East Asia paper 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

East Asia paper 2 - Essay Example With such economic disparity, China’s development continued to fall as Western culture continued to take its peak. Aside from these, its centralized government began to crumble as rampant corruption erupted. Decentralization in power, warfare, rebellions, overpopulation, as well as the continuing economic downscale continued to pour over China’s arms. Rebellions continued its sprout, starting with the White Lotus Sect that placed an end to the golden age of the Qing dynasty and lasted for almost nine years. Named after the White lotus Buddhist sectarianism, White lotus revolution sparked the Chinese movement to overthrow the Qing dynasty. Starting as tax protesters, this sect was able to gain support from ordinary people against serious concerns in the government. By 1840, the Opium War, armed invasion of France and Britain against China, also broke out. This war was rooted from the dispute against opium trade, as the Chinese Emperor banned opium for its harmful effects in its citizens and derogatory impact on Chinese culture. Such conflict of premise contrasted Britain’s view on opium as a profitable commodity for commercial trade. The Opium War and the series of â€Å"unequal treaties† (or unreasonable treaties which demanded China to give up territories, pay indemnities, and open trading ports) beneficial to Britain further contributed to the downfall of China. The sudden turn of events converted China into a semi-feudal and semi-colonized country. Aside from the aforementioned wars, China also suffered from the Boxer Rebellion, a rebellion of the Chinese patriots (who used acts of violence such as murder, robbery, vandalism, and arson) as a means in opposing the forces of foreign traders and troops.