Chinese Culture 1800-1900

It goes without question from 1800-1900 mainland mainland mainland China was experiencing a decline, which had non been seen for quite a some prison term. Problems such as overpopulation started to take its toll on the once-known elite nation, sending them into famine, lower standard of living, extreme mistreatment of females, especially at vernal ages and an unfit disposal that allowed chaos to unfold. Conflict arose in China, except was it due to internal affairs of the Chinese mass and government, wanting to maintain its transcendency over the West, or were outside forces to blame for the extreme change in culture?Both of these aspects united to form seemingly the perfect force that sent Chinese culture into a masterward spiral for redundant of 60 years. At the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, peace was brought to a majority of China and allowed population to grow rapidly, and was estimated to be at about 300 one million million by the beginning of the nineteenth centu ry. In a mere 50 years, Chinas population increased by approximately deoxycytidine monophosphate million. A 33 percent increase in just 50 years. Such increases had harsh impacts regarding the agricultural front.Food became a prized commodity as Chinas overpopulation led to a famine, which the nation had never experienced during a stable and productive agricultural period. Every mountainous and hilly world was terraced and double-cropped in effort to produce a sufficient quantity of forage for everyone, simply to no avail. As an effect, people began dying of starvation and malnutrition. Jobs were few and far between for the crowded work industry, leaving people jobless and virtually worthless in the governments eyes.This problem was not serveed in any sense, when the British finally found the one head the Chinese would buy was opium. A dose which was once used for medicative purposes was now being used in a recreational manner. engagement of the drug created addictions amo ng many people, having to feed their addictions by selling their children to receive the drug. Outraged, the emperor banned the production and importation of opium in 1800 and in 1813 banned the take of opium. British and American smugglers were still bringing the drug onto Chinese soil, selling it for large profits.Emperor Daoguang debated on how to deal with the crisis and entertained the idea of legalizing the sale of opium and levy it, which would help silver in the government and possibly make it besides expensive for anyone to afford. Some of his officials disagreed and precious the drug to be completely wiped out. Lin Zexu was wedded the job to fight the drug problem and get to the main quotation of where the drug was coming from. Zexu arrested many en route to finding the drug was being smuggled by British citizens.He sent 500 laborers in to destroy the supply, which was enough for the British to begin warring with the Chinese (The Opium War). The British took their navy and obliterated the Chinese in what is known as The Opium Warm. side by side(p) the destruction of the Chinese navy, for being far too old, the British do them sign the Treaty of Nanjing, which allowed five new ports to be opened for transaction, gave British money for destruction of opium and demanded Hong Kong. Nearly a decade after, Britain felt China was not holding out its side of the treaty and teamed with France to attack the strand of China, once again.The attack was based around the desire for more trade ports to be opened. Again, the Chinese endured an onslaught, and an additional ten ports are opened, more money was paid and the Europeans could travel wherever they desired on Chinese land, bandage abiding by European law (The Opium War). Less than a decade after The Opium War, the Chinese were faced with unprecedented rebellions the world had never seen. The Taiping disorder lasted an astonishing 13 years and claimed the lives of approximately 30 million peopl e and was driven by an unorthodox religion.Hong Xiuquan claimed to be the younger brother of rescuer Christ and began preaching to people around the nation to get them to retrace his beliefs. After sweeping through parts of the country and destroying many temples and lives in the process, the idea of equalization was starting to be taught, although it never worked. The Taiping Rebellion was followed by the Nian and Muslim Rebellions, which werent as significant (Qing Dynasty). Self-strengthening was an idea brought about to help the Chinese get themselves out of such a rough time and back to the elite power they once were.Conflict again arose during the discussions, as the government could not agree upon a certain route to take in planning the idea. Empress Dowager Cixi was given power due to the death of the emperor, which left a 4-year-old for the throne. She was able to manipulate people in her court to do what she wanted and when she wanted. Cixi was conservative and allowed o utsiders walk all over the Chinese, and again were demolished by the French. The Chinese were in a time where they were desperate to catch up with the rest of the western world.Reformations covered a vast amount of areas but mainly focused on the depleted militaristic aspect of China. unluckily China would not be able to make the next stride and reach the level of France or Britain, having only weapons that were second-best. China missed its fall out to make the leap needed to catch up with the rest of the immensely changing world. Outside pressures from France, Britain and Russia forced China into a corner, having to back down due to an unequal army and navy.Although, China was pressured from others, it created its own problems as well, with a government that could decide on nothing good for the people. Most of the conflicts were brought upon themselves, but the extra pressure from the West made China feel the ghastliness more than if it were only internal affairs which had bro ught the nation to struggle.Works Cited Qing Dynasty. www. mnsu. edu. Minnesota say University, Dec. 2003. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. . The Opium War. www. harvard. edu. Harvard University, 19 June 2002. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. .