Opium Wars, Hong Xiuquan and Self-Strengthening Movements, Essay Example

In the history, there are no random events. Things are interconnected and impact one another in the cause-effect relationship. The same is the case with the studied three terms of Opium Wars, Hong Xiuquan and Self-Strengthening Movements. The essence of the Opium Wars 1839-1842 and 1856-1860 was in the opposition between British Empire and China regarding the extent to which the Chinese market and internal affairs were to be influenced and penetrated by the foreign products. In this regard, the winner in those wars would decide the course of China’s further development and establish the position regarding foreign influence in China. While for the British establishing their influence was crucial in terms of European competition for the new colonies and developing markets, for the Chinese side, the main rationale for these wars was to preserve independent status of China and the rule and the authority of Qing Dynasty.[1]

After losing both wars, a humiliating treaty of Tientsin was signed. The inability of the Qing dynasty to oppose foreigners undermined the power of the ruling dynasty and triggered the internal turmoil in the country. Furthermore, it resulted in the Taiping Rebellion led by Hong Xiuquan (1850-1864). The establishment of the heavenly kingdom in the South China was aimed at changing the existing order in the country towards proto-socialism. In this regard, the main reforms conducted by Hong Xiuquan included common ownership of land, abolition of private trade, and certain equality for women and replacement of numerous religions in China with Christianity as a unifying means for the future string kingdom.[2] The rebellion opposed the authority of the Qing dynasty arguing that it could not protect China from the ruinous and exploiting influence of the British Empire. Consequently, Hong Xiuquan was against the existing order under the Qing rule, and his rebellion was a reflection of the dynasty’s inability to cope with internal and external threats.

The Self-Strengthening Movement was the answer of the Qing Dynasty to the threats posed by Opium Wars and Hong Xiuquan’s Rebellion. In order to demonstrate that the ruling dynasty still had power in its hands, the wave of reforms aimed at strengthening and modernizing the country in terms of economy and military sector was introduced.  In terms of socio-cultural perspective, it was aimed at preservation of the Confucian traditions and values of the ruling dynasty. This movement demonstrated that to preserve power, the Qing dynasty had to invest in the military modernization of the country by employing Western methods of warfare and weapons.  Consequently, the primary connection between three terms is their relationship to the rule of the Qing dynasty and sequential triggering of another: Opium Wars weakened the existing order in China and made Hong Xiuquan’s Rebellion possible, while the Self-Strengthening Movement was a reply to the hazards Opium Wars and the Taiping Rebellion posed to the ruling dynasty.[3]

[1] Chaliand, G. The Art of War in World History: From Antiquity to the Nuclear Age, p. 124.

[2] Duiker, W. and Spielvogel, J. The Essential World History, p. 86.

[3] Waugh, S. Essential Modern World History, p. 64.