New Imperialism, Taiping Rebellion and Opium Wars

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New Imperialism, Taiping Rebellion and Opium Wars

World history is among the significant study in human lives that helps people to keep track of the past in regards to the social, economic and political development of various nations. During the colonialization period, many transformations occurred which significantly affected the world then and the impacts are experienced up to date. The New Imperialism, Taiping rebellion, and opium wars are among the historical chronologies that are read globally, and significant in learning system as well as a remembrance of the ancient nations struggle for overseas acquisition and independence. In the first part, the two questions regard opium and the Taiping Rebellion as well as the New Imperialism. While on the second portion the query regarding the analysis of the Taiping Rebellion. The Opium Wars and the Taiping Rebellion are discussed in consideration of the problems in the Chinese government, economy, and society that led to their emergence. Furthermore, the Taiping Rebellion is analyzed with regards to the changes that occurred in both the leaders and the movement, the groups that joined and opposed the move as well as its consequences to the government and the people of China.

The problems the led to the start of Opium Wars and the Taiping Rebellion.

The Opium Wars and the Taiping Rebellion were experienced in the China lands both involving the Western colonizers and the emperors of China. They were significantly caused by the government, of China, society and the economy. The Opium Wars are the two armed conflicts that were experienced in China between the Qing dynasty and the Western nations during the 19th century. From 1644 to 1912 China was under the rule of the Western countries such as the Britain and French that were involved in the Opium Wars (Brook, & Wakabayashi, 2016). In the first Opium War, China fought with Britain while in the second war they fought with both Britain and the French. In both the Opium Wars the China loose and the foreign powers gained commercial, civil liberties, territorial and legal refreshment stands in the country. The first Opium war emerged due to the China attempt to suppress opium trade in the country. The opium was being imported by the British merchants from India to China, and the cause of government intervention to the trade was because of the widespread addiction of the civilians to the drug the deprived the nation’s economic development.

The major problem the frustrated the British allies was the act of Chinese government confiscating and destroying large quantities of opium. The destroyed drugs belonging to the British merchants included more than twenty thousand opium chests, and around one thousand four hundred tons of the drug was stored in a warehouse in Canton. Also, the government forced Britain to surrender their people who killed a Chines so that they can be sentenced as per the China law. The British power was against that, and they reacted with hostility leading to fierce and tension in the country. The interference with Britain’s opium trade in the country and the act of attempting to sentence the Britain civilians that killed Chinese in the country were the major problems that caused the beginning of first Opium War. The society of China can be blamed for the emergence of Opium War to the acceptance and absorption of Britain will of abusing opium for their economic beneficiaries. Also, economic deprivation, on the other hand, led to the beginning of the war as the resistance of Opium trade was the best sound solution to the problem.

The second opium war was caused by the act of the British trying to extend the opium trading rights in China while the Qing government was entangled in their attempt to quell the Taiping Rebellion and it which was against the Chinese will. The major problem that facilitated its start was the act of Chinese officials getting into the Britain registered ship by the name Arrow as it was curtailed in Canton, captured the Chinese members of the group who were later freed and intentionally lowered the Britain flag (Brook, & Wakabayashi, 2016). Later, Britain avenges by bombarding Canton leading to considerable degradation of the Chinese economy. Furthermore, the joining of French into the second Opium war was facilitated by the act of Chinese killing a French missionary during early 1856. Later China was forced into negotiations by signing the treaties of Tianjin that granted the westerns various rights such as the freedom of movement for Christian missionaries and granted the foreigners right into interior China.

The Taiping Rebellion is a religion and radical political upheaval the occurred during the 19th century significantly impacting China. The Rebellion started in the southern part of Guangxi after the local Chinese officials launching a movement of religious oppression against a millenarian sect commonly known as the God Worshipping Society led by Hong Xiuquan. Hong supposed himself to be a brother to Jesus Christ thus attracting the attention of many peasant civilians whom he mobilized with the hope of being helped. The Chinese government can to a significant extent be blamed for the toleration of specific movements that got to the extent of capturing several states and causing deaths of many people. The unstable economy was also a problem that led to the survival of Hong’s movement that had any intention of conquering the government by the use of the poor public.

The beneficiaries of the New Imperialism and the methods applied.

The New Imperialism was significantly felt by the Africa and Asia nations as the European nations struggled to expand their boundaries and search new markets for their products. The European nations were the potential beneficiaries of the new imperialism as they intended to gain economic benefits from the new markets found as well as maintaining their name as superpowers. The leading causes of new imperialism in Africa were to find a market for their products and raw materials due to industrial development in Europe. Also, the European nations believed that they were superior to others thus had the urge to own as much vast land as possible and dominate many countries globally (Auerbach, 2014).

In Asia imperialism was as a cause of French desire to take over the Pacific Rim where agriculture, plantation, and trading were excellent considering the productive lands on Southern Asia. The European nations faced lots of resistance and challenges on the newly acquired colonies, but they ended up the beneficiaries. Their will of getting market, raw materials, productive lands and many colonies was accomplished even though it was under severe struggle. They used armaments to conquer the resisting empires, and they later ended up exploiting the resources found in these nations for their benefits. However, the Asians and Africans, on the other hand, benefited from industrial development and advancement in technology as well as agriculture.

The Analysis of the Taiping Rebellion.

Over the cause of the rebellion, the Taiping movement and leaders incurred significant changes. At first, the rebellion was established under the leadership of Hong Xiuquan who greatly influenced the Christianity teachings and had some visions as well as believing that he was a brother to Jesus Christ who was sent to reform China. The attempt of Yang to gain more power of the Tainwang he was assassinated together with a thousand other followers. Wei Changhui the Taiping general who had killed Yang was later murdered by Hong and the action made Shi Dakai the current Taiping general fear abandoning their fertile land and left with many of his followers. The Taiping rebellion fought for property and their attempt to regain Shanghai was prevented by the western military. Although the resistance group had ailed and refused all the requests of Qing government to release the Nanjing city, its power ended after the death of Hong after committing suicide. The rebellion weakened the Qing dynasty to the extent of having no capability of efficiently holding over the country. The Taiping Rebellion resulted in the deaths of millions of people and also a significant loss of property (Chappell, 2016). The Taiping was a significant movement that enhanced the origin of Chinese nationality, as well as Chinese communist which, are fundamental up-to-date. It facilitated peace and cohesion in the nation and also significantly enhanced social-economic and political development.

As discussed above, the world history is vital to people and development of the nations as it plays a significant role of enhancing them trace their roots and be aware of the things that can create difference as well as civil wars among the counties. The Taiping Rebellion as the necessary foundation of the Chinese Nationality postulated the need for humanity and act of following ethical, cultural beliefs. The New Imperialism, the Opium Wars as well as the Taiping Rebellion, are all educative and significant to the present and future generations.

References

Auerbach, S. (2014). “We cannot bury him, only strangers can”(Achebe 1958). It seems appropriate to begin an essay on the New Imperialism with the words of one of its most prominent chroniclers and critics, Chinua Achebe. Achebe’s passage, uttered by an Igbo villager following the death, by suicide, of the protagonist in Things Fall Apart (1958), evokes the violence of imperial conquest and the loss of power and culture (to say nothing of life) experienced by those in colonized territories. There was much that was new about …. The Fin-de-Siècle World, 335.

Brook, T., & Wakabayashi, B. T. (2016). The Opium Wars. Shooting Up: A Short History of Drugs and War, 58.

Chappell, J. (2016). The Limits of the Shanghai Bridgehead: Understanding British Intervention in the Taiping Rebellion 1860–62. The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, 44(4), 533-550.