The Haijin (海禁) or sea ban was a series of related isolationist policies in China restricting private maritime trading and coastal settlement during most of the Ming dynasty and early Qing dynasty. The policy introduced by the Ming founder Zhu Yuanzhang significantly hampered the growth of China's domestic trade,although the Ming was not able to enforce the policy in full despite official proclamations,and trade continued in forms like smuggling until the late Ming government opened the port of Yuegang for trade. Later,the early Qing dynasty's anti-insurgent "Great Clearance" (1661-1683) also caused considerable devastating effects on communities along the coast,until the Qing seized control of Taiwan and opened coastal ports to foreign trade.
The Taiping Rebellion,also known as the Taiping Civil War or the Taiping Revolution,was a civil war in China between the Manchu-led Qing dynasty and the Hakka-led Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. It lasted from 1850 until the fall of Tianjing in 1864,although the last rebel army was not wiped out until August 1871. The conflict resulted in approximately 20 to 30 million deaths,approximately one-tenth to one-twentieth of China's population at the time. The established Qing government won decisively,although at great cost to its fiscal and political structure.
The Opium Wars were two conflicts waged between China and Western powers during the mid-19th century.
Hong Xiuquan,born Hong Huoxiu and with the courtesy name Renkun,was a Chinese revolutionary and religious leader who led the Taiping Rebellion against the Qing dynasty. He established the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom over large portions of southern China,with himself as its "Heavenly King".
Li Hongzhang,Marquess Suyi was a Chinese statesman,general and diplomat of the late Qing dynasty. He quelled several major rebellions and served in important positions in the Qing imperial court,including the Viceroy of Zhili,Huguang and Liangguang.
Shikumen is a traditional Shanghainese architectural style combining Western and Chinese elements that first appeared in the 1860s. At the height of their popularity,there were 9,000 shikumen-style buildings in Shanghai,comprising 60% of the total housing stock of the city;however,the proportion is currently much lower,as most Shanghainese live in large apartment buildings. Shikumen is classified as one type of lilong residences,sometimes translated as "lane houses" in English.
The Nian Rebellion was an armed uprising that took place in northern China from 1851 to 1868,contemporaneously with Taiping Rebellion (1851–1864) in South China. The rebellion failed to topple the Qing dynasty,but caused immense economic devastation and loss of life that became major long-term factors in the collapse of the Qing regime in the early 20th century.
The Canton System served as a means for Qing China to control trade with the West within its own country by focusing all trade on the southern port of Canton. The protectionist policy arose in 1757 as a response to a perceived political and commercial threat from abroad on the part of successive Chinese emperors.
"Ever Victorious Army" was a small imperial army that fought rebels in late-19th-century China. It was directed and trained by Europeans. The Ever Victorious Army fought for the Qing dynasty against the rebels of the Nian and Taiping Rebellions.
The Punti–Hakka Clan Wars were a conflict between the Hakka and the Cantonese people in Guangdong,China between 1855 and 1867. The wars were most fierce around the Pearl River Delta,especially in Toi Shan of the Sze Yup counties. The wars resulted in roughly a million dead with many more displaced civilians.
The history of Shanghai spans over a thousand years and closely parallels the development of modern China. Originally a small agricultural village,Shanghai developed during the late Qing dynasty (1644–1912) as one of China's principal trading ports. Although nominally part of China,in practice foreign diplomats controlled the city under the policy of extraterritoriality. Since the economic reforms of the early 1990s the city has burgeoned to become one of Asia's major financial centers and the world's busiest container port.
The naval history of China dates back thousands of years,with archives existing since the late Spring and Autumn period regarding the Chinese navy and the various ship types employed in wars. The Ming dynasty of China was the leading global maritime power between 1400 and 1433,when Chinese shipbuilders built massive ocean-going junks and the Chinese imperial court launched seven maritime voyages. In modern times,the current People's Republic of China and the Republic of China governments continue to maintain standing navies through the People's Liberation Army Navy and the Republic of China Navy,respectively.
Li Shixian was a pre-eminent military leader of the late Taiping Rebellion. He was the cousin of military leader Li Xiucheng and was known for being very tall for a native of Guangxi province,standing at 2 metres (6.6 ft) tall. During his military tenure,he was given the title of King of Shi (侍王). In the latter part of the Taiping rebellion,he led Taiping forces to many military victories. Later in his life,he invited an aging Wei Yuan to live in his home and was known to hold counsel with the famous scholar. He was eventually assassinated by a traitor in Guangdong.
The Battle of Shanghai (太平軍二攻上海) was a major engagement of the Taiping Rebellion that occurred from June 1861 to July 1862. British and French troops used modern artillery on a large scale for the first time in China. Cannon fire inflicted heavy casualties on the Taiping forces,whose commander Li Xiucheng was wounded in the left leg by a shot fired from a cannon.
The Shanghai French Concession was a foreign concession in Shanghai,China from 1849 until 1943,which progressively expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The concession came to an end in 1943,when Vichy France under German pressure signed it over to the pro-Japanese Reorganized National Government of China in Nanjing. For much of the 20th century,the area covered by the former French Concession remained the premier residential and retail district of Shanghai,and was also one of the centers of Catholicism in China. Despite re-development over the last few decades,the area retains a distinct character and is a popular tourist destination.
The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (1851–1864) was a theocratic absolute monarchy which sought to overthrow the Qing dynasty. The Heavenly Kingdom,or Heavenly Dynasty,was led by Hong Xiuquan. Its capital was at Tianjing,present-day Nanjing. The unsuccessful war it waged against the Qing is known as the Taiping Rebellion.
The Red Turban Rebellion of 1854–1856 was a rebellion by members of the Tiandihui in the Guangdong province of South China.
The circuit intendant of Shanghai or the daotai of Shanghai,also formerly romanized as taotai or tao tai,was an imperial Chinese official who oversaw the circuit of Shanghai,then part of Jiangsu Province,in the Qing Empire. He oversaw the area's courts,law enforcement,civic defense,canals,and customs collection. As well as areas within modern Shanghai,his remit also included Qidong in present-day Jiangsu.
First-rank court official Xu Yingkui,courtesy names Jun'an (筠庵) and Changde (昌德),was a 19th-century Qing dynasty politician who served as Viceroy of Min-Zhe,Governor of Fuzhou and General of Fujian from 1898 to 1903. He was one of the two Chinese representatives who signed the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory,the other being Li Hongzhang. During Kang Youwei's Hundred Days' Reform,Xu opposed the reform and personally filed a complaint against Kang's conduct and political orientations.
