5-China

=China, 1750-1914=

=Political= =Economic= =Religious= =Social=
 * Was involved in the Opium War
 * Had many unequal treaties
 * Went from having an Emperor to an Empress with the Empress Dowager Cixi
 * European commercial presence in China was restricted in 1759 (Chinese authorities controlled European merchants and the terms of trade)
 * Cohongs: (Specially licensed Chinese firms) Bought and sold goods at set prices and operated under strict regulations established by the government
 * East India Company began to sell Opium for Chinese silver coin
 * Opium trade expanded rapidly because it was addicting
 * Opium sales were illegal and caused economic problems in China mainly because it drained all of their silver
 * Taiping Rebellion resulted in massive declines in agricultural production
 * Money wasted on lavish accessories for empress instead of military success
 * Many continuities.
 * Buddhism and Confucianism were still the main belief systems
 * Taiping Reform contained many radical features that appealed to discontented subjects- prohibition of footbinding and concubinage, abolition of private property, creation of communcal wealth to be shared according to needs, free public education, etc... but most importantly equality for men and women (this was not achieved since the Taiping Reform failed)
 * Taiping Rebellion ended up claiming 20-30 million lives

=Intellectual=
 * Though very intellectual, CHina has shown it has declined intellectually throughtout the years

=(Technology)=

= = =Near Geographic=
 * Built modern shipyards and constructed railroads
 * Established weapons industries and opened steel foundries with blast furnaces
 * Founded academies to develop scientific expertise
 * Several treaties released Korea, Vietnam, and Burma from Chinese control
 * The Yangzi and Yellow River valleys werre used by British forces during the Opium War