The Decline of the Last Chinese Dynasty

Asia, especially China, has become a host of great dynasties for a long time. Of all the Chinese dynasties, the Qing was the strongest and most glorious, but it was also the last. The Qing dynasty lasted for almost three hundred years, extended China’s borders farther than they had ever been before and perfected the Chinese imperial system. It is probably the most effectively organized government that the world had ever seen. It took such a complex problem to bring down this great dynasty. It is just as the old saying says: one thing lead to another.

The chain of Qing’s collapse may start from economy matter. There was a high demand for China’s tea in Great Britain but a low demand for Britain’s goods in China. Great Britain was in debt with China and they had to do something to get out. As a result, they sold silver to make the imbalance better. China could care less about Great Britain’s silver so Great Britain was still behinds in payments. When selling silver did not work they began selling opium. China’s people became quickly addicted to the drug and traded silver. China wanted the trade of opium to stop. China tried to make new restrictions against foreign merchants and ships and Great Britain did not like this idea and fought back resulting in the Opium War. Of course Britain won since they had better artillery, forcing China to sign the Treaty of Nanjing.

That event was only the beginning of Western influence in China because now more ports were open to foreign merchants. All trade was put under European control causing more economic problem. China was already struggling with its economy and life was becoming worrisome and hard for villagers. They were not satisfied with their living conditions and the result of the villagers’ anger was not a good one. In 1850, one of the bloodiest civil wars this world has ever seen broke out, The Taiping Rebellion. The rebels captured Nanjing and Hung Xiuguan renamed it Taiping Tien-Kuo or The Heavenly Dynasty of Perfect Peace. Of course china was not able to deal with this alone but with the help of the western powers, the same people causing them some many problems. Nanjing was eventually restored.20 million more people were killed while trying to recapture Nanjing.

Economically speaking, the Qing government faced a great problem about it. The government spent too much on the military aspect and the serious corruption of the government adds up the matter. By 1800 the economic foundation had been badly weakened. Somehow, the population increased rapidly. There was not enough land, many people had no arable land to farm, and the unemployed often turned to banditry or became recruits for rebel’s outfits. At this point, Communism was clearly not working for China. Sun Yat-Sen realized this and he attempted to do something about it. Things were looking good for Sun Yat-Sen when Empress Dowager Ci Xi died. The next and last emperor of China would be the three year old Henry Pu Yi. Sun Yat-Sen took advantage of this. In early 1912, the Qing regents signed a document giving up the throne in Pu Yi’s name, leaving Sun Yat-Sen as president of a Republican. That was the end of the Qing Dynasty.

The last hundred years of Qing Dynasty was nothing but problems. Rebellion, wars and civil wars, pressure from foreigners, and foreign immigrants spreading their ideas and cultures throughout China. The dynasty got weaker and weaker as timed progressed but China did not go down without a fight.