In 1900 the Chinese empire had existed for over 2000 years, and during this period the Chinese were very good at astronomy, mathematics, engineering and medicine. They were the first people to use paper and printing was invented, and had been using paper and porcelain, long before they were invented in the West. They had also invented weaving silk, gunpowder, reading glasses, the magnetic compass and suspension bridge.
In 1900 the empire had been weak. Western powers like Britain, France and Japan had won great influence through trade and use of power in the nineteenth century and the Manchu dynasty seemed paralyzed and unable to modernize and accept the changes taking place, or react in an orderly manner to challenges . Between 1839 and 1842 the British fought a "Opium War" against China to force the Chinese to continue to buy drugs opium from British India, although opium use was banned in China. One result of this war was that Hong Kong was signed over to Britain.
During a second war in 1860 a combined British French army attacked Beijing and burned public buildings. In 1894-95 Japan attacked and annexed Korea, Formosa (Taiwan) and Port Arthur. After each of these wars of alien rulers forced to sign "unequal treaties" give foreign powers control of China's ports and give them special rights trading. China was also divided up into spheres of influence, each falling under one or another foreign power.
There was a lot of discontent in China. Many Chinese blamed the Manchus to allow China to be taken over by foreign powers, and in 1850 the Taiping Rebellion broke out. In 14 years the country has been destroyed, cities were destroyed and 20 million people were killed. The Manchus were forced to call on Europeans to help them put down the rebellion, but this weakened their position even more.
In 1898 Emperor Guangxu tried to strengthen China by modernizing the way the kingdom was run, and in an era known as the Hundred Days of Reform, Guangxu introduced new schools and colleges, improving public budgets and dismissed corrupt officials from the law. But Guangxu aunt, Empress Dowager Cixi had the imprisoned emperor and forced him to allow her to rule China in his place.
After two harvests, not one after the other, and the Yellow River flooded causing a famine, the discontent boiled over. The revolt was organized by a movement known as the Yi Ho Tuan, which means fair and harmonious militia. Because its members have practiced martial arts, including boxing, they were known as warriors. Empress Cixi managed to win them over to her side and encouraged them to attack the foreigners.
The Boxer Rebellion reached its peak in 1900. When boxers killed Europeans and Christians, they had caught, European governments sent an armed force to Beijing to protect their nationals. The Chinese army cooperates with the boxers, who burned down the French cathedral in the Beijing embassy area and placed under siege for two months to defeat this European force.
European governments have reacted angrily to the siege of the Legations. A six-nation force invaded China, captured and looted Beijing and Manchus forced to pay a large fine. The harsh methods used by Europeans to suppress the Boxers made many Chinese hate them even more. At the same time showed the invasion and looting of Beijing once again how weak the Manchus were.
The Fall of Qing Dynasty (1900-1912):
Most of the enemies of the Manchu Empire after the nineteenth century, led by Sun Yatsen, a handsome 34-year-old doctor. Doctor Sun Yatsen had been trained in an American school in Hawaii, and therefore he became a Christian. He had spent many years of his life traveling the world. He saw how other technologically advanced countries, and discovered how weak China. He found that the only way for China to get out of his stall was that it becomes a republic on European lines and get rid of the Manchu's, which was against any change at all costs. By 1911 he had tried to start a revolution ten times, but had not succeeded.
In 1908 the 73-year-old Empress Dowager Cixi died. Her successor as ruler of China was her nephew, a 2-year-old boy named Pu Yi, who received the title of Emperor. The Manchu dynasty was clearly in distress. A regent ruled in his place, Prince Chun. Chun sided with the conservatives in the court which gives the most conservative of the Manchu prince's high office, and he dismissed the many strong and competent officials, including Yuan Shikai, a very important overall.
In 1911 China entered a period of economic difficulty and discontent. The harvest failed in all key areas of the country, and this caused most of the distress among the peasants. The wealthier classes were not happy either that the government was taxing them heavily to get money for the new army.
On September 1911 a rebellion against the government began in Sichuan province after police fired on a crowd of demonstrators, killing many of them. Sun Yatsen and his supporters immediately went to Sichuan to help spread the rebellion.
On 10 October soldiers of the new army left their base in Wuchang and joined the rising. Thence revolt spread throughout central and southern China. The Manchu tried to deal with rebellion by reminding Yuan Shikai from retirement. It did not help when he met with the rebels who have elected him president. In return, convinced that he was emperor and regent to form a republic.
Finally came February 12, 1912 Emperor Pu Yi down from the Dragon Throne Manchu's. Edict abdication, which was released said:
"Today, people all over the empire have their minds bent on a republic, the southern provinces, which initiated a movement, and the northern generals has since supported it. The will of providence is clear, and people want is plain. How could you do, in honor of a family, oppose the wishes teeming million? why you, with the emperor, decide that the form of government in China should be a constitutional republic. "
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