ch. 19: empires of collision

From the year 1800 to 1914, one of the most addictive drug use in history comes to play: opium. Britain has also violated China by intruding to sell opium to China's people, according to President Hu Jintao. It has much been said that the Chinese government was humiliated due to the unequal treaties they signed to give up territories to Britain.

1. With the growing population, China wasn't keeping up with its people where there were a majority of impoverished people. Not only that, but the state was also unable to be effective in tax collection, flood control, social welfare, and public security. What else? Officials were corrupted and there were harsh treatments on peasants happening all the time. The Europeans made it much difficult for the Chinese government to get back on their feet as well as disrupted internal trade routes, tons of unemployment, and increased taxes for peasants. Eventually, all of this contributed to a growing number of gangs and outright rebellions. The rebellion's leaders were against Confucianism, Daoism, and Biddhism where they idolized a unique form of Christianity. These people wanted a change in their communities like abolishing private property, ending prostitution, no more opium smoking, and forced segregation of sexual military camps of men and women.

5. The Ottoman Empire became weak and local warlords became powerful. Territories shrank by the Russians, British, Austrian, and French The Europeans gained oceanic access for Eurasian commerce to Asia. There lay cheap manufactured goods imported from the Europeans and many people started riots on the bad quality foreign imports. Eventually, the Ottoman Empire fell under European rule.

9. Japan changed by samurais evolving to a salaried bureau where it was about 6 percent of the total Japanese population. There was a long era of peace that contributed to economic growth, commercialization, and urban development. Peasants who turned out to be entrepreneurs used their innovations for agriculture that grew more rice than ever! Japan became a well-functioning society between urban and rural areas. In addition, education was aspiring among the population where 40 percent of men and 15 percent of women were able to read and write. This was a solid foundation during this era due to Japan's industrial growth. Samurais, although devoted to their warrior code, they were far more interested in their commerce than continuing to be samurais. Merchants became wealthy and many peasants moved to the cities. There, they became artisans where they enjoyed their luxurious lives and ignored their social status as farmers.