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The Boxer Uprising (1899-1901) was a key event in the history of China, as it reflected the colonial powers increasing influence in Chinese affairs and the weakness of late 19th century China.<ref>For an overview of this period, see: Preston, Diana, and Diana Preston. 2001. The Boxer Rebellion__NOTOC__[[File: The Dramatic Story of China’s War on Foreigners That Shook the World in the Summer of 1900. New York: Berkley Books.</ref> The rebellion consisted of an uprising led by a group known as the Boxers, which culminated in a siege of representatives of the eight colonial powers in BeijingForeign_armies_in_Beijing_during_Boxer_Rebellion_copy. The rebellion began jpg|thumbnail|300px|left|Foreign Armies in the Shandong province of China before leading to Beijing and spreading throughout much of the northern countryside, with many foreigners and converted Chinese Christians attacked. The Boxers were mostly peasants who performed a type of shaman act that has come down through Western interpretation as a sort of boxing, giving rise to the term Boxers. <ref>For a discussion on shamanism and its role in the rebellion see: Esherick, Joseph W. 1987. The Origins of the during Boxer Uprising. Berkeley: University of California Press, Pg. 5-7, 39.</ref> While it is often believed the Boxers were not supported by or were against the main Chinese court and government at the time, the fact is once the uprising was underway it was indeed supported by the Qing Dynasty and its army.Rebellion]]

The origins Boxer Uprising (1899-1901) was a key event in the history of the conflict can be traced to increased foreign presence in China, particularly by Great Britain, as it reflected the United States, Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Austria-Hungary, colonial powers increasing influence in Chinese affairs and eventually Japanthe weakness of late 19th century China. <ref>For an overview of increased foreign presence in the 19th century this period, see: DuaraPreston, Prasenjit. 1995. Rescuing History from the Nation: Questioning Narratives of Modern China. Chicago: University of Chicago PressDiana, Pgand Diana Preston. 602001.</refi> Mass conversion The Boxer Rebellion: The Dramatic Story of locals to Christianity and seizure of property and areas led to increase resentment, while China’s War on Foreigners That Shook the local population was very poor and the region densely populated. A drought and failed harvest World in the great northern plain in Shandong then proved to be the final spark after a period of increased violence against foreigners and Chinese Christians that then that led to the outward expression Summer of anger and mass mobilization.1900<ref/i> Esherick, Joseph W. 1987. The Origins of the Boxer Uprising. BerkeleyNew York: University of California Press, Pg. 300Berkley Books.</ref> Just 14 years before The rebellion consisted of an uprising led by a group known as the Great WarBoxers, this event also proved to be one culminating in a siege of the last instances that all representatives of the great eight colonial powers of the day were unitedin Beijing.

==Foreign Interests The rebellion began in the Shandong province of China==before leading to Beijing and spreading much of the northern countryside throughout, with many foreigners and converted Chinese Christians attacked. The Boxers were mostly peasants who performed a type of shaman act that has come down through Western interpretation as a sort of boxing, giving rise to the term Boxers. <ref>For a discussion on shamanism and its role in the rebellion, see: Esherick, Joseph W. 1987. <i>The Origins of the Boxer Uprising</i>. Berkeley: University of California Press, Pg. 5-7, 39.</ref> While it is often believed the Boxers were not supported by or were against the main Chinese court and government at the time, the fact is once the uprising was underway, it was indeed supported by the Qing Dynasty and its army.

[[FileThe origins of the conflict can be traced to an increased foreign presence in China, particularly by Great Britain, the United States, Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Austria-Hungary, and eventually Japan. <ref>For an overview of increased foreign presence in the 19th century, Duara, Prasenjit. 1995. <i>Rescuing History from the Nation: Questioning Narratives of Modern China</i>. Chicago:Foreign_armies_in_Beijing_during_Boxer_Rebellion_copyUniversity of Chicago Press, Pg. 60.</ref> Mass conversion of locals to Christianity and seizure of property and areas led to increasing resentment, while the local population was impoverished and densely populated.jpg|thumbnail|Foreign Armies in Beijing during Boxer Rebellion]]

Western foreigners A drought and failed harvest in China, after the arrival of Marco Polo great northern plain in Shandong then proved to be the 13th century, began to see China as final spark after a place for economic opportunity period of increased violence against foreigners and for mass conversion Chinese Christians that then that led to Christianity. In the 19th century, it was mainly Britain outward expression of anger and its powerful navy that began to increase its presence in China and control of trade in the regionmass mobilization.<ref>For an overview of how trade and drugs in particular fueled British interaction and ultimately increased interest in China see: LovellEsherick, JuliaJoseph W. 20111987. Ya Pian Zhan Zheng = <i>The Opium WarOrigins of the Boxer Uprising</i>. Berkeley: DrugsUniversity of California Press, Dreams and the Making of ChinaPg. London: Picador300.</ref> One particular commodity of interest was opium, which became a product of increased demand in Just 14 years before the West in the early to mid 19th century. Two main wars were fought over access to opiumGreat War, which China had fought this event also proved to restrict in trade, with be one of the British, assisted by the French and United States in the second war, successfully defeating the Chinese in both wars. The Second Opium War (1856-1860), as it was called, was the most critical, as it was the key war last instances that led to the opening all of China to many countries, traders, and missionaries. The presence became affiliated with legations and it allowed the British, French, the United States, and Russia bases of operations and great access to China, including in Beijing and key port cities. This began a period powers of rapid increase in Western influence in China, which was increasingly seen by many Chinese as largely favoring Western interests and against their own.<ref>See Chow, Gregory C. 2007. Knowing China. New Jersey ;London: World Scientificthe day were united.</ref>

====Competition Among Major Powers====The late 19th century was also a period of intense industrialization and competition among the Western powers. Initially , it was Germany, France, Britain, and Russia. Still, but soon the United States, that began to play an increasing role in foreign affairs.<ref>or a discussion on the 19th -century political competition see: Held, David, Anthony McGrew, David Goldblatt, and Jonathan Perraton, eds. 2002. <i>Global Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture</i>. Stanford, Calif: Stanford Univ. Press, Pg. 43.</ref> Throughout much of the late 1800s, a weak Qing Dynasty that technically ruled China characterized the political power in China, but foreigners consistently took possessions within China or did as they please pleased when it came to building or seizing land needed for their trade and bases. While foreign powers competed with each other throughout much of the world in the 19th century, China held mutual interests as the largely one-way trade was benefiting all the imperial powers collectively.<ref>See the discussion in Chapter 3 regarding the great powers in China before the Boxer Rebellion: Silbey, David. 2012. <i>The Boxer Rebellion and the Great Game in China</i>. New York: Hill and Wang.</ref>

====Collaboration in the Rebellion====[[File: 1200px-Beijing Castle Boxer Rebellion 1900 FINAL.jpg |left|250px|thumbnail|Foreign Armies attack Beijing Palace during Boxer Rebellion]]Similar to what happened in the Second Opium War, the Boxer Rebellion created a situation where a mass uprising forced all the great powers with concessions in China to collaborate. Each one was to limit resources to tackle the rebellion effectively. One great irony was by 1900. There was already great tension between the Western powers. Germany, or more specifically Prussia, and France had fought a bitter war in 1870-1871; Germany was seen as the rising rival to Great Britain, the Russo-Japanese War was only 4 years away at this point, although Great Britain began to draw more closely with the United States. <ref>For a discussion on Anglo-US relations in the late 19th century see: Ellis, Sylvia. 2009. <i>Historical Dictionary of Anglo-American Relations. Historical Dictionaries of U.S. Diplomacy 10</i>. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press.</ref>

Similar to what happened in the Second Opium warHowever, the Boxer Box Rebellion created a situation where a 's mass uprising forced all the great powers with concessions in China to collaborate, as each one was to limit in resources to tackle swift and was very popular among the rebellion effectivelyvast peasantry. One great irony was by 1900 there was already great tension between This put immediate pressure on the Western powersto suppress the rebellion before all of them would lose their foothold in China. Germany, or more specifically Prussia, and France had fought a bitter war in 1870-1871, Germany was seen as The rebellion forced the rising rival Qing Dynasty to Great Britainlargely support the uprising, even if members of the Russo-Japanese War was only 4 years away at this point, although Great Britain began to draw more closely with Qing court held reservations given their bitter defeats in the United StatesOpium Wars. <ref>For a discussion on Anglo-US relations in the late 19th century see: EllisEsherick, SylviaJoseph W. 20091987. Historical Dictionary <i>The Origins of Anglo-American Relationsthe Boxer Uprising</i>. Historical Dictionaries Berkeley: University of U.S. Diplomacy 10California Press, pg. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Pressxiv.</ref> With the arrival of foreign troops and reinforcements, with a large Japanese presence in particular, to Beijing, the Boxers were ultimately defeated by 1901. While the unity caused by the rebellion proved to be short-lived, as the rivalries between the great powers soon reemerged and ultimately led to World War I, there were long-term changes that have made these events for China of great interest to this day.

[[File====Boxer Rebellion United Chinese Against the Imperial Powers====The Boxers remained controversial figures in China. Some Chinese historians and individuals see the Boxers as largely ignorant peasants who were misguided and xenophobic. On the other hand, China experienced a wave of nationalism in the early 20th century that paved the way for the transition between the last royal dynasty and modern China. This nationalism had seen the Boxers as Chinese nationalists standing up for their cause and fighting an aggressive foreign occupation. <ref>Purcell, Victor. 2010. <i>The Boxer Uprising:Foreign_armies_in_Beijing_during_Boxer_Rebellion_copyA Background Study</i>.jpg|thumbnail|Foreign Armies in Beijing during Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pg. 271.</ref> In the decades following the Boxer Rebellion, Chinese anti-imperialists and nationals began to use the Boxer Rebellion]]as a rallying cry that helped bring about political change within China.

HoweverThe Boxer Rebellion also exposed divisions within China, namely those who looked to the mass uprising in the Box Rebellion was swift West and was very popular among the vast peasantryaspired for nationalism. This put immediate pressure on the Western powers to suppress the rebellion before all China descended into a chaotic period after 1911-1912, when China's last emperor abdicated, with warlords and factionalism replacing various parts of them would lose their foothold in China. The rebellion forced Soon, the Qing Dynasty influence of Communism began to largely support affect China, and the uprising, even if members events of the Qing court held reservations given their bitter defeats in Boxer Rebellion shaped the Opium warsChinese Civil War (1927-1950).<ref>EsherickFor an overview of key events that shaped China from 1911 to the Chinese Civil War see: Clubb, Joseph WEdmund. 19871964. The Origins of the Boxer Uprising<i>20th Century China</i>. New York, N.Y. Berkeley: ; Columbia University of California Press, pg. xiv.</ref> With Resentment to the arrival of foreign troops and reinforcementsWest, including what was seen as Western Capitalism, with a large Japanese presence lingered in particularmany areas, to Beijingand many peasants and young intellectuals had joined the Communist party, which was seen as a cure for China’s ills brought about by the Boxers were ultimately defeated by 1901. While Western encroachment initially and then the unity caused by collapse of the rebellion proved to be shortstate altogether in 1911-lived12.<ref>Sheel, as the rivalries between the great powers soon reemerged Kamal. 1989. <i>Peasant Society and ultimately led to World War I, for Marxist Intellectuals in China there were long-term changes that have made these events : Fang Zhimin and the Origin of great interest to this daya Revolutionary Movement in the Xinjiang Region</i>. Princeton: Princeton University Press.</ref>

====Conclusion====We can conclude that in many ways, the Boxer Rebellion United was seen as a Western victory that allowed the great powers to continue their trade and political policies in China; however, as is often the case, the events had more of an impact on local populations. Resentment to the West continued for decades and may have ultimately pushed many peasants and some urban intellectuals to take up the Communist cause in the Chinese Against the Imperial PowersCivil War.<div class="portal">====Related DailyHistory.org Articles===={{#dpl:category=Asian History|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=10}}</div>

The Boxers remained controversial figures in China. Some Chinese historians and individuals see the Boxers as largely ignorant peasants who were misguided and xenophobic. On the other hand, China experienced a wave of nationalism in the early 20th century that paved the way for the transition between the last royal dynasty and modern China. This nationalism had seen the Boxers as being Chinese nationalists who were standing up to for their cause and fighting an aggressive foreign occupation. <ref>Purcell, Victor. 2010. The Boxer Uprising: A Background Study. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pg. 271.</ref> In the decades that followed the Boxer Rebellion, Chinese anti-imperialists and nationals began to use the Boxer Rebellion as a rallying cry that helped to bring about political change within China. The Boxer Rebellion also exposed divisions within China, namely those who looked to the West and those who aspired for nationalism. China descended into a chaotic period after 1911-1912, when the last emperor of China abdicated, with warlords and factionalism replacing various parts of China. Soon, the influence of Communism began to affect China and the Chinese Civil War (1927-1950) was in part shaped by the events of the Boxer Rebellion. <ref>For an overview of key events that shaped China from 1911 to the Chinese Civil War see: Clubb, Edmund. 1964. 20th Century China. New York, N.Y.; Columbia University Press.</ref> Resentment to the West, including what was seen as Western Capitalism, lingered in many areas and many peasants and young intellectuals had joined the Communist party which was seen as a cure for China’s ills brought about by the Western encroachment initially and then the collapse of the state all together in 1911-12.<ref>Sheel, Kamal. 1989. Peasant Society and Marxist Intellectuals in China: Fang Zhimin and the Origin of a Revolutionary Movement in the Xinjiang Region. Princeton: Princeton University Press.====References====<references/ref>

[[Category:Chinese History]] [[Category:Boxer Rebellion19th Century History]] [[Category:Imperialism]] [[Category:European History]] [[Category:Asian History]]