HIS280Y1 Lecture 11: feb 8
Document Summary
Imperial bureaucracy, despite conflicting interests (inner vs. outer court), corruption, and rebellions, was durable. One aspect of durability = adaptability (quick to respond) Such adaptability evident during tongzhi emperor"s reign: tongzhi (r. 1861-1875) restoration? . Serious efforts by emperor & other court factions to preserve qing empire. Other central influencers include empress dowager cixi (dragon) and tongzhi"s uncle. Regional influencers too, who used their local roots and nepotism to impose order. This idea of restoration" was rooted in confucianism. It wasn"t about revolution/tearing things down, but about restoring via renovating: military changes. Late qing military was decentralized, semi-private (provincial armies) A long-term devolution of power from the once all-powerful center of 18th-century. Ever victorious army // a heterogenous group of army men, w/ mercenaries (from usa, too) Tongzhi was aware of catching-up re discipline, military tools to catch-up with industrializing countries like br and fr. Fuzhou coastal shipyard built between 1866-1867, with advice from french naval officers.