How was China affected by the Unequal Treaties of the 1850s and 1860s?

Answer 1

The unequal treaties were only part widening catastrophe the engulfed China during the 1850s and 60s.

Before the Opium Wars, traders paid in silver for China's products and natural resources, and the country's vast population served as an enviable consumer market for the Europeans. China ruled over its neighbors and was extraordinarily wealthy and populous, with a strong common culture.

With the First Opium War (1839–1842), the British were the first foreign power to force China into an "unequal treaty"; China was forced to give her most favored nation status and was unofficially able to trade using Opium. The unequal treaties destroyed China's economy and undermined the forces of the State.

As Christianity spread throughout the nation and social unrest increased, missionaries started to arrive, which contributed to the Taiping Rebellion.

The Second Opium War (1856–1860), which resulted in the legalization of the opium trade and a wave of drug addiction that depleted the populace, saw Beijing overrun, looted, and the Summer Palace destroyed. Numerous uprisings occurred during this period, repeatedly depleting the nation's coffers.

The central provinces of China were destroyed by the religious/civil war known as the Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864), which was linked to the Nian Rebellion in the North (1851–1868) and the Punti-Hakka Clan wars (1855–1867). It was the bloodiest conflict of the 19th century.

The Hui (or Dungan) Rebellion (1862–1873) was a period of unrest in the northwest of the country caused by Muslim religious groups.

Around the same period, there were several smaller uprisings, including the Panthay Rebellion (1855–1873), the Miao Rebellion (1854–73), and the Red Turban Rebellion (1854–1857).

The unrest claimed the lives of tens of millions of people.

The Qing Government struggled mightily to quell the rebellions and was unable to stop the foreign powers with their superior weaponry; the provinces were increasingly left to fend for themselves, and the central government's power was greatly diminished.

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Answer 2

China was significantly affected by the Unequal Treaties of the 1850s and 1860s in several ways:

  1. Territorial Losses: China was forced to cede territories to foreign powers. For example, Hong Kong was ceded to Britain after the First Opium War (1839-1842), and additional territories were acquired by foreign powers such as Russia, France, Germany, and Japan through subsequent treaties.

  2. Extraterritoriality: Foreigners in China were granted extraterritorial rights, meaning they were subject to the laws of their own countries rather than Chinese laws. This undermined China's sovereignty and legal authority.

  3. Trade Imbalance: China was compelled to open numerous ports for foreign trade and grant foreigners favorable trade privileges. This led to an influx of foreign goods into China, disrupting traditional industries and causing economic hardship for many Chinese.

  4. Economic Exploitation: Foreign powers gained control over key sectors of China's economy, including finance, industry, and transportation. They also imposed unequal tariffs and imposed customs duties, further weakening China's economy.

  5. Humiliation and Loss of Prestige: The unequal treaties and subsequent events such as the Taiping Rebellion and the Boxer Rebellion contributed to a sense of humiliation and loss of prestige for the Qing Dynasty. This weakened the legitimacy of the imperial government and fueled anti-Qing sentiments.

Overall, the Unequal Treaties of the 1850s and 1860s severely undermined China's sovereignty, economy, and social stability, contributing to a period of decline known as the "Century of Humiliation."

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.

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