Taiping Rebellion vs. Boxer Rebellion

Taiping Rebellion vs. Boxer Rebellion The last two centuries are considered as the golden age of millenarianism in the sense that they brought about a change in the existing system, by means of overthrow of the system which existed. And the new system which evolved was considered as better than the old system which existed and was brought about by overthrowing the powerful. The reason is simple. As the sociologists and historians of the millenarianism say, one does not become sensitive to such ideas simply being oppressed or miserable.

But instead, these ideas develop from those of whose expected and traditional lives have been destroyed and disrupted, uprooted and rendered rootless, even if they were having an unpromising and unpleasant life earlier. As a result of the industrial revolution, many such people came to North America and Europe, but the nations which Europe was trying to bring under its control were the areas where the thoughts of millenarianism had not been posed to.

These areas had been influenced by the ideas of millenarianism only after the arrival of the missionary community in these areas. The Cargo Cults, Ghost Dance and the Mahdists are all example of these type of movements, which were at different times noble or peaceful, but which were often violent, typically rash and foolish or fanatic, frequently self-destructive, sometimes for and sometimes against the Europeans, which took the form of a litany of doom as they all were defeated finally.

Taiping Rebellion The Taiping Rebellion is considered as the most influential of all such millenarian movements which evolved as a result of the dominance of the west (except the Bolsheviks), reaching the peak of the Chinese tradition of millenarian revolts that is nearly 2000 years old (except the Maoists).1 China had alarming problems of varying heights by natural calamities inclusive of floods, droughts and famines during the mid of the nineteenth century.2 These and other disasters were partially due to the neglect of the government in public works, and to alleviate the misery caused by them which was widespread the Qing administration did absolutely nothing.3 There was widespread unrest, in the south, as a result of the cumulative effects of the military defeats at the hands of the Westerners, economic tensions and anti-Manchu sentiments.

South China was the first to be influenced by the Western dominance and the last to be conquered by the Qing conquerors.4 All these promoted the background for the Taiping Rebellion, the largest revolt in the modern Chinese history. 1. Jonathan D. Spence "God's Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan" Norton & Company, (1996) p.34 2. Michael, Franz. The Taiping Rebellion: History and Documents, vol. 2, Dosuments and Comments Seattle: University of Washington Press, (1971) p.23. 3. Ian Heath and Michael, Perry. "The Taiping Rebellion 1851-1866" Osprey Press, (1994) p.15 4. Jonathon D.

Spence "The Taiping Version of a Christian China 1836-1864" Baylor University Press, (1996) p.53 Inspired by Christianity, Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of China was a millenarian religious movement. Though the Taiping Rebellion was the result of the disturbances which occurred internally it resulted from the conflict which occurred with the west. It was a culmination of the Chinese and the European patterns of culture blended in a volatile and extraordinary way.

"And this extraordinary blend originated in the brains of Hung Hsiu-ch'uan (1813-1864) who became the leader of the Taiping rebellion."5 Born to a farmer, Hung Xiu-quan was an aspiring Chinese bureaucrat; who was greatly influenced by the Christian missionaries. 6 He proclaimed that he was the younger brother of Jesus and was sent to earth by the Heavenly Kingdom.

7 Due to the onslaught of the Westerners, the Qing dynasty rule collapsed and Hung initiated a rebellion which came to be known as the Taiping Rebellion influencing the millenarianism of the Chinese peasantry in a strong manner. 8 5. Jonathan. D. Spence God's Chinese Son. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan. Londres: Harper Collins, (1996), p.46 6. S.Y Teng The Taiping Rebellion and the Western Powers. Oxford: Clarendon Press, (1971) p.17 7., J.S.M. Ward (1925) The Hung Society, or the Society of Heaven and Earth. 2 Vols. Londres, (1925) p.63 8. P.A. Kuhn.

"The Taiping Rebellion" John K. Fairbank (Ed.) The Cambridge History of China, Vol. X, Late Ch'ing, Part 1, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, (1978) p. 265 Among the umpteen revolts, the most worrisome at last was this. It fumed between a period of 1851 to 1864 and huge chunks of territories in south and central China came under it, and not leaving alone the capital in the south, Nanking. 9 A military constitution of a whole mixture of religions set its flag flying high.

It took the form of a millenarian revolution, and the heads of Taiping changed several policies which in course of time were to leave imprints of Chinese modernizers. The policies were putting a stop to smoke of opium, throwing in money for games, tobacco use and alcohol use, export of sales, and offering sex for money. Both sexes were treated alike. Foot binding was wiped off and women were made to take direct charge as rulers and were also given positions in the Taiping army.

10 Every effort was taken to wipe off money or land being restricted to a single entity, and land was given off equally. The new cult enticed many a people to follow it. Historians of the west have a notion that acute famine that racked in the 1840's gave a jolt and the Chinese started pouring into various cults that satiated their hunger and gave shelter. 11 There was particular emphasis on the anti-Manchu preaching of the early Hung's cult.

Theists were full-fledged into demolishment of demon temples and were firmly against offering prayers to the demon. There was a notion that Manchu heads set off the demon worship. 12. Hung's initially came to the point of dethroning the rule of Manchu's which they felt would open the gate ways to the divine rule. The scene did not become ugly till the point when there was a meticulous attack on the theists by the government. 9. Michael, Franz. "The Taiping Rebellion: History and Documents, vol.

2, Dosuments and Comments" Seattle: University of Washington Press, (1971) p.25. 10. Jonathon D. Spence "The Taiping Version of a Christian China 1836-1864" Baylor University Press, (1996) p.56 11. Jack, Gray "Rebellions and Revolutions, China from the 1800' to the 1980s: The Taiping Rebellion, 1850-1964," Oxford, Oxford University Press (1990) p. 11 12. Vincent Y.C. Shih "The Taiping Ideology" University of Washington Press, (1967) p.37 As an entrant, the Christian doctrine was a blessing in disguise for the people of China.

There was a powerful jolt in the history of the world when a single man of the Chinese land who gave an expression to the Christian belief set off a revolt in the mid nineteenth century. 13 The Taiping rebellion has been labeled the cult which is in close association with Christianity.

14 Christianity was the robe that the Taipings wore and they believed they could provide a genuine and authentic reason for a rebellion.15 One that would be of thought to a curious person is the belief that there was about to be a rejuvenation and rebirth. This belief was markedly in the: Taiping ideology. Also the Christian idea that all men were children of God was shared by this particular ideology.

As it went on, there was an idea that all men and women were a single fraternity and this ultimately promoted the notion that it is sin to make love, and thus men and women had to be confined to their own camps. 16 When the needs to be a separate confinement of the sexes, people in various gradations who took charge of the camp had to be there and thus there was a woman enacting this role which was bit out of the way when thought in the Chinese wavelength.17.

The man who took the lead of this movement, Hung Xiuquan, devoted himself to political and governmental affairs after Christianity embraced him in its arms. 18 13. P. Clarke "Western reports on the Taiping. A selection of documents. Honolulu: University Press of Hawai, (1982), p.18 14. Michael, Franz. "The Taiping Rebellion: History and Documents, vol. 2, Dosuments and Comments" Seattle: University of Washingon Press, (1971) p.31 15. Michael, Franz. "The Taiping Rebellion: History and Documents." Seattle: University of Washington Press, (1971) p.34 16. Jonathon D. Spence "The Taiping Version of a Christian China 1836-1864" Baylor University Press, (1966) p.53 17.

Boardman, E. "Christian Influence upon the ideology of the Taiping Rebellion, 1851-1864." Madison, University of Wisconsin Press, (1952). p.76 18. Ian Heath and Michael, Perry. "The Taiping Rebellion 1851-1866" Osprey Press, (1994) p.17 There was an awakening for Hung in 1837 which remolded his vision. At that particular juncture Hung was there in Canton for a particular exam, where he had the introduction to a Protestant missionary. 19 By two months he went into the nooks and corners of the Biblical doctrines under the sole guidance of the missionary.

Rewinding back to a few years, in 1835, Leang-afa, the first protestant Christian to set foot into China, had shared several documents about Christianity with Hung. 20 Hung had not gone through it inkling till the point of time when there was a second reminder, and he started fathoming them in his home at his village. An illness took over Hung, and he was pushed into a coma for a period of four days. 21 There was a sudden eye-opener for him during the time he was unconscious.

He was able to recall his travel and that jolted him. He got the notion that God was paternal to him and Jesus Christ was fraternal to him. He started meticulously going about it by presenting his eye-opener in both religious wavelength, and by also giving a political shade to it, and slowly turned himself into a path where he believed he founded a new cult for China. 22. Many became his followers, and men with inherent talents for military functions came under him.

History calls them the Taiping ("great peace") rebels. Translations done by Hung on the Christian philosophy built themselves up as the basics of the Taiping Rebellion. Lean afa and Hung started their rhetoric on the streets. 23 19 J.S.M. Ward. The Hung Society, or the Society of Heaven and Earth. 2 Vols. Londres, (1925) p.63 20. Vincent Y.C. Shih "The Taiping Ideology" University of Washington Press, (1967) p.41 Jack, Gray "Rebellions and Revolutions, China from the 1800' to the 1980s: The Taiping Rebellion, 1850-1964," Oxford, Oxford University Press (1990) p. 18 22. Michael, Franz.

The Taiping Rebellion: History and Documents, vol. 2, Dosuments and Comments Seattle: University of Washington Press, (1971) p.32 23, Chesneaux, Jean; Marianne, Bastid; and Bergere, Marie Claire. "China: From the Opium Wars to the 1911 Revolution" Pantheon Books, (1976) p.44 Along with the support of a number of associates, he established the Society of God Worshippers and stayed in a lead position in the organization for a period ending March 1847, during which time he came back to Canton to make an analytical study with Isaachar. T.

Roberts.24 Roberts, an American Southern Baptist missionary then, took Hung into his arms as his benevolent student and added fuel to the fire of his rebellion. 25 This was not to continue the same way, there was about to be a change. This was the man who was to call Hung and his followers "coolie kings" and totally short of the ability to rule. By drawing a gist from his studies Hung made his copy of the Christian belief.

According to his version it was acceptable that God created the Universe, but Jesus was never to be worshipped, and the notion of Trinity went akin with Confucian values.

26 "Taiping's thoughts went along the line that they were careful preferences of God, with a particular goal to throw overboard the evil Manchu rule."27 As they carried across the notion that they formed a huge chunk of the Divine Kingdom, they also went along with the notion that Manchus were curs and do not hold a valid reason to be owners of a kingdom. 28 In spite of the accumulation of beliefs of Western religion by the Taiping, the religious thoughts were a mixture rather than of a pure Christian sect. 24.

Jonathon D. Spence "The Taiping Version of a Christian China 1836-1864" Baylor University Press, (1996) p.59 25. P.A Kuhn. "The Taiping Rebellion" John K. Fairbank (Ed.) The Cambridge History of China, Vol. X, Late Ch'ing, Part 1, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, (1978) p. 266 26. Michael, Franz. "The Taiping Rebellion: History and Documents, vol. 2, Dosuments and Comments" Seattle: University of Washingon Press, (1971) p.35 27. S.Y Teng. The Taiping Rebellion and the Western Powers. Oxford: Clarendon Press, (1971) p.20 28.E. Boardman.

"Christian Influence upon the ideology of the Taiping Rebellion, 1851-1864." Madison, University of Wisconsin Press, (1952).p.81 certain amount of oneness in the faith made them listen attentively to the voice of Confucianism. Their faith in unifying the God with man was to be more correctly in the tenor of Buddhism than Protestantism. Their own copy of the Ten Commandments, which is in other words, or more appropriately their own words the Ten Heavenly Precepts, varies strongly from the Bible. 29. As a translation of translation, it was their property.

It has been perceived that the Taiping rebellion is the first imprint of a movement influenced by the western ideas, but the very truth lies in the fact that there has been a repetitive cycle of a dynasty.30 The Taipings have been remolding themselves to the Christian ideology in order to validate their rightful share to the Chinese empire. The Taipings were all but western, and they shifted across to the time-worn practices in China and with a tinge of Christianity to it.

In many aspects the Taipings were retaliating against the interfering attitude of ideas widely prevalent in the west of free trade and capitalism, in spite of getting into the shoes of ideas of Christianity in the west. 31 Hung's copy of the truth was to a certain amount native and came to be known during a juncture when there was huge population growth, miserable lack of resources and lack of essential economic resources.

32 The cult found its foundation in a vast change and remold of economic program in which all the money was to be given to one and all equally. The society of Taiping would be without differentiation. 29. Michael, Franz. "The Taiping Rebellion: History and Documents." Seattle: University of Washington Press, (1971) p.91 30. Ian Heath and Michael, Perry. "The Taiping Rebellion 1851-1866" Osprey Press, (1994) p.25 31. P.Clarke. "Western reports on the Taiping. A selection of documents. Honolulu: University Press of Hawai, (1982), p.22 32. Jonathon. D.

Spence "The Taiping Version of a Christian China 1836-1864" Baylor University Press, (1966) p.58 All of the Taiping held a fraternal relation, with all required duty related with the relationship they held in the society. In every position woman was equal to a man, and they held various gradations in the Kingdom.33 This rejuvenation in social and economic aspect, in hands with the exuberant nationalism that was against the Manchu, in many aspects labeled the Kingdom of Heavenly peace an attraction to the miserable Chinese lots.

34 In the view of the military, there was a mentionable spark to the rebellion. There was impeccable discipline in the army, and after various other ceremonial proceedings, Taiping believers turned out to be very strongly disciplined and concentrated men, ready to abandon their livelihood or even die with a divine aim. 35 The Taiping army shot forward to the north passing through the central Yangtze valley towards Nanking. 36 In spite of the mentionable and strong initiation it vanished without any significant achievement.

The only reason they achieved quick progress was that they kept off from the cities. When a particular territory was occupied, they made no persistent effort to merge the success by launching a mechanism for the administration, but impulsively roared northwards. There was particularly no place for denial in the rungs of the military ladder, and the Heavenly king proudly proclaimed himself as taking up the position from God, and the military generals told it aloud that they were indeed shown the way by God.37 33. Vincent Y.C.

Shih "The Taiping Ideology" University of Washington Press, (1967) p. 42 34. Chesneaux, Jean; Marianne, Bastid; and Bergere, Marie Claire. "China: From the Opium Wars to the 1911 Revolution "Pantheon Books, (1976) p.51 35. P.A Kuhn. "The Taiping Rebellion" John K. Fairbank (Ed.) The Cambridge History of China, Vol. X, Late Ch'ing, Part 1, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1978, pp. 272 36. Jack, Gray "Rebellions and Revolutions, China from the 1800' to the 1980s: The Taiping Rebellion, 1850-1964," Oxford, Oxford University Press (1990) p. 19 37. Michael, Franz. "The Taiping Rebellion: History and Documents, vol.

2, Dosuments and Comments" Seattle: University of Washingon Press, (1971) p.61 Taipings usurped Nanking during March 1853, and they gave a different name to the city. It was T'ien-ching or the 'Heavenly Capital'. 38 They started firmly proceeding from Tien ching to Beijing, but at that particular juncture they lost the battle. The next ten years were spent in occupying territories. It kept on oscillating, a success now and a defeat then. There was surmounting pressure of war and there was also the problem of inefficient administration.

The leads of the Heavenly Kingdom made a futile attempt to merge their authorities in conquered territories, making a choice to rule over major cities. 39 There was significant achievement which was confined only to the cities and not the territories themselves. There was lack of competency, and there was lack of scholars because the scholarly people kept away from the cult. At a point of time when Hung retired from active politics the Taiping administration slowly went to shambles.

"In accordance with the belief that the Heavenly King has to rule a regime only by nature of his divine asset and not by full-fledged engagement in politics, Hung slowly dilapidated in real life. He constantly began involving himself in sensual and sexual pleasures." 40 The administration started dilapidating once Hung withdrew from the politics. The Kingdom of Heaven came to an end by 1864. Chinese forces had intimidated the Tien ching for months when Hung's central general fled to the south.

41 Hung was a strong theist, but his hopes started ebbing away as Chinese forces took control. He poisoned himself and put an end to his life. The Chinese forces found his body in a sewer tank. 38J. D. Spence God's Chinese Son. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan. Londres: Harper Collins, (1996), p.53 39. Ian Heath and Michael, Perry. "The Taiping Rebellion 1851-1866" Osprey Press, 1994, p.26 40. Michael, Franz. "The Taiping Rebellion: History and Documents, vol. 2, Dosuments and Comments" Seattle: University of Washington Press, (1971) p.37 41. E. Boardman.

"Christian Influence upon the ideology of the Taiping Rebellion, 1851-1864." Madison, University of Wisconsin Press, (1952). p.53 The academia nowadays has begun to assess Hung Xiuquan and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in a more objective manner. Hung Xiuquan was a man who took away lives randomly. He used the system of management of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to relate himself to women. 43 Any how, Christianity never admits Hong as a follower of the Christianity.

In spite of Hong using the religious belief of the Christians, Jesus would never label Hong as his younger brother. Hong did not have a disease of the mind, but yet he proudly proclaimed himself as the follower of Christianity. He said that through his enlightenment he can cause destruction of territories. One displeasing fact is that in spite of having received the teachings of the New Testament, they never used cross as a symbol. 44 This was fully evil, an open outrage against the Christian image.

Boxer Rebellion Movements that have been through thousand years are strengthened by beliefs and faiths that inculcate the staunch followers to engage in violent action and throw the government overboard. When people are hurt they go into rebellion. Because of their exuberant use of Violence, these people who are millenialists became persecutors of other people who are not in the same wavelength. An example that can be quoted is the Boxer rebellion. The nomadic groups of the martial artists began to attack the missionaries after the Taiping Rebellion.

The European and the American press named a spiritual and anti-foreign revolution, which came up in China in 1900, as the Boxer Revolution.45. The Boxers had a belief that the Europeans and the Americans would demolish the conventional Chinese culture. 46 43 Vincent Y.C. Shih "The Taiping Ideology" University of Washington Press, (1967) p.45 44. Michael, Franz. "The Taiping Rebellion: History and Documents, vol. 2, Dosuments and Comments" Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1971, p.36 45. P.A Cohen "History in Three Keys. The Boxers as event, experience and myth." New York: Columbia University Press, (1997) p.62. 46.

P.H Clements "The Boxer Rebellion." New York: AMS Press, (1967), p.35. This culture was like that of the Masons and they were secretive in nature; there were rural areas of China to protest the rulers of China at that time and the Ching (Qing) Empire, and also to protest the foreign invasion like the European, American and Japanese interference in their country and corruption of their culture.

47 The Open Door policy proposed by John Hays, the Secretary of State that seized all the economic rights from China and shared them among the great powers was also a cause for the abhorrence of any foreign power.48. How did they appear like? They were wearing red belts and had red clothes tied around their heads. Strong imperialistic nations throttled China. The hatred increased among the members of a covert group known as 'I Ho Chuan' or society of moral fists.

Boxer Rebellion, a fanatic movement spread throughout China in the beginning of 1900. 49 Most of the members were martial artists and so the Europeans and the Americans called them Boxers, as they did not know how to call them. The Christian Missionaries that were active in China during that time was mainly under attack. The royal government in Shantung was mutineer in 1898 by these groups and they were a covert society. 50 47.J.W.Esherick, The origins of the Boxer uprising. Berkeley: University of California Press, (1987). p.34 48.

Victor, Purcell The Boxer Uprising Cambridge (Mass.) Cambridge University Press, (1963) p.25 49. A. Feuerwerker, Rebellion in nineteenth century China. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, (1975), p.72 50. P.A Cohen History in Three Keys. The Boxers as event, experience and myth. New York: Columbia University Press, (1997) p.66 Their practices and animistic supernatural power of sacrament and magic charm, which they believed, made them impermeable to bullets and pain. The Boxers supposed that the Chinese society would magically begin a golden age if the foreign devils were evicted from them.

Monetary dearth of the 1890's was the major cause for their dissatisfaction. 51 They were full of dissatisfaction for powers and brutal passions and were a fervent and a convinced group. The society thought that they had been made untouchable by sorcery and prayer and began to win workforce late in 1899.52 The increasing labors of the missionaries who exposed their dissatisfaction of the Chinese customs were creating more annoyance and ferocity, in China.

Sidney Brooks, a 29-year-old missionary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts was kidnapped by the Chinese reactionaries on the last day of 1899. 53 He was killed and before that was tortured for hours. The British government acted quickly on this issue; two criminals were sentenced to death and they demanded compensation. The British thought that this would suppress the increasing Chinese hatred, but they were wrong.

The ideas of opposing Europeanization by the Boxers to safeguard the clarity of China were soon converted in to a death sentence to the foreign invaders and to their co-workers. 54 51 J.W. Esherick, The Origins of the Boxer Uprising. Berkeley: University of California Press (1987) p.35 52. Mark, Elvin "Mandarins and Millenarians: Reflections on the Boxer Uprising of 1899-1900." A H.D.R. Baker & S. Feuchtwang (Ed.), An Old State in New Settings. Studies in the Social Anthropology of China in Memory of Maurice Freedman. Oxford: Jaso. (1991) p. 224. 53. William J.

Duiker Cultures in Collision: The Boxer Rebellion. San Rafael CA: Presidio Press, (1978) p.56 54. Chester C. Tan. The Boxer catastrophe. New York: Columbia University Press, (1955) p.73 Foreign governments at once requested the Empress Tz'u-his to take power over the brutal society known as the Boxers. The royal court was subjugated by anti-foreign outlook and was prepared to get rid of the regal Western powers that wearied them of much coercion on them.

Many foreign missionaries were looking for a switch over to Christianity and this bothered the Chinese.55 Legalized opium sale was opened up in the docks in the interior of China following the unfair agreement signed with China after the Second Opium War in 1858-1860. 56 Foreigners and mainly the missionaries began to function in the rural areas under the shield of extra-territoriality.

These people were not made to follow the Chinese laws and any deviation of this right by the executives or the people was quickly penalized or prevented by what came to be known as foreign "gunboat diplomacy." The after effects of these "extraterritorial missionizing" were oddly unforeseen. All walks of people ranging from authentic seekers to criminals looking for to escape from the law, found in this mission a refuge from the Chinese political authorities.

57 Salvationist and millenarian religious sects that had long been victimized by the royal state found a solace in the churches. At the village level these improvements not only annoyed the Chinese executives but also the conventional village people. The villagers say that the Christians declined to take part in the prayers for the rain god and also refuse to pay their dues during the drought and say that when it rains even their lands are benefited, so they must also pay. 58 55. Jerome Ch'en.

The Origin of the Boxers', in Jerome Ch'en and Nicholas Tarling (eds.), Studies in the Social History of China and South East Asia Cambridge, (1970) p.45 56 K.S. Latourette, A History of Christian Missions in China. New York, (1929) p.64 57. Jerome Ch'en. 'The nature and characteristics of the Boxer movement: a morphological study', Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies vol. 23, (1960) p.21 58 K.S.

Latourette, A History of Christian Missions in China, New York, (1929) p.76 Thus Christianity was not only felt as the direct form of political imperialism but it was also an attack on the opinion and morals that underpinned the lives of the village people. This led to the dissolution of conventional Chinese village life. 59 The people who were converted to Christianity did not be a part of the society and they did not participate in the village functions.60. There was deep-rooted fear and fallacy about what Christianity really meant.

Boxers in the early 1900 started to search the colonies and symbols of western influence inclusive of the missions without limiting to management or groups. The Boxers wanted to slaughter all the foreigners in China. The ambassadorial executives were killed, the offices were damaged and the Churches were burnt. 61 They killed foreign missionaries and Chinese converts and attacked Christian missionaries. 62 They made an appeal to the people to follow them and they moved towards the city. The assaults were horrific.

"Men and women were pulled and tortured through lamenting crowd before they were killed, many were hacked to death by knives, some were burnt alive and their cut heads were kept for display at the village gates in cages." 63 59. Keown-Boyd, H. The Fists of Righteous Harmony. A History of the Boxer Uprising in China in the Year 1900. Londres: Leo Cooper, (1991) p.18 69. Lucas, C. (Ed.). James Ricalton on China during the Boxer Rebellion. His illustrated travelogue of 1900. Lewiston (NY): Edwin Mellen Press, (1990)p.28 61.

Jerome Ch'en 'The Origin of the Boxers', in Jerome Ch'en and Nicholas Tarling (eds.), Studies in the Social History of China and South East Asia Cambridge, (1970) p.46 62. Victor, Purcell The Boxer Uprising Cambridge (Mass.) Cambridge University Press,(1963) p. 37 63. Stephnaie Mann. China-Boxer Rebellion. Voice of America, June, 20,2000 p.4 Cinematic portrayal, newspaper sensationalism and popular accounts of the missionary teachings made it a sign of the illogicality of old China and all that went erroneous about it.

They purposely ransacked the most precious symbols of the culture and looted the sacred places of heavenly power when these forces advanced through the Qing summer palace.64 "May be we have increased our understanding of this brutality and perceive it as not shooting up from fallacy alone but from a last minute effort on the part of the normal rural Chinese to safeguard themselves and their civilization from a haughty and an abusive imperialist west."65 Most of the missionaries tried to meddle in the politics of rural China and were not truthful.

The countryside was at the hands of the Boxers who were killing many people alleged to be Christians while by the middle of June foreigners and many more Chinese Christian convert were kept in custody in a small area in Peking.66. The Japanese were also attacked by the Boxers as they were also taking advantage of their land. The Empress Dowager was clever. Though she was not with the Boxers, she pacified them that she was with them. However, the Empress Dowager did not want to kill all the foreigners.

At the rear she was trying to help them whenever she could. Manchurian princes who were related in land to the Dowager Empress (Tzu Hsi) wanted to help the Boxers in killing all the Europeans, Americans and the Japanese. 67 64 P.A. Cohen History in Three Keys. The Boxers as event, experience and myth. New York: Columbia University Press, (1997) p.53 65.P.H.Clements. The Boxer Rebellion. New York: AMS Press, (1967) p.32 66 J.W. Esherick, The origins of the Boxer uprising. Berkeley: University of California Press,(1987) p.45 67. William J. Duiker.

Cultures in Collision: The Boxer Rebellion. San Rafael CA: Presidio Press, 1978.p.34 The Dowager Empress had a tough time trying to keep the Chinese Boxers and the prince's from killing all the foreigners, as these princes were all very influential. "This perplexed the foreigners who were being targeted at. Occasionally the Imperial army Ching (Qing) under the control of the Dowager empress would assault the foreigners and these Manchurian troops would save them from the aggressive Chinese Boxers" 68.

However, the Dowager Empress (Tzu His) herself was not satisfied with the foreigners. England and France fought with China and captured the capital Peking (Beijing), forty years before the Boxer Rebellion. 69 They burnt the Dowager Empress's beautiful Summer Palace, took away a lot of fine arts and bunt a part of the city. Because of this she and her family, the Ching (Qing) had to go away from Peking (Beijing) and live in a distant land for sometime before they could come back.

70 The Dowager Empress did not have faith on the foreigners. She was correct in the thought that they were not loyal with their affairs with China. For instance, England waged two wars against China as the Chinese police did not allow the English to sell opium in China. This was given as the main reason to burn down the Summer Palace and capture the capital Peking (Beijing) as given by England along with its friend France.71 68. Jerome Ch'en.

'The nature and characteristics of the Boxer movement: a morphological study', Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies vol. 23, (1960) p.23 69. Jerome Ch'en 'The Origin of the Boxers', in Jerome Ch'en and Nicholas Tarling (eds.), Studies in the Social History of China and South East Asia Cambridge, (1970) p.47 70. Chester C, Tan. The Boxer catastrophe. New York: Columbia University Press,.(1955) p.75 71. Esherick, Joseph. The Origins of the Boxer Uprising. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1987, p.43 Peking (Beijing) was taken from the Ching (Qing) Imperial rulers by the Boxers in June 1900.

The Europeans by June 10th were becoming anxious and demanded support from their military on the shore. The modern day embassy is referred to the "legation." The embassies of all major countries like Russia, Japan, France, England, and America were all in the same area in Peking (Beijing) and this is how the Ching (Qing) Imperial rulers also wanted it to be. The capital Peking (Beijing) was 200 miles away from the shore where the foreigners had their military base.

The stories about the Boxers assaulting the missionaries in the rural side and the Boxers approaching their assaults to the city made the people living in the embassies nervous as they were hearing these stories for the past eight months. 72 Till these attacks the people who were living in the embassies, who can be called legates in short were feeling safe as they were in the city under the Ching (Qing) Imperial troops to safeguard them.

"Actually, every time the Boxers in the countryside killed a missionary family the legates used to grumble to the Ching (Qing) Imperial government to force the Boxers to stop their assaults." 73 The legates came to know that they could no longer depend on the Ching (Qing) Imperial government, as the Boxers, were moving in to Peking (Beijing).74 The Chinese were fighting against the Chinese converted to Christianity, which was in fact a civil war. The foreigners meddled in this civil war and were thus drawn in to the war.

There were also situations when the Chinese converts fought with the Boxers. 75 72. Stephnaie Mann. China-Boxer Rebellion. Voice of America, June, 20, (2000) p.4 73. Lucas, C. (Ed.). James Ricalton on China during the Boxer Rebellion. His illustrated travelogue of 1900. Lewiston (NY): Edwin Mellen Press, (1990) p.28 74. P.H.Clements. The Boxer Rebellion. New York: AMS Press, (1967) p.32 75. William J. Duiker. Cultures in Collision: The Boxer Rebellion. San Rafael CA: Presidio Press, (1978) p.34 The revolution did not last for a long time.

Under the management of the United States and all major European powers, an international liberation force with nine thousand men fought from the dock. The barriers were removed after Tzu-His escaped from the capital on August 14, 1900. Though the world cheered as the civilization was reinstated, it was barely a progressive ending. 76 Going in search of the Boxers, the foreigners began to raid Peking and its nearby places. Due to the firing on both the sides many Chinese common people lost their lives.

The joint expeditionary force freed the foreigners in Beijing in August, but they continued their revengeful disciplinary operation for six more months. 77 Triumphant were the Boxers of the September 1901 that they forced significant changes on the Qing court requesting it to improve China in the way to a modern nation-state. Republican revolution and the making of a new modern nation-state were mainly done because of these incidences. 78 The number of lives lost in the Christian converts was 30,000 and those of the Americans and the Europeans were also high.

"In 1901, the authorized penalty came in to existence in China; it was practical disarmament and penalized 333 millions in compensation and which will double with interest in the next forty years."79 The price of the Boxer rebellion was the lives of many innocent people and not just the money value. 76 J.W. Esherick, The origins of the Boxer uprising. Berkeley: University of California Press, (1987). p.50 77 P.A. Cohen, History in Three Keys. The Boxers as event, experience and myth. New York: Columbia University Press, (1997). p.62 78.

Jerome Ch'en 'The Origin of the Boxers', in Jerome Ch'en and Nicholas Tarling (eds.), Studies in the Social History of China and South East Asia Cambridge, (1970) p.54 79. Lucas, C. (Ed) James Ricalton on China during the Boxer Rebellion. His illustrated travelogue of 1900. Lewiston (NY): Edwin Mellen Press, (1990) p.33 Actually, the Boxer rebellion with the Europeans cannot be called either a war or a rebellion.

"Governor Generals were the main people controlling the regions of China; these executives wanted to save the foreigner from any harm and chaos due to them and they overlooked the Empress Dowager' orders." 80 Beijing was the main area in which the Boxer rebellion.