HIS280Y1 Lecture Notes - Zeng Guofan, Taiping Rebellion, Li Hongzhang
Document Summary
The main impetus behind self-strengthening must be seen in the series of disasters which had nearly led to the overthrow of the qing dynasty in the two decades prior to 1861. 1861 there were still in existence major areas of instability. The survival and apparent strengthening of the dynasty after 1861 led to its description as the tong zhi restoration", after the name of the new emperor. China had fought and lost the two opium wars" with britain (1839-42 and. The defeats also weakened the strength and prestige of the dynasty which was a contributory factor to the second main cause of self-strengthening: internal rebellions. The most dangerous of these was the taiping rebellion (1850-64), under the leadership of hong xiuquan, who claimed to be the second son of god. Hong and his followers rapidly captured much of southern china and captured the southern capital of nanjing in 1853 (which became the.
