Civilizations in Crisis: Ottoman Empire, the Islamic Heartlands, and Qing China

1. Civilizations in Crisis: Ottoman Empire, the Islamic Heartlands, and Qing China Chapter 26 notes Ms.Chattin

2. Hong Xiuquan-Taiping Rebellion • Hong Xiuquan 1 of 5 children of a poor farm family. His family saved to get him a tutor to study for the civil service exam to improve the family’s fortunes, but he failed 4 times! Being depressed Xiuquan travelled a bit and came into contact with a Protestant. He read some biblical readings and decided that God and Jesus came to him in a dream and told him he was the younger son of Jesus and instructed him to fight against political corruption and other agents of the devil! (1837) • Hong was a well educated and charismatic speaker…he soon started preaching and many were attracted to his message. Called them “God worshipers”. Lead rebellion against Qing, corruption, western influences, wealth gap. He wanted to redistribute lands, end exams, give equality to women, and ban opium smoking. • Lead rebellion for 13 years-one of the most successful rebellions in Chinese history-even had their own capital-Nanjing

3. From Empire to Nation: Ottomans • Ottoman Empire on edge of disintegration: weak rulers (sultans forced to stay in palaces) and Janissaries too powerful. Territory in the Balkan Peninsula began to be taken over by superior militaries of Austria/Poland/Russia (Holy Alliance). Also some territories won their independence like Greece! • The regional officials and ayan cheated sultan of revenue and continued to put pressures of taxation on peasants • Europeans powers didn’t want to see Ottoman Empire topple b/c 1) dismemberment of country could lead to disagreements and wars (2) the British were worried about Russian interests in a warm water port in the Balkans (caused the British to support Ottoman Turks against Russia during the Crimean War –British won)

4. Reform and Survival-Ottoman • Managed to survive into the 20th century in large part due to European fears • Started to pass internal reforms to make state better -Sultan Selim III-reform gov. and military, but angered Janissaries who revolted and killed in in 1807 -Sultan Mahmud II-secretly built army and slaughtered Janissaries (soup kitchen debacle) then continued westernization reforms: diplomats and military advisors from Europe • Tanzimat Reforms: 1839-1879 : westernization reforms: education, science and math training, state run postal and telegraph service, RR, legal reforms, constitution (1876) • Opened ports (1838 trade agreement) to manufactured goods-hurt artisans-couldn’t compete with goods  • 1908 last sultan of Ottomans overthrown

5. Repression and Revolt • Sultan threatened-westerns saw the need for more liberal reforms and saw the sultan as a barrier to change • Sultan Abdul Hamid (1878-1908)-return to old autocratic ways, limited reforms, ended constitution and civil liberties, and jail or even killed dissidents. • Sultan Abdul Hamid was overthrown by a coup in 1908 by the Ottoman Society for Union and Progress (started in Paris in 1889)-called the Young Turks. Group of officers restored the constitution and press freedoms and promised more…however the sultan was retained as a figurehead and a the supreme religious authority. Officers eventually ended up fighting each other prior to WWI. Eventually, a Young Turk, Mustasfa Kemal became the founder of Turkey

6. Western Intrusions • Arabs under Ottoman rule-at least they are Muslims. European powers threatened the continuity of Islam and their religious community. • This became a crisis-What to do? • Question on what to do about European influence on Islam: (1) jihad-(2) borrow ideas and innovate more (al-Afghani and Muhammad Abduh)

7. Muhammad Ali and Egypt • In 1798 Napoleon launched an attack on Egypt, but Egyptians under the Muslim Mamluk army felt they could easily conquer the French. But they were wrong and lost –showing the flaws of the best Islamic army. Napoleon won and wanted to establish a giant Middle Eastern Empire to block trade between India and the British. Soon however the British step in and conquered the French restoring Egyptian independence. • Muhammad Ali (Albanian) emerged as the Egyptian ruler during this time. He wanted to improve and make westernized reforms especially to the military! Much more effective military as a result  Increased farm outputs (to feed Europe’s industrial demands) and increased public projects (irrigation). Died in 1848 and his descendants took over powers, called the khedives. Khedives ruled until 1952. • Following Muhammad Ali’s death not much progress in Egypt, widening gap btw rich and poor and the Khedives more interested in excess than ruling  Became in debt to European financiers b/c they wanted cheap Egyptian cotton and later access to the Suez Canal (1869)…making Egypt one of the most strategic locations on earth! Link Europe and their colonies in Asia and Africa.

8. Bankruptcy, Euro intervention, Resistance • Mounting debts and importance of the Suez Canal made Egypt very important. When Egyptians started to default on loan payments British and French financiers requested military actions. • 1880s-resistance movement under young Egyptian military officer Ahmad Orabi: critical of khedival regime. Revolted in 1882 when the gov. laid off Egyptian officers and not others…attack drove khedive to seek British help! British crushed Orabi’s rebellion and put back the khedive. • British intervention led to British dominance. They began using the khedives like puppets and began controlling foreign and economic affairs. Thus direct European control had begun over the Islamic heartlands!!!

9. Jihad: Mahdist Revolt • British became involved in Egypt’s problems-Sudan! British helped win Sudan. • Sudanese unhappy with Egypt: corruption, taxes, favoritism, end of slave trade. • Muhammad Achmad united Sudanese to fight (descendant of Muhammad), associated with the promised deliverer, Mahdi. • Muhammad Achmad started a Jihad against Egyptian heretics and British infidels-extreme violence. He wanted to purge Islam of superstitious beliefs and bad practices. Violence against Egyptians who practiced corrupt Islam. • Used guerrilla tactics and blessing/ magic to win victories. Took Sudan  But then Mahdi died of typhus  Khalkifa Abdallahi succeeded as the leader of the movement. Create society in which smoking, dancing, and drinking alcohol was forbidden while theft prostitution, and adultery severely punished! Foreigners imprisoned or expelled, and no ban on slavery. • 1898 British General Kitchener ended movement: Battle of Omdurman –slaughtered Mahdists

10. The Last Dynasty: Qing • Nurhaci united Manchuria under Qing. The Ming invited the Qing to help fight against internal Chinese rebellion along the Great Wall-never went home! The Ming dynasty overthrown in 1644 with the last Ming emperor, Chongzhen (killed himself). (Remember some people during the Ming dynasty were eating bird droppings and tree bark) • Qing took over ruling China and adopted Chinese ways: Exam, social hierarchy, Confucian values.

11. Economy and Society: Qing • Continued past social hierarchy (women subservient to father and husbands-children to parents) • Males considered better (no dowry) and there was female infanticide. Women got a better position by being the 1st wife and not a concubine. Also needed to have sons. • Qing lowered taxes and conscripted state labor demands  Qing repaired public works projects and improved farming! • However gap between rich and poor increased in rural areas. Gentry men grew out their fingernails to show they didn’t have to work! • Didn’t control the economy as much as the Ming-opened up more international trade. Compradors specialized in import-export trade in Qing dyansty

12. Rot from Within: Qing • Late 18th century in decline: -Exam cheating/favoritism -Sons of officials given positions -Buying of posts, bribes, and others taking tests -less public works projects -less military training and $ on military • Qing become less concerned with people and more concerned with excesses • Dams flood killing many and brought famine and food shortages coupled with increased demands by landlords on poor –ripe for rebellion

13. Barbarians • Chinese thought of Europeans as Barbarians • Unbalanced trade between China and Europe-bullion for Chinese luxury products • British begin importing opium (strong Indian version). Chinese become hook and 1% of population become drug addicts-not reflecting values of China! China asks British to remove opium and they merchants refuse. Therefore, the Chinese government takes over British warehouse and destroys the opium. Merchants complain to the state and ask for military intervention…hence the Opium War 1839 / 1850s • The British easily won because the Chinese didn’t have advanced militaries (not industrialized). This victory gave British increasing areas/ ports like Hong Kong to trade for goods and increased influence over China.

14. Civilization at Risk • Growing power of the west led to rebellions like the Taiping Rebellion (Hong Xiuquan) against the Qing. Taiping even had female regiments in their military and wanted to establish a utopian society and rid the people of corruption and evil. They were very successful. However, over time the Taipings began to alienate some of their followers because no real reforms were taking place! Social Reforms! • Europeans supported Qing because of the strange God worshipers. • Eventually the Qing broke the movement, but after years of rebellions. • Empress Cixi took power of throne-ultraconservative –no social reforms. • Qing still held onto power-and backed popular outbursts aimed at expelling foreigners from China like the Boxer Rebellion in 1898.

15. Fall of Qing • Lasted into the 20th century! • People wanted social reforms but government was providing them • Middle class revolts • 1912 last emperor of China, Puyi, deposed and China was turned into a republic

16. Muslims and Chinese Decline • Both had internal problems and the west started encroaching • ME – long threat of Europeans whereas China was very recent • ME – shared much with Europe-was easy to borrow from whereas China felt it was hard to borrow from the barbarians • ME- Many Islamic countries vs. 1 China • ME – Islamic kingdoms had one religion to fall back on whereas China didn’t really have a strong religious tradition • Both were only partially colonized