The Chinese Empire by the 1911 Nationalist Revolution had stood for over 2100 years and created a deep sense of tradition that did not budge with the centuries and fell behind the world around it. Outside ideas from Europe would start to arrive with Missionaries wishing to bring the word of the lord and also to preach against some old Chinese traditions with foot binding taking the spotlight and within a few decades between 1840 and 1911, Chinese society would forever be changed because of western influence on China.
China with the Qing Dynasty was one of the oldest civilizations in the world with deeply rooted traditions. A flagship tradition that is rather unique to China is foot binding or lotus feet where girls at around age five would …show more content…
The first real movement with European influence was the Taiping Rebellion in 1850 and is considered the largest rebellion in human history. It was lead by Hong Xiuquan who founded his own sect of Christianity in 1836 after being exposed to the bible. His rebellion had many traits similar to other peasant rebellions but a few unique aspects of the rebellion were clearly influenced by Western thought(Allison 184). It was a clear sign that western ideas were entering Chinese …show more content…
Foot binding was not alone in these radical changes as prostitution, adultery, and rape were all punishable by death(Allison 184). Foot binding took the spotlight most likely due to western influence on the rebellion. The rebellion was defeated in 1864 in part because the rebellion tried to do so much in such a short amount of time with violence. At this time only about 1% of Chinese peoples were Christians and so the vast majority of peasants did not support the rebellion or its radical ideas. Christian missionaries also condemned the rebellion and its leader as Heretical as Xiuquan declared himself the younger brother of Jesus Christ, meaning the rebellion had no chance to succeed(Allison 186).
After the rebellion, western missionaries were forced to become more subtle in their preaching of western ideals. The destruction caused by the Taiping rebellion meant the missionaries could not directly speak on social change to the Chinese mass, however, opportunity to convert Chinese to Christianity and a veiled western ideological stance increased due to French intervention during the rebellion and later the second Opium war with Britain in
China with the Qing Dynasty was one of the oldest civilizations in the world with deeply rooted traditions. A flagship tradition that is rather unique to China is foot binding or lotus feet where girls at around age five would …show more content…
The first real movement with European influence was the Taiping Rebellion in 1850 and is considered the largest rebellion in human history. It was lead by Hong Xiuquan who founded his own sect of Christianity in 1836 after being exposed to the bible. His rebellion had many traits similar to other peasant rebellions but a few unique aspects of the rebellion were clearly influenced by Western thought(Allison 184). It was a clear sign that western ideas were entering Chinese …show more content…
Foot binding was not alone in these radical changes as prostitution, adultery, and rape were all punishable by death(Allison 184). Foot binding took the spotlight most likely due to western influence on the rebellion. The rebellion was defeated in 1864 in part because the rebellion tried to do so much in such a short amount of time with violence. At this time only about 1% of Chinese peoples were Christians and so the vast majority of peasants did not support the rebellion or its radical ideas. Christian missionaries also condemned the rebellion and its leader as Heretical as Xiuquan declared himself the younger brother of Jesus Christ, meaning the rebellion had no chance to succeed(Allison 186).
After the rebellion, western missionaries were forced to become more subtle in their preaching of western ideals. The destruction caused by the Taiping rebellion meant the missionaries could not directly speak on social change to the Chinese mass, however, opportunity to convert Chinese to Christianity and a veiled western ideological stance increased due to French intervention during the rebellion and later the second Opium war with Britain in