The Origins of the Boxer Uprising

471 Pages·1988·11.582 MB·English

by  Joseph W. Esherick

The Origins of
the Boxer Uprising
This volume is sponsored by
the Center for Chinese Studies
University of California, Berkeley
The Origins o f
the Boxer Uprising
Joseph W. Esherick
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
Berkeley Los Angeles ■ London
University of California Press
Berkeley and Los Angeles, California
University of California Press, Ltd.
London, England
© 1987 by
The Regents of the University of California
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Esherick, Joseph.
The origins of the Boxer Uprising.
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
1. China—History—Boxer Rebellion, 1899-1901.
I. Title.
DS771.E73 1987 951'.03 86-16054
ISBN 0-520-06459-3 (alk. paper)
Printed in the United States of America
08 07 06 05 04
9 8 7 6
The paper used in this publication is both acid-free
and totally chlorine-free (TCF). It meets the minimum
requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (R 1997)
(Permanence of Paper). ©
For Joe and Chris

Contents
List of Tables xi
List of Illustrations xii
• • •
Preface Xlll
1. Shandong: Where It All Began 1
The North China Plain. The North China Macroregion.
Socio-economic Regions of Shandong. Home of the Boxers.
Social Formations of West Shandong. The Geographic
Distribution of the Shandong Gentry.
2. Sects, Boxers, and Popular Culture 38
Sectarian Rebels in Shandong. Official Proscription
of "Heterodox" Sects. Sectarian Rebels in the Late
Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries. Sectarians
and Martial Artists. Invulnerability and Possession.
Boxers and Sectarians in the Late Qing. Popular Culture
and Peasant Community.
3. Imperialism, for Christ's Sake 68
The Impact of Foreign Imports. The Sino-Japanese War.
Christianity and Western Expansionism. Missionary
Activity in Shandong. German Catholics of the S. V.D.
The Catholic Church as Imperium in Imperio. The 1890s:
Christians in the High Tide of Imperialism.
• •
Vll
Contents
4. The Big Sword Society 96
The Early History of the Armor of the Golden Bell.
The Shandong-Jiangsu Border Region. The Armor of
the Golden Bell. Big Swords, Bandits, and Officials.
The Big Sword Society and the Catholics. The Uprising
of June 1896.
5. The Juye Incident 123
The Causes of the Incident. The German Reaction.
The Impact of the Jiaozhou Seizure.
6. Guan County, 1898: The Emergence of the
"Boxers United in Righteousness" 136
The Setting. A History of Sectarian Activity.
The Christians. Liyuantun. The Dispute with the
Christians. The Eighteen Chiefs. The Plum Flower
Boxers. The Struggle Renewed. The Boxers United
in Righteousness. 1898: Christian Victory and Boxer
Dispersal. Fall 1898: Outbreak and Suppression.
7. The Gathering Storm 167
Reform in Shandong. The Fiscal Crisis of the State.
Natural Disasters and Civil Unrest. Foreign Aggression
in 1898-99. The Germans in Shandong. Anti-
Christian Incidents in Southeast Shandong. German
Incursions of 1899. The Role of Yu-xian. "Red
Boxers" in lining. Yu-xian's Boxer Policy. Foreign
Response: German and American.
8. The Spirit Boxers 206
Sectarians in Northwest Shandong. Christians in
Northwest Shandong. Spirit Boxers: Ritual and the
Problem of Sectarian Origins. The Transformation and
Spread of the Spirit Boxers: 1898-99. Official Attitudes.
Patterns of Transmission and Boxer Organization.
The Social Composition of the Spirit Boxers.
9. The Inevitable Clash 241
The Spirit Boxers of Pingyuan. Boxer Violence and
Foreign Protests. Showdown at Gangzi Lizhuang.
The Battle at Senluo Temple. The Official Response.
The Final Days of Zhu Hong-deng. The Boxer Hydra
Grows.
Contents ix
10. Prairie Fire 271
The Policy of the Court. Spread Across Zhili. Spring
1900: Escalating Conflict. Foreign Threats and
Vacillation at Court. The Boxers in Beijing and Tianjin.
"Declaration of War/' Siege in Beijing and Tianjin.
The Civilized World's Revenge. Lessons.
Epilogue: Beyond the Idol of Origins 315
Appendix: The Mid-Qing Yi-he Boxers and
the White Lotus 333
Abbreviations Used in the Notes 341
Notes 345
Glossary of Names and Terms 413
Bibliography 421
Index 441