The boxer Rebellion

1. The boxer Rebellion

2. Youtube, The Boxer Rebellion • Take notes paying attention to the reasons given for the rebellion and who it was aimed at. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzsQjQatvL0

3. The Boxer Rebellion • In 1898, Chinese peasant anger against foreign influence boiled over into open rebellion against the ruling Qing dynasty. This was led by a religious sect of Chinese martial artists known as the ‘Righteous and Harmonious Fists’, whom the British named ‘Boxers’. Their supernatural beliefs appealed to the illiterate peasantry, who were desperate to improve their lives. The Boxers taught their followers that by chanting and meditation, an individual could become invulnerable to bullets. Most of the Boxers’ anger was focused on foreign missionaries, whom they blamed for their poverty and hunger. As their numbers grew the Boxers went from village to village, killing Christians and destroying churches. The Boxers also encouraged people to ‘destroy what is foreign’. Newly laid railway tracks and telegraph lines were ripped apart, as these had been built on peasant land. The Boxer Rebellion was seen as a major threat to the ruling Qing dynasty, which was blamed for allowing foreign influence. By 1899, the Boxers had moved to the imperial capital of Peking, where they began attacking the foreign embassies located within the city. They were eventually defeated in 1900, when the European powers sent a multinational force to Peking.

4. The Boxers

5. Activity • 1 Describe the appearance of the Boxers. • 2 Why are they destroying the rail tracks? • Who were the Boxers angry with? • What was life in China like prior this Rebellion?