1. NonBunpetch
Mr. Sweeney,IBAsiaHistoryP1
10/12/10
Whydid China’sreform movementof the 19th
century failed?
Duringthe periodof 1950-1964, Chinafaceda majorrebellionledbyaheterodox Christian
convertnamedHong Xiuquan.Itwasnamedthe TaipingRebellionandwasone of the mostdevastated
rebellioninthe historyof China. The cause forthe rebellionwas due tothe fact that Chinawasfacing
majorcrisis;natural disasters,economicproblems,corruptioninthe central government,andforeign
imperialism.Inthe end,and20 millionsdeadlater,Chinafinallyrealizeditsneedtoreform.Although
Chinadid realize that, mostof the reformsdidnot succeeddue tothe weaknessinthe political structure
and the inabilitytoaddresssocial problems.
The imperial governmentof Chinaduringthe 19th
century wasveryweak,unable tomanage and
enforce itspolicies,while mostof the powerislocatedwiththe governor-generals. Itcouldnoteven
control officialsinside the governmentascorruptionplaguedit. The Tongzhi Restorationisaclear
example of this.Duringreignof emperorTongzhi,chinatriedtofix theirproblems byre-establishthe
relationshipbetweenthe gentryandthe commonpeople;resumingthe examinationsystemthatwas
suspendedforyears,expandingthe educational systembyopeningmore schoolsandlibraries.Theyalso
triedto fix theireconomybyencouragingpeopletosettle inandfarmmore land, loweringthe taxesso
farmerscan gainmore profit.Mary Wrightstatedthat ina shorttermthe restorationwasa success,
“not onlya dynastybutalsoa civilizationwhichappearedtohave collapsedwasrevivedtolastfor
anothersixtyyearsbythe extraordinaryeffortsof extraordinarymeninthe 1860’s.” The policiesand
ideasitself weregood,butitlackedcontrol,asmany officialsdidnotfollow the lecture system.The

2. increasingpowersof the local elitesalsostop the central bureaucracy’sattempttoreconnectwiththe
people.The central governmentdidnothave enoughpowertomake the reform effective.
AfterChinese’sdefeatbyJapan,Chinafinallyrealizedit’sweaknessinthe government,which
leadto the HundredDays’Reform.Anattemptwasmade to modernize the educational system,
industrialize china,andeliminate corruptioninthe central government.Butthe reformfailedas
EmpressDowagersupportedthe officialsthatwere accused of corruptionandsuppressedthe reform.
Thisprovesthat because of the political structure thatChinacurrentlypossessed,causedChinatofail in
itsreformsand laggedbehindinmodernization.
Reformsalsodidnotsucceed as Chinafailedtoaddress theirsocial problems.Itwasalmost
impossible takingChinatothe modernworldwhenthe social theoriesandstructuresremainthe same,
such as demonstratedbythe Self-StrengtheningMovement.The movementtriedtolearnwestern
language andmathematicsbyopeningforeignschools,suchasthe Beijingschool forforeignlanguage
whichusedwesternteacherstoteachChinese students.Li HongzhangalsotriedtomodernizeChina’s
militaryandtechnologiesbyopeningwesternarsenals,factories,mines,andshipyardsatChina’smain
cities. Butthe reformsfailedbecauseChinadidnotchange itsConfuciantraditionstoadapttowestern
culture butrather promoted‘Chinese learningatthe base,Westernstudiesforuse’. Joseph Levenson
statedthat “Thisrationalizationcouldnotbe sustained,foritwasnot possibletooccupythe middle
groundbetween‘perfectloyaltytothe basicChinese values’andindiscriminate acceptance of Western
Culture.”ChineseConfucianismandwesterncultureswere verydifferent,andoftenconflicting.For that
reasonit wasimpossibletoimpose,andmake those reformsworkwithoutchangingthe social structure.
The social problemsof Chinaalsoinclude the people themselves. People inChinaduringthe 19th
centurywere plaguedwithopiumaddiction.Aspeople are addicted toopium, the social orderlacks
organizationaspeople whoare addicted toopiumusually donotfollow rules.Familiesare destroyedas

3. opiumaddicts sell whatevertheyhave tobuyopium.Withthose reasonsthe workingclassdoes not
operate efficiently.The Chinesecentral governmentfailedtorealize that,the reformsthatthey
introduceddidnotaddressedorfixedthisproblem, therefore withthe social ordernotworking,other
political oreconomicreformswouldnotworktoo.
Reformsmovementimposedbythe Chinese governmentduringthe 19th
centuryactuallyhad
goodideasand policiesbehindthem,butitfaileddue tothe weaknessof the political structure andthe
problemwithchina’ssocial order.Reformmovementssuchasthe Tongzhi restoration,the Hundred
Days’Reformcan be seenthatthey faileddue tothe weaknessinpolitical structure;the central
governmentcouldnotcontrol itsofficials,andenforce theirpolicies.Andwithone personhaving
absolute control,itishardto do what’sbestfor the country,but ratherwhat the emperor/empress
wantsto do. The Self-StrengtheningMovementfaileddue toitsinabilitytochange the social structure;
and withopiumplaguingthe lowerclass,reformscannotbe carriednoteffectively asthe workingclass
cannot cooperate.