperialism and Christian missionaries. It emerged from secret societies that practiced martial arts and sought to expel foreign influence. Though initially not supported by the Chinese government, the Boxers took on a nationalist character and opposed both foreign powers and the weakened Chinese dynasty. The uprising dealt major blows to imperialists but was ultimately suppressed. However, it significantly raised Chinese nationalist sentiment and patriotic consciousness, fueling later revolutionary movements that weakened foreign control and eventually led to the fall of the Chinese monarchy.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 3

    Q.

    Critically analyze the nature and significance of the Boxer


    Movement.

    The Boxer Rebellion or the Yi Ho Tuan movement of 1900 was a major peasant uprising
    against imperialism. YI Ho Tuan means a society of Righteousness and Harmony. This
    organization emerged and grew in China's Shantung province. What the Chinese officially
    call the Yi Ho Tuan movement, Western scholars call the Boxer Rebellion. 'Boxer' is derived
    from boxing as many of the activists and revolutionaries practised Chinese martial arts,
    boxing being one of them.
    Although this movement's first targets were missionaries who preached Christianity, the real
    aim was to fight imperialism. This violent, dramatic and earth shaking movement was the
    result of both the enslavement of the Chinese nation by foreign powers and also the
    deteriorating socio-economic conditions, which reforms at the political level could not
    prevent. As if Western imperialist encroachment on China was not enough, Japanese
    imperialism too emerged as a new force to crush China further. The ruling Manchu or Ching
    dynasty had weakened considerably on all fronts due to its own internal conditions as well
    as imperialist domination of China. The Boxer uprising gave a crushing blow to both the
    imperialist and Manchu rulers. The movement was contained by the government eventually
    with the help of imperialist forces and resulted in the signing ofthe Boxer Protocolin 1901
    most humiliating of all the unequal treaties. The indemnities the Chinese had to pay to the
    foreigners were so massive that the Chinese populace was squeezed to derive it. This further
    aggravated the internal problems of China, ultimately leading to more revolutionary uprising
    and culminating in the downfall of monarchy in 1941.

    NATURE OF THE BOXER MOVEMENI


    The Boxers had not claimed to be "tuan" which connotes "militia" until the year 1898. The
    change of name certainly had a political significance involving change in the relationship
    between the Boxers and the imperial authorities. The Boxers were experiencing a kind of
    crisis in their political identity. Their original stance was to overthrow the Qing and restore
    the Ming, as reflected in their slogan: Fan Qing Fu Ming (Oppose the Qing and Restore the
    Ming). But the inroads made by the imperialist powers into China's social and economic life
    and the widely prevalent anti-imperialist feeling, made the Boxers change their stratagem.
    They grabbed the anti-imperialist slogans of "fan yang" (Oppose the Foreigners) and "mie
    yong" (Exterminate the Foreigners). This development made the Boxers not only accept the
    "militia status bestowed on them by the imperialist authorities," but also adopt a new slogan
    of "bao Qing mie yong" (Uphold the Qing and exterminate the Foreigner). After this the
    followers of Boxer leaders Zhu Hongdeng and Monk Benming started attacking the churches
    in 1899. G.N. Steiger proposes that the Boxers had nothing to do with any heretical sect, but
    a militia force recruited with the express demands of the Qing government in November,
    1898. He justifies it by saying that a secret society, holding heretical doctrines and known to
    have revolutionary aims would never have attacked Christian missions as the Boxers had
    done.

    'Boxers" was the name given by foreigners to a Chinese secret society originally called the Yi
    He Chuan literally meaning the Fist of the Righteous Harmony. This implied that they Were
    ready to support the cause of peace and righteousness, if necessary, by force. As its
    members practised Chinese boxing, they acquired the foreign name Boxers. The Yi He Chuan
    or the Yi He Tuan as it came to be known later, is believed to have originated from the White
    lotus Sect, a group of secret societies descended from the Ming Emperors. It emerged during
    the reign of Jia Qing emperor (1796-1870). Its activities were suppressed in 1808 but it
    maintained an obscure existence in many districts of Zhili and Shandong. Steiger, however,
    contends that the Boxers were a volunteer militia recruited in response to the command of
    the throne. This appears quite doubtful as there is little evidence of connection between the
    Boxers and the Imperial court till mid-1899.

    On the other hand, Chester T'an points out that a clear kinship can be established between
    the Boxers and three secret societies, viz. the White Lotus,the Eight Trigram; and the Great
    Sword Society. But Victor Purcell propounds that the Boxers "originated spontaneously and
    independently of the government" and "belonged to the secret societies and heterodox
    cults which had always been looked upon by the government as centres of revolutionary
    danger."

    Fan Wenlan considers the Boxer movement a potpourri{tuanti) of the anti-foreign forces of
    the Boxers and the great Swords. He also points out that the rampant disunity amongst the
    Boxer ranks was so typical of the secret societies. Fan Wenlan also sees religion as an
    important component of Boxer life and discipline. Every Boxer while joining the organisation
    had to go througha religious ordination. No doubt, Fan believes. 'The Boxers who went to
    battle were all chaste juveniles of the peasant and working classes. The constraints of
    superstition made the commandments sacrosanct to them." Hu Sheng further supports this
    thesis when he points out that the celestial protection invoked by' the Boxers was typical
    White Lotus indulgence in incantation. Moreover, Hu Sheng points out both the White Lotus
    and the Boxer organizations existed in same sort of disorganized, small, and scattered
    groups. Thus, Hu Sheng also believes that the Boxers were a secret society based.

    Tan Chung believes that the Boxers can be treated as continuation of the White Lotus and
    the Nian rebellions. Jerome Ch'en, however, believes that as there were various types of
    militia and secret societies, there were various types of Boxers. "The Boxers" social
    composition shows no difference from that of either the militia or the secret societies
    (including religious sects). This ambiguity made their transformation from one into another
    quite easy and formed the basis of the government's decision to transform them into militia
    significant reason that Christianity was "foreign". Purcell further points out that the
    meddling of foreign governments and other agencies with Chinese affairs was more than the
    Chinese could bear. However, the methodology used to achieve their aims, their military
    training and weapons were all traditional. They also used traditional concepts and customs
    to mobilise the masses against the common enemy. In sum, it can, thus. be described as a
    conservative movement with progressive aims, reflecting the problem of aslow developing
    society threatened by the newindustrialised world.
    SIGNIFICANCE

    As a consequence of the Boxer Movement, the Qing government stood exposed as a


    collaborator of the imperialists, leading a large number of people to believe in revolution as
    the only panacea for the country's problems. The Boxer Uprising was a bold attempt to give
    a blow to the imperialist aggression. Purcell thinks the Movement not only stopped the
    foreign powers' attempt to partition China, but also signalized the birth of Chinese
    nationalism. According to him, the Boxer Movement was a resurgence of revolutionary
    fevour of the peasantry of North China in the true tradition of heretical sects.

    In the opinion of the Chinese historians, the Boxer Movement scared the imperialist powers
    out of their wits and put the brakes on imperialist designs to partition China. Another great
    historical significance of the Boxer Movement lies in the awakening of the Chinese people's
    patriotic consciousness. The Chinese historians believe that, the Movement not only
    educatedthe Chinese people about the true nature of imperialist aggression, but also
    exposedthe treasonous character of the Qing authorities.
    Fan Wenlan observes that the Boxer Movement shook the entire country. Even the coolies
    and domestic servants of the foreigners in Shanghai felt that the hour of finally settling score
    with the foreigners had arrives. Hu Sheng further goes on to say that after this Movement,
    the Chinese people never looked back. Their revolutionary movement surged forward wave
    after wave till they achieved complete victory over feudalism and imperialism. The Chinese
    government in its official declarations calls this Movement "a patriotic anti-imperialist
    uprising, mainly of peasants" and the climax of the Chinese people's struggle against
    aggression and partition which also hit hard at (the imperialism's) appendages, the feudal
    forces. Thus, the Movement is alsO seen as "a cornerstone of the victory of the Chinese
    communist revolution."

    You might also like