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Indhold leveret af Nathan Bennett. Alt podcastindhold inklusive episoder, grafik og podcastbeskrivelser uploades og leveres direkte af Nathan Bennett eller deres podcastplatformspartner. Hvis du mener, at nogen bruger dit ophavsretligt beskyttede værk uden din tilladelse, kan du følge processen beskrevet her https://da.player.fm/legal.
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1 Amy Schumer & Brianne Howey on the Importance of Female Friendships, Navigating Hollywood's Double Standards, Sharing Their Birth Stories, and MORE 50:05
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This week, in what might be the funniest episode yet, Molly and Emese are joined by co-stars Amy Schumer and Brianne Howey. They get candid about motherhood, career evolution, and their new film, Kinda Pregnant —which unexpectedly led to Amy’s latest health discovery. Amy opens up about how public criticism led her to uncover her Cushing syndrome diagnosis, what it’s like to navigate comedy and Hollywood as a mom, and the importance of sharing birth stories without shame. Brianne shares how becoming a mother has shifted her perspective on work, how Ginny & Georgia ’s Georgia Miller compares to real-life parenting, and the power of female friendships in the industry. We also go behind the scenes of their new Netflix film, Kinda Pregnant —how Molly first got the script, why Amy and Brianne were drawn to the project, and what it means for women today. Plus, they reflect on their early career struggles, the moment they knew they “made it,” and how motherhood has reshaped their ambitions. From career highs to personal challenges, this episode is raw, funny, and packed with insights. Mentioned in the Episode: Kinda Pregnant Ginny & Georgia Meerkat 30 Rock Last Comic Standing Charlie Sheen Roast Inside Amy Schumer Amy Schumer on the Howard Stern Show Trainwreck Life & Beth Expecting Amy 45RPM Clothing Brand A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us at @sonypodcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…
Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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Indhold leveret af Nathan Bennett. Alt podcastindhold inklusive episoder, grafik og podcastbeskrivelser uploades og leveres direkte af Nathan Bennett eller deres podcastplatformspartner. Hvis du mener, at nogen bruger dit ophavsretligt beskyttede værk uden din tilladelse, kan du følge processen beskrevet her https://da.player.fm/legal.
Chinese Revolutions is a podcast showing how China came to be the way it is today. We are looking at modern Chinese history through the lens of revolutionary movements from the Opium Wars to the present. The Communist Party of China inherits quite a lot from previous revolutionary movements, and the Chinese nationalism it brings forward all come from somewhere. Here, we’re going to find out. Your host, Nathan Bennett, lived in China for seven years. This podcast is a love letter and a farewell letter to that country.
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48 episoder
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Manage series 3322866
Indhold leveret af Nathan Bennett. Alt podcastindhold inklusive episoder, grafik og podcastbeskrivelser uploades og leveres direkte af Nathan Bennett eller deres podcastplatformspartner. Hvis du mener, at nogen bruger dit ophavsretligt beskyttede værk uden din tilladelse, kan du følge processen beskrevet her https://da.player.fm/legal.
Chinese Revolutions is a podcast showing how China came to be the way it is today. We are looking at modern Chinese history through the lens of revolutionary movements from the Opium Wars to the present. The Communist Party of China inherits quite a lot from previous revolutionary movements, and the Chinese nationalism it brings forward all come from somewhere. Here, we’re going to find out. Your host, Nathan Bennett, lived in China for seven years. This podcast is a love letter and a farewell letter to that country.
…
continue reading
48 episoder
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S02E01 Reintroducing the Chinese Revolutions Podcast 11:45
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S02E01 Reintroducing the Chinese Revolutions Podcast This is a rambling episode pushed out to get the ball rolling, getting this podcast going again. The next big thing on the agenda is the Boxer Rebellion. We'll do some episodes in the run up to the Boxer Rebellion, and then we'll spend some good time on the next major revolutionary inflection point before the Qing Dynasty is taken out with the garbage. The Boxer Rebellion is going to illustrate the problems of the people and the political classes of China, both with sclerotic domestic conditions and intrusive, oppressive foreign intervention, imposition, and influence on China. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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S01E42 Taiping Rebellion: Epilogue In this episode, we finish up our coverage of the Taiping Rebellion, as such. In following episodes, we'll do a little more with how the roots in the succeeding era come on from interactions between the Qing Dynasty government and foreign powers. We follow the final chapter of Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: China, the West, and the Epic Story of the Taiping Civil War by Stephen R. Platt. While the Taiping inspired later generations of revolutionaries, they ultimately failed to carry through a successful revolution. This episode looks at why, and what future revolutionary movements will have to do to succeed. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E41: Taiping Rebellion: The Siege of Nanjing 47:02
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S01E41: Taiping Rebellion: The Siege of Nanjing In this episode, we deal with the Siege of Nanjing. As the extremely brutal culmination of years of already brutal fighting, the Qing loyalist forces of Zeng Guofan finally storm the Taiping capital and put a permanent end to the top leadership of the rebellion. Again, drawing on Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom by Stephen R. Platt. The central questions pivotal to future revolutions we'll deal with: What is the Chinese nation, who are the Chinese people? What does a modern Chinese state, competitive in the modern world, look like? Next episode we'll deal with the epilogue from Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E40 Fast Forwarding to the End of the Taiping Rebellion 1:02:15
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S01E40 Fast Forwarding to the End of the Taiping Rebellion In this episode, I take a rambling skim through several chapters of Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom . There is a lot of content I want to get to, other than the blow by blow of the Taiping Rebellion. I'm fast forwarding to the end of this one so we can get through it and get on to other revolutions. We'll still be doing things with this book, because it has a lot of material related to the period after the Taiping Rebellion, but the emphasis will be on what comes after, rather than the Taiping Rebellion. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E39 Taiping Rebellion: Siege of Anqing, On the Edge of a Knife 34:30
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S01E39 Taiping Rebellion: Siege of Anqing, On the Edge of a Knife Some points of review on where we left the Taiping Rebellion story. We're getting back into the Taiping Rebellion. We'll be following the story of Zeng Guofan most closely. For Zeng Guofan, dogged determination and luck keep him in the game. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E38 We’re Back! Thoughts on the Future of the Podcast 21:31
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S01E38 We're Back! Thoughts on the Future of the Podcast We're back from break! While I've been away, I've still been doing reading on China and thinking about the podcast, thinking about how to keep moving it forward. I'll probably move to a more modular approach: 2-3 episodes on a topic, a person, an event. Episodes to tie the narrative together. Also a lot on international context, the world in which Chinese revolutionaries are seeking to reconstitute the Chinese state. Lately I've been reading Street Without Joy by Bernard Fall, covering the French go at having a Vietnam War in the early 1950s. It really shows how the Vietnamese Communists were savvy, competent fighters of modern war and modern politics, but having to account for their very different resources than available to the French. When we get to the Chinese revolutionaries, we'll see how they're fully modern and competent, but they have to be very resourceful to get where they're going. I've been listening to the podcast The Age of Napoleon by E. M. Rummage. This has inspired my thinking about how to put a podcast together and how to go about focusing on a much longer span of history. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E37 Taiping Rebellion: Taiping Propaganda Under Hong Rengan 23:22
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S01E37 Taiping Rebellion: Taiping Propaganda Under Hong Rengan Here we go, grinding back into gear with this year's episodes. This episode's title addresses one of the main actual insights in the episode, not quite what it's about. Hong Rengan is working on planning the modern government structure of the future of the Taiping government apparatus. He follows the pattern of the contemporary Chinese state to show order and continuity, to give confidence to the people they'd have to be governing. Hong Rengan, clearly smart and competent, runs into the trouble of the old guard Taiping leadership. They had been there from the beginning, but his only connection was his family relationship with the "Heavenly King," Hong Xiuquan. Taiping Propaganda As the Taiping Rebellion stretches on, the actual Taiping ideology is decreasingly the thing they'll turn to, to appeal to the people of China. All of China has seen what foreign powers have been able to do to China, and messaging about who should be the legitimate dynasty had to address that. A central bit of the messaging was race-based, ethnic conflict-based. The Qing were foreign invaders, not native Han. That was something all native Han could understand and get onboard with. Zeng Guofan is Still Out There The Qing Dynasty, by its continued existence, threatens the success of the Taiping Rebellion. Zeng Guofan, dogged, duty-driven enemy of the Taiping, still has his small force working its way toward defeating the Taiping. We'll be coming back to him shortly A Note on the Future of This Series I'm going to figure out how to get to the end of the Taiping Rebellion. I've answered a lot of the questions I had for myself about what this rebellion shows for the central thesis of the podcast, so I'm going to try to jump toward the end in not too many more episodes. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E36 Taiping Rebellion: Other Foreign Visitors to the Taiping 27:23
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S01E36 Taiping Rebellion: Other Foreign Visitors to the Taiping In this episode, we look at more of the visitors to Hong Rengan, effective foreign minister for the Taiping. First is Griffith John, a Welsh missionary. He came on a factfinding mission to see what Nanjing was like under the Taiping. He thought the Taiping were very wrong, religiously speaking, but he thought he saw an opportunity for missionary work, were they to win the war. Yung Wing, an American-educated young Chinese man, came to look at the part of China held by the Taiping and ultimately used the opportunity to get access to tea growing areas rather than to join up with the rebels. We further discuss how national characteristics ultimately poke through the revolution as nations adjust to new reality after everything changes. The more things change, the more they stay the same, as it were. Hat tip to the Revolutions podcast by Mike Duncan for some of the insights in this episode concerning the Russian Revolution. We're still following Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: China, the West, and the Epic Story of the Taiping Civil War by Stephen R. Platt If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E35 Taiping Rebellion: Issachar Roberts 23:40
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S01E35 Taiping Rebellion: Issachar Roberts In the present look at Hong Rengan in the Taiping hierarchy, we are looking at some of the foreigners who drifted over to the Taiping side. This episode focuses on eccentric loose cannon missionary Issachar Roberts. In this episode, we see an example of how the Taiping were a little "too Chinese" to make a successful revolution: they focused too much on maintaining the appearance of being a traditional Chinese dynasty to fully digest useful foreign ideas, science, and technology. Issachar Roberts went in thinking he was going to be a mentor to the leader of the Taiping, but he pretty much ended up doing foreign relations and PR chores. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E34 Taiping Rebellion: Foreigners and Revolutions 20:53
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S01E34 Taiping Rebellion: Foreigners and Revolutions In this episode we're shifting back to look at the Taiping side of the Taiping Rebellion. We look at how the Taiping Rebellion works out to be a failed, an incomplete revolution. It brings out certain problems that future revolutions will resolve, but it fails in certain critical ways. We further look at how foreigners influence what China does, but ultimately the permanent changes are decided by Chinese people in China. Hong Rengan was the highest level Taiping figure who had deep familiarity with foreign cultures, but his power base was not quite right for bringing what he knew into the Taiping movement. As we push on toward the end of the Taiping Rebellion episodes of this podcast, we'll be looking at how it sets up future revolutions. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E33 Taiping Rebellion: Siege of Anqing Begins 29:29
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S01E33 Taiping Rebellion: Siege of Anqing Begins In this episode, we wrap up a bunch of episodes on Zeng Guofan. We talk about the human element in war, how Zeng Guofan is conserving his troops' morale and will to fight, and how he's taking on much larger numbers through careful strategy and tactics. The American Civil War (1861-1865) was contemporaneous with a lot of the Taiping Rebellion, and a lot of what motivated the troops was the same: did the general have an idea how to win? were they fighting for home? I draw some parallels from that war to illustrate Taiping Rebellion military realities. In following episodes we'll get back to looking at how it's going on the Taiping side of things. This episode wraps up the look at opposition to the Taiping finally coming together. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E32 Taiping Rebellion: Zeng Guofan Perfects His Strategy 32:29
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S01E32 Taiping Rebellion: Zeng Guofan Perfects His Strategy In this episode, we see Zeng Guofan start to get a grip on the task of fighting the Taiping Rebellion. He has to balance between the political necessities of showing his troops that fighting far from home is a way to protect home and achieving strategic results for the emperor. Zeng Guofan additionally is promoted to regular positions in the Qing hierarchy that give him control over competing regular army units and local militias and sources of supplies for his troops. Old Chinese saying, “When the general is outside the capital, the ruler’s orders won’t be followed.” Zeng Guofan was following the emperor's big picture orders, but he tactfully declined to fulfill orders that took him off his main goal: capturing Nanjing. Books Referenced in Today's Episode The Army and Vietnam by Andrew Krepinevich Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom by Stephen R. Platt If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E31 Taiping Rebellion: Zeng Guofan Starts Attacking 35:38
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S01E31 Taiping Rebellion: Zeng Guofan Starts Attacking In this episode, we go over the organization of Zeng Guofan's army and the first few years of his campaigns against the Taiping rebels. We are following the book Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: China, the West, and the Epic Story of the Taiping Civil War by Stephen R. Platt for this episode. Motivating the Army Zeng Guofan's army recruited in Hunan had local loyalties, but not a strong attachment to the emperor. The soldiers were well paid to shore up their personal motivation to fight well and not steal from locals in areas they moved through. Songs were composed to instruct soldiers in proper conduct on campaign. Because of the importance of local support to defeating the Taiping, it was critical to prevent soldiers from stealing from local people. Zeng Guofan's Political Realities Zeng Guofan had to deal with opposition from local elites, officials, and others. Whatever their reasons, his local opponents made his job extremely difficult to the point that he attempted suicide twice after big defeats. Some victories helped Zeng Guofan silence some critics, but his work was an uphill battle on both the military and political sides of his mission. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E30 Taiping Rebellion: Zeng Guofan Builds His Army 30:49
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S01E30 Taiping Rebellion: Zeng Guofan Builds His Army In this episode, we look at the process that Zeng Guofan went through to build his army. When he was in Hunan to mourn the death of his mother, in 1853 he accepted the mission from the emperor to take charge of military affairs in the province. Ordinarily, the Han elements of the Qing army had a divided command structure to keep them from uniting against the Manchurian dynasty. Due to the extreme emergency situation, the emperor gave Zeng Guofan unified command authority. Zeng Guofan was not a military man, but he set up a plan based on discipline and he insisted on "kill or be killed" approaches to training. We draw upon Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: China, the West, and the Epic Story of the Taiping Civil War by Stephen R. Platt. Including insights from The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alistair Smith. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E29 Taiping Rebellion: Introducing Zeng Guofan 18:59
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S01E29 Taiping Rebellion: Introducing Zeng Guofan This week we regroup and look at the big picture of what the Taiping Rebellion is showing about the theme of our podcast, and we introduce Zeng Guofan, a guy we here at Chinese Revolutions (we as in the "more fun to say 'we' than 'I' because it makes it seem like I've got a whole department") have been excited to talk about for a long time. The Taiping Rebellion made China's lack of sovereignty problem longer and worse. The rebels could trade with foreigners, making it seem like foreign powers could do whatever they wanted, whenever. Then the official side of the foreign powers decided to have a Second Opium War, knocking the official authorities flat. Zeng Guofan Zeng Guofan (1811-1872) was a Confucian scholar of the highest possible rank. He came from a poor but educated farming family in Hunan. Where his father tried to pass the lowest examination well into his 40s, Zeng Guofan passed at 22. He will be appointed the task of suppressing the Taiping Rebellion not because he was a military man but because he could be trusted to handle the political question of how to recruit and deploy forces to crush the rebellion. What Makes for a Successful Revolution? We took a digression into what China's reconfiguration would have to look like, for a revolution to be successful. The conclusion for now is: Restoration of Chinese sovereignty Solidification of an economy that rewards free enterprise Allotment of state power to protect the production of resources and rule-based distribution of rewards for that production And we're only going to see this come through after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. We'll explore that thesis as the podcast goes on. Books Cited in Today's Podcast By Peter Padfield Maritime Supremacy and the Opening of the Western Mind: Naval Campaigns that Shaped the Modern World, 1588–1782 Maritime Power and the Struggle for Freedom: Naval Campaigns that Shaped the Modern World, 1788–1851 Maritime Dominion and the Triumph of the Free World: Naval Campaigns that Shaped the Modern World, 1852–2001 If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E28 Taiping Rebellion: Unequal Treaties and Modernizing China 26:41
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S01E28 Taiping Rebellion: Unequal Treaties and Modernizing China This week, we're talking about how the unequal treaties forced on China during the Second Opium War further clarified anti-imperialism as a driver in later Chinese revolutions. Foreign powers readily turned to force to push things along in China whenever dialogue got stuck. Force had worked before, and they thought force was the only language that the Chinese consistently understood. Foreign Powers' Neutrality in Taiping Rebellion Conflict Part of this episode will follow Lord Elgin's travels up and down the Yangtze River. British engagement with the Taiping was an interesting mixed bag: they despised the uncouth manners of Taiping representatives but appreciated the possible trade opportunities the Taiping might possibly have offered. Yet, British and other foreign powers' policy of neutrality in the Taiping Rebellion meant that they had to work with both sides of the conflict to ensure that trade agreements with one side or the other produced anything. And so that leaves open the possibility of future foreign intervention on one side or the other of the conflict. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E27 Taiping Rebellion: Second Opium War-Storming the Dagu Forts 30:50
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S01E27 Taiping Rebellion: Second Opium War-Storming the Dagu Forts As part of the ongoing series on the Taiping Rebellion, we're taking a look at the storming of the Dagu Forts, which guarded the waterway approaching Beijing. While the civil war between official Qing forces and Taiping rebels was going on, the foreign powers decided to push their own issues with the Qing government. Of interest to us is how this reduced the prestige and authority of the Qing Dynasty. While the Taiping Rebellion ultimately failed, it advanced the specific understanding of later revolutionaries who would overthrow the Qing: get rid of the foreign Manchu overlords and replace the imperial dynastic system. Storming the Dagu Forts In May 1858, a combined British-French fleet bombarded and took the Dagu Forts by storm. This was the most important Chinese coastal fortification, protecting the direct waterway to Beijing. Foreign powers were careful not to act unilaterally, keeping the balance of power between foreign powers acting in China and trying to demonstrate to the Chinese that they weren't trying for a trade monopoly. They succeeded in forcing the Qing government to negotiate a new treaty with foreign powers, granting additional trade concessions and freedom of movement for foreign nationals. The most galling concession for Qing prestige was the permanent stationing of European ambassadors in Beijing. The path foreign diplomatic staff would take was the traditional route for foreign tribute missions. This time, the foreigners would be coming and going with zero tokens of submission to the Chinese emperor. About the Taiping Rebellion... Foreign powers were trying to be neutral in the Taiping Rebellion. They just wanted to sell their products and buy Chinese products. What distinguished foreign intervention in China from imperial ventures elsewhere was the relative lack of attempts to conquer and rule portions of Chinese territory. Yet foreign armies ran all over China, looting, killing, and destroying anyhow. Foreign powers would ultimately intervene on behalf of the Qing, but it wouldn't leave them looking like the ones in charge. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E26 Taiping Rebellion: Hong Rengan in Nanjing 34:32
34:32
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S01E26 Taiping Rebellion: Hong Rengan in Nanjing In this episode, we go over Hong Rengan's journey from Hong Kong to Nanjing, what it was like when he got there, and his prospects for changing the Taiping movement. Today's episode substantially based on Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: China, the West, and the Epic Story of the Taiping Civil War by Stephen R. Platt. The Journey to Nanjing Hong Rengan traveled overland in disguise to Nanjing. Along the way, he saw the devastation wrought by conquest and reconquest of the same areas, and the consequences of long-term occupation by both armies. He succeeded in penetrating Qing lines because the troops varied widely in competence and they didn't search him especially closely. He was arrested and held for a few days, but managed to escape. When he did make contact with a Taiping patrol, he was arrested as a possible Qing spy, but ultimately managed to convince the commander that he was connected to Hong Xiuquan. In Nanjing Nanjing was a formerly glorious city run by a cult under siege. Much of the population left for the countryside. Much of the city was abandoned and run down. Hong Xiuquan lived in imperial seclusion. Hong Rengan's arrival provided Hong Xiuquan a badly needed top-level advisor. Hong Rengan's rapid promotion made a number of the other top commanders jealous, but for the moment, he was able to convince them he knew his stuff and he'd be a good addition to the team. Looking Ahead The Taiping Rebellion will fail. The foreign powers will intervene in the conflict, and the Taiping will critically fail to make the right connections to have the foreign powers intervene on their side. The Taiping Rebellion will nevertheless bring out the cause of liberating the Han people (the majority of Chinese) from foreign Manchu rule. We will see how the Taiping Rebellion will advance the revolutions yet to come. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E25 Taiping Rebellion: Hong Rengan 34:08
34:08
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S01E25 Taiping Rebellion: Hong Rengan Today we're looking at the re-emergence of Hong Rengan, younger cousin of Taiping leader Hong Xiuquan. Hong Rengan was one of the earliest converts, but he was cut off from the main Taiping group early and he had to run away to British Hong Kong to survive the Qing purges of Taiping supporters and sympathizers. Meeting Theodore Hamberg A convert of missionary Theodore Hamberg found Hong Rengan and brought Hong to meet Hamberg in Hong Kong in 1852. Hong Rengan knew a surprising amount about the Bible and Christian teachings, and he left Hamberg with the startling story of the beginning of the Taiping Rebellion. Hong came back a year later (1853) and received formal Protestant baptism and started to receive instruction in orthodox Protestant doctrines. Hamberg was thinking to send Hong Rengan to the Taiping to straighten out their doctrines, to make them actually Christian. He gave money for Hong Rengan to go up to Shanghai, to hopefully link up with the Taiping in Nanjing. Hong Kong sojourn, life with James Legge Hong Rengan didn't get past Shanghai, so after some time there, he went back to Hong Kong. Theodore Hamberg had died, but his connection with that missionary helped him connect with other missionaries. He spent years with missionary James Legge, even assisting a number of translations of core pieces of Chinese literature into English, assisting with scholarly interpretation. Being in Hong Kong helped Hong Rengan learn a ton about life outside China. Later he would become a key link between the Taiping and foreign powers, evaluating whether to support the Taiping or the ruling Qing Dynasty. When James Legge was away on home leave, other missionaries funded a second attempt for Hong Rengan to go back to Nanjing. This time, it would work. Hong Rengan—A Missed Opportunity? The Taiping weren't quite Christian enough to gain foreign support, and they weren't quite Chinese enough to neatly replace the ruling dynasty. They weren't going so far as to replace the dynastic system, and they didn't get beyond the visions and the teachings of their founder. Hong Rengan may have been someone who could have pushed the Taiping movement to being a more effective revolutionary force, but as we'll see in future episodes, that didn't quite happen. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E24 Foreigners in China: The Customs Department 29:35
29:35
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S01E24 Foreigners in China: The Customs Department Today we're talking about the customs department instituted for China by foreign powers intervening in China. The customs department did much more than collect import-export taxes: foreigners working with the Chinese government sent scientific and sociological studies back to Europe, lighthouses established on the coast aided trade and navigation, and the example of modern bureaucracy showed what China could possibly be. The Customs Department Britain and other foreign powers active in China contributed to a modern customs department run along European lines. Because it was an external patch, it had to do extra work to support its own activities. The customs department represented modern bureaucracy. Chinese who worked in it became intermediaries between foreign and Chinese businesses. They became a professional class that would mediate the importation of foreign ideas and technology into China. Lighthouses and China's Borders The customs department also established a system of lighthouses on the coast of China. This aided navigation and trade, but it also imparted European notions of borders to Qing management of their own frontiers. Taiwan was ambiguously Chinese territory. The Qing invested more into clearly establishing their sovereignty over the island to beat out foreign powers trying to take it out of Chinese sovereignty. Lighthouse keepers also happened to be very useful for collecting weather data to aid navigational planning. Tracking monsoons helped prevent shipping losses. Upgrade of Qing Government and the Taiping Rebellion Foreign intervention in China was mostly about advancing business, missionary, and political interests. The Chinese ability to deal with foreign interests on Chinese terms is what will make or break a Chinese revolution. Although foreign intervention will help the Qing defeat the Taiping Rebellion, it was a loss for the Qing, being dependent on foreign help. The Taiping Rebellion clarified the issue for other Chinese revolutionaries who would come in the following decades: the Qing Dynasty would have to go for China to fully improve. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E23 Foreigners in China: Foreign Settlements 34:03
34:03
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S01E23 Foreigners in China: Foreign Settlements This week we're starting a 2-3 episode series on what foreigners have been building in China since the Opium War blew open the Treaty Ports to foreign use. Because foreign influence will make or break Chinese revolutions, we need to see how foreign powers set themselves up in China. Treaty Port Settlements Treaty ports allowed foreign traders, officials, and missionaries to set up shop in Chinese cities further up the coast. They constructed buildings and laid out streets and street lighting after European sensibilities. Foreign police forces staffed by former soldiers and sailors kept order and gave foreign citizens the comfort of being arrested by people who looked like them. The space carved out by extraterritoriality gave Chinese space in which they could rely on a stable business environment and relatively safe from unrest. Foreign Consuls Consuls both governed foreign citizens and represented foreign interests to local Chinese officials. Their duties required involvement in petty details of life in China because small things could accumulate into popular rage against foreigners living in China. Both Chinese and foreign officials struggled to keep the peace. Trade was the reason for military intervention in China, and safeguarding trade was consuls' primary concern. How Foreign Settlements Cultivated Revolution Foreign settlements were places where new professional classes of Chinese could gain education and training along different lines than the old Confucian system. They saw new norms and standards, giving them different visions for what China could possibly be. Foreign settlements provided a refuge or a base of operations for revolutionaries. The first National Party Congress of the Communist Party of China was held in the French Concession in Shanghai, for example. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E22: Taiping Rebellion-On to Nanjing 44:03
44:03
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S01E22 The Taiping Rebellion: On to Nanjing In today's episode, we cover a bit over a year of lightning-speed hard campaigning by Taiping forces, taking them from Southwest China so Eastern China. Using the rivers of China, the Taiping covered 500 miles (800 km) from Yongan to Wuchang (today Wuhan), then 600 miles (965 km) down the Yangtze to Nanjing. Development of Qing Opposition One of the characters we're going to meet today is Jiang Zhongyuan, an official whose hometown is on the path of the Taiping advance. He had organized a local militia to suppress bandits and secret societies. His family and friends kept the militia together even when he himself was promoted to a posting far away. Jiang led a devastatingly successful ambush on Taiping forces, using forces personally loyal to him and his local allies, not to the central Qing state. As the Taiping head into more and more "real China," they will face better supported forces, more resourceful enemy commanders with deeper ties to the Confucian civil servant class. The Taiping Advance As the Taiping go along, they take some cities and bypass others that give too stiff of resistance. They develop sophisticated combat engineering capabilities: pontoon bridges, sapping against enemy fortifications, undermining, use of boats. They make skilled use of scouts, infiltrators, and advance agents. As they make local recruits, those same recruits become key agents for the next Taiping advance because they speak the local language and know the terrain. Through effective messaging that attracts anti-Qing secret society members and appeals to Chinese nationalists, they mobilize a force that helps them seize Nanjing, which will be the Taiping capital for the next ten years. Three Factors Working Against the Taiping The Qing were not conclusively defeated. The Taiping were good, but their enemy was only getting started. The Taiping weren't just the next Chinese dynasty. They were a weird cult, imposing an ideology on their subject populations. The foreigners who had inserted themselves into the Chinese economy will critically intervene. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E21 Taiping Rebellion: The First City 42:29
42:29
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S01E21 The Taiping Rebellion: They Take their First City In this episode, we talk about the Taiping occupation of the city of Yongan. Taking control of a city gives them the resources and facilities to develop their movement. Hong Xiuquan writes more advanced indoctrination materials, noble titles and hereditary offices are created for Taiping leaders, the troops are straightened out and re-disciplined, traitors hunted out and executed. Hypocrisy and Revolution We see Hong Xiuquan start to distance himself from the rank and file frontline reality. But is that hypocrisy that would delegitimize a revolution? We talk about what would destroy a revolution's credibility. If it's going to be REALLY delegitimizing: the leaders have to not really believe in the core ideology, it's all just a manipulative device no principles explain why the elites follow different rules, though a leadership class lives differently, they should still somehow be connected to the rank and file One other delegitimizing thing: If the ideology isn't true, doesn't make sense of the real world, just doesn't work. The Military Situation The Taiping Rebellion was in the city of Yongan for six months. The opposing Qing forces were constantly harassing and building up siege capacities against the Taiping rebels. A city is something you don't only have one of. You need the surrounding countryside, supporting towns, etc. The Taiping will make a withdrawal and hit the road once again. With a skillful use of explosives and prearranged rockfalls, the Taiping conduct a fighting withdrawal from Yongan and go up into the mountains, defeating the pursuing Qing. They are going to follow the Yangtze River up to Nanjing, to establish their base for the next ten years. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E20 Taiping Rebellion: Open Conflict Begins 35:05
35:05
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S01E20 Taiping Rebellion: Open Conflict Begins In this episode, we speed up the story a bit, moving from the end of 1849 to the middle of 1851 and the Taiping capture of their first real city. The Taiping started in a 60 by 80 square mile (100 by 130 km) base area in rugged rural Guangxi, but then they moved out of that area as the Qing began to concentrate military forces to crush them there. Traveling for the Movement Hong Xiuquan traveled all over the Taiping base area to collect money to sustain the movement, standardize indoctrination, and coordinate operations. Members were captured and imprisoned, and one reason for the collection of money was to buy their freedom. Hong increasingly moved away from just bearing suffering for the cause to his "destroy the demons" mission. Eventually this coalesced into the vision of establishing a new Chinese dynasty. Toward the Capture of Yongan Even as the "God Worshiping Society" was still underground, their leadership was developing sophisticated signal and unit command methods for the eventual military campaign that occurred. They stockpiled weapons, gathered recruits, and advanced indoctrination of the hodgepodge of recruits they gained. There were some defections by former members of secret societies, and Qing forces were more and more tightly encircling part of their base area in Thistle Mountain. In a breakout campaign, the Taiping left Thistle Mountain and in a spectacular assault seized the city of Yongan with all its connections to the regional trade and communication network, its printing facilities, supplies, and ability to house all the Taiping followers. Whatever was to come next, they had their first real built up base. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E19 Taiping Rebellion: At Thistle Mountain 28:46
28:46
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S01E19 Taiping Rebellion: At Thistle Mountain In this episode, we talk further about the solidification of the Taiping movement's ideology and and increasingly open action against Chinese religion and Qing rule. New books mentioned: China’s War on Smuggling: Law, Economic Life, and the Making of the Modern State, 1842-1965 by Philip Thai Just started reading: The Scramble for China: Foreign Devils in the Qing Empire, 1832-1914 by Robert Bickers Increasing Confrontation with Chinese Religion and Qing Authorities At Thistle Mountain, Hong Xiuquan make their first large action against a local idol. They destroy it and put up posters with Taiping teachings on them, desecrating the religious site. Local authorities arrest one of Hong's associates, Feng Yunshan, a believer organizes a jailbreak, then then an even larger militia force rearrests Feng and arrests the second guy and things get quite tense. Although Feng eventually gets off through careful argumentation and a judicious cash bribe, the persecution increases the fervor of local believers. Additional Voices Bringing Messages from God While Hong Xiuquan and Feng Yunshan are away from their Thistle Mountain base area, two additional people become sources of messages from God according to the Taiping movement. One brings messages from God the Father, one brings messages from Jesus for his younger brother, Hong Xiuquan. Death of Hong Xiuquan's Father Hong's father dies and asks to be buried according to the Taiping movement's rites. According to Confucian mourning customs, Hong does not cut his hair for three years ... and doesn't cut it again into the queue commanded by the Qing. Using the mourning rituals as cover for increased defiance toward the Qing rulers, Hong moves the Taiping Rebellion closer to open uprising. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E18 Taiping Rebellion: Pirates, Bandits, Secret Societies 20:44
20:44
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S01E18: Taiping Rebellion—Pirates, Bandits, Secret Societies In this episode we fill in a little context for the area in which the movement behind the Taiping Rebellion is coming together. Pirates, bandits, and secret societies are always good fun. If you know anything about the mafia, you can basically copy that over to understand how Chinese bandits and secret societies operated. When you factor in early 1800s British aggressiveness against seagoing piracy, you can understand why they moved inland rather than stay on the coast. The British Factor: Pursuing Pirates In the context of the Royal Navy patrolling the Atlantic to suppress the slave trade from Africa, British colonial efforts to crush the Thuggee bandits, and suppressing the practice of the sati practice of burning widows in India, British suppression of Chinese pirates fits in a bigger picture. The British had their need for commerce to continue, and pirates just got in the way. They also weren't Chinese, such that pirates could work them into a protection racket like they might do with local fishermen and merchants. With pirates, it's either string 'em up or blow 'em out of the water. Heaven-and-Earth Society, Chinese Triads: Basically the Chinese Mafia Secret societies and organized crime provide a sense of belonging for the marginalized and dispossessed. They may have a Robin Hood mythos. They run all sorts of businesses, legal and illegal—and run protection rackets over all of them. Kidnapping for ransom, extortion, and robbery as well. Pirates, Bandits, and Secret Societies in Chinese Revolutions Organized crime operates on the edges. A regime may use organized crime connections to do their dirty work, or a rebellion may recruit from organized crime because they need people unafraid of doing dirty work. A rebellion also gives bandits a chance to do something "legitimate," so they become revolutionary heroes rather than just bandits. Rebels also need guns, and if running guns to the rebels is a crime, the rebels need criminal connections. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E17: Taiping Rebellion-Toward Thistle Mountain 25:41
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The Taiping Rebellion: Toward Thistle Mountain In this episode, we follow Hong Xiuquan on his way to Thistle Mountain, the first real base area for the Taiping Rebellion. We start with some big picture things about revolutions. What Makes a Revolution Successful At the beginning, we go over some of the universal aspects in many revolutions, not dependent on an ideology: Regaining control of national destiny Throwing out foreign occupiers Desire for national strength Ending injustices against a nation What makes a revolution successful: It explains the national situation It shows how a nation should reform itself It shows how to have victory over the troubles a nation is dealing with Hong Xiuquan's Travels to Thistle Mountain Hong Xiuquan went home after five months in Guangxi. He went back to teaching at a school and continued working on tracts for the Taiping movement He met foreign missionary Issachar Roberts and was exposed to the full text of the Bible (Old and New Testaments) for the first time. This allows him to revise his tracts later when he gets to Thistle Mountain. After falling out with Roberts, Hong hits the road again and goes to find Feng Yunshan in the Thistle Mountain region of Guangxi. He arrives to find an active community following his teachings. The search begins for a formal base area. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E16 Taiping Movement Gets Started 27:31
27:31
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Taiping Movement Gets Started In this episode, we talk about Hong Xiuquan's first preaching journey and the formalization of the Taiping religious elements. We meet Hong Rengan and Feng Yunshan, two core members of the Taiping movement's inner circle. First Preaching Journey to Guangxi After they started getting some opposition at home, Hong Xiuquan and friends decided to go west to Guangxi, a very rural, very rugged, very underdeveloped area of China. Hong started writing his own tracts and carefully cast his teachings in Chinese terms. Chinese literary allusions, Chinese culture, Chinese examples. He was there for five months before going back to his home village. One thing we'll see is the importance of rivers for travel in China. It's a road right there for you, as long as it's deep enough for the boat. Feng Yunshan Goes to Thistle Mountain Feng Yunshan split off from Hong and went on his own preaching tour to the impoverished Thistle Mountain area. This area will be where they have their next sessions of visions and where they will make converts who will provide the core of the Taiping armies. Revolutions often appeal to the dispossessed and those on the fringes. This was very much Thistle Mountain. Book Recommendation River Town by Peter Hessler . If you want a look at China in the 1990s and a look at what it's like to live in some of the more rugged areas of China. The way you get to another town is by river. The hills are very steep. This is exactly the sort of terrain the Taiping Rebellion will be moving through. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E15 Taiping Rebellion: Hong Xiuquan’s First Visions 27:20
27:20
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The Taiping Rebellion and the First Visions of Hong Xiuquan In this episode, we look at the influences working on Hong Xiuquan, founder of the movement behind the Taiping Rebellion and look at his beginning visions. We look briefly at the Jade Record , a Buddhist/Daoist tact functioning like a Dante's Inferno associating wicked deeds on earth with punishments in hell. We also look at the book Good Words to Admonish the Age by Liang Afa, the first Chinese ordained Protestant minister. Hong Xiuquan's Vision of Himself as a Son of God Hong Xiuquan received the book Good Words to Admonish the Age from a Protestant missionary in 1836 or 1837. After his failure (again) to pass the civil service examination in Canton, he fell into a nervous breakdown and was laid up in a sickbed for many days. While he was bedridden, he had visions of himself being introduced to his heavenly family and his identity as a son of the highest god of heaven. He rises from his sickbed ready to slay demons and purify the world ... and then calms down. For a while. Then he reads Good Words to Admonish the Age , which links his visions with the message of Christianity. He has the starting material to syncretize Christian and traditional Chinese religious beliefs, which will result in the core ideology of the movement behind the Taiping Rebellion. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E14 Taiping Rebellion - Introducing Hong Xiuquan 32:32
32:32
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The Taiping Rebellion: Introducing Hong Xiuquan In this episode, we introduce the founder of the Taiping Rebellion, Hong Xiuquan. The books we are relying on: God’s Chinese Son by Jonathan D. Spence Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom by Stephen R. Platt Historical Context of Taiping Rebellion Because the Taiping Rebellion kicks off in the aftermath of the First Opium War (1839-1842), our coverage of the Taiping Rebellion will intertwine with the evolution of foreign intervention in Chinese affairs. As ordinary Chinese watched the British destroy the Chinese navy and force a treaty on the Chinese government, it provided a shift in impressions of the Qing government that opened the way for rebellions against it. Personal Background of Hong Xiuquan Born Hong Huoxiu, the founder of the Taiping movement grew up in a Hakka farming family in South China. He was educated, though he did not make it far in the Confucian civil service examinations. In 1836, he met a Protestant missionary who gave him a copy of Protestant convert Liang Afa 's tract Good Words to Admonish the Age , a bundling of shorter works Liang had written. In 1837, he failed the exams and had a nervous breakdown. On his sickbed at home, he had visions of Chinese deities from heaven and hell and the heavenly family revealing him to be their son. Liang Afa's tract became the key to interpreting his visions. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E13 The Opium War: War Because Drugs 31:12
31:12
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The Opium War: War Because Drugs This week, we talk about the Opium War and cracking China open for revolution. We won't go into great detail about the war itself, but we'll look at how it made things possible for revolution in China. Our narrative relies for just one more episode on Imperial Twilight by Stephen Platt. Actually Doing the Crackdown Even though Charles Elliot promised to turn 20,000 chests of opium over to the Chinese government, it's not because he was overawed by imperial authority. As the panic of being blockaded in the Canton foreign settlement wore off, he became angrier and angrier as the crisis dragged on. Lin Zexu did not appreciate the wounded pride of a cornered British aristocrat who had nothing left to lose. Elliot was externally complying with Chinese demands but secretly writing back to London for a battle fleet to show the Chinese what's what. The British traders who received Elliot's unauthorized IOUs knew he didn't quite have the authority to promise to repay them for the confiscated opium, but they also knew the British government provided the best opportunity to get ANYTHING back for what they had to give up. They certainly had no hope of remonstrance with the Chinese government. Britain Decides to Go to War Trade was Britain's jugular vein. No trade, no anything else. At once, letters started pouring in from people invested in the opium trade demanding to know how and when they might be repaid by the British government. Also the legal trade for tea and other above board products had stopped. Britain was also still paying off the former owners of emancipated slaves and paying down debts from the Napoleonic Wars over 20 years previous. So they resolved to make China pay for it. The Opium War The British went to war to preserve their prestige in Asia. They kept India by continuing to look powerful, so they didn't want to let the Indians get any ideas that British power might be slipping. It wasn't to get opium legalized—indeed, one of the guys recommending against legalizing opium had a lot to gain from continuing to smuggle it. The war fractured divides already in motion in China: Han against the ruling Manchu, merchants against officials, militia against locals. The emperor's inability to appreciate the scope of the war and how to win weakened China's response. The 1842 Treaty of Nanjing opened five Treaty Ports for British trade, gave Hong Kong Island to the British as a permanent colony, and forced China to cough up for the cost of the war and the cost of the opium confiscated by Lin Zexu. Because of the Opium War, foreign powers would play a deciding role in Chinese politics until 1949 and will play a vital part in our narrative. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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Lin Zexu Cracks Down on the Opium Trade In today's episode, we look at exactly the inciting incident for the Opium War. The British official on the scene, Charles Elliot, wanted to protect British subjects but also keep good relations between Chinese and British subjects. Chinese officials in Canton wanted to avoid direct conflict, but Beijing wanted to suppress the opium trade. Increasing Measures Taken Against Foreigners In December 1838, Chinese soldiers built a public execution site in view of the places where the foreigners lived in the foreign settlement of Canton. Foreigners, offended at the sight, started taking the scaffold apart. A riot ensued, as foreign sailors started beating Chinese crowd members standing by, watching the demolition of the scaffold. It was unclear what the Chinese government was going to do. Deng TIngzhen, governor-general of Guangdong, ordered another public execution in the foreign settlement in February 1839, but sent enough soldiers to make sure it happened speedily and without disturbance. A warning to the foreign opium traders, if there ever was one. Lin Zexu Blockades the Foreign Settlement When Lin Zexu actually arrived in Canton, he started a huge crackdown on Chinese users and dealers in opium. But he also blocked off the foreign quarter to intimidate foreign traders into giving over their stocks of opium for destruction. Lin went against advice and precedent when he did this. The foreign community didn't know what was going to happen: was it just a show? did Lin really mean business? could they just wait it out? Charles Elliot's Solution to the Problem British trade official Charles Elliot arranged to give promissory notes to all the traders in Canton, backed by his supposed authority as a functionary of the British government, in exchange for their opium. He turned the opium over to the Chinese, who destroyed it. But the value of the opium destroyed was worth over US$250 billion in today's money. The British government, which relied on good relationships with trading companies in London, couldn't just dismiss the promises of a rogue official and didn't just have that money laying around. Come back next week for what they did about it. Hint: it's the Opium War. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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Prelude to the Opium War In this episode, we directly pick up the main track of this podcast. Here, we're looking at EXACTLY what came before the Opium War. Next episode will be about the precise incident that set the British wheels in motion to send a naval expedition against China. Charles Elliot, the official in charge of British trade at Canton The British sent Charles Elliot to see to the safety of British subjects doing trade in China, make sure they weren't engaged in criminal activity, and keep trade flowing. When he showed up, the East India Company's monopoly was over and the official British control over trade with China was in an ambiguous, between place. Because of the ambiguity of his position, he was left hoping for a change in basic conditions. He was left hoping for the legalization of opium in China as the official sent to suppress it once and for all was on his way. Lin Zexu, Chinese commissioner directly from the emperor to suppress opium Lin Zexu, official with exceptionally high integrity, was sent by the Daoguang Emperor in 1839 to suppress the opium trade in Canton. He pursued a comprehensive suppression of drug consumption and trade and rehabilitation for addicts approach to the situation. When the emperor turned toward total suppression, Lin Zexu was on hand to carry out the emperor's vision. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. THIS IS FREE! Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E10 Protestant Missionaries 2 of 2 27:17
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Protestant Missionaries Going to China 2 of 2 In this episode, we look a bit more at the work that Protestant missionaries are trying to do and why they spend so much time trying to learn the language and culture. We look at how this paved the way for the Taiping Rebellion to emerge. What Missionaries Try to Do Protestant missionary work in China started with translating the Bible into Chinese. The critical work went into things like determining exactly what to call God, how to express ethical teachings, and how to address the culture without totally condemning everything. Getting exactly the right name for God helps communicate exactly what teachings missionaries want to teach. If you get that sort of thing wrong, you have to deal with weird cults. Like the Taiping Rebellion. Robert Morrison (1782-1834) London Missionary Society member Robert Morrison did the pioneering work for Protestants looking to learn Chinese, translate the Bible for Chinese audiences, and do evangelistic work in Chinese. His early converts and his publishing and printing efforts set the agenda for future generations of Protestant missionaries coming to China. And we'll be hearing a lot more about them in this podcast ... but as part of the story now, and not just more exposition episodes. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. THIS IS FREE! Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E09 Protestant Missionaries 1 of 2 30:44
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Protestant Missionaries Going to China, 1 of 2 In this episode, we look at one of the key parties playing a part in the Taiping Rebellion: foreign Protestant Christian missionaries. Christianity is a universal faith (it means you too!) with a message revolutionary in magnitude. Though it isn't the main player, it's a critical background player. Quick Rundown of Church History Christianity was founded by Christ. All of the ancient churches (Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, etc.) share formal liturgy, a literary/literate core and a complementary oral culture, and a formal hierarchy. Around 1500, in the Roman Catholic Church, the Protestant Reformation took off against a series of abuses and rampant corruption. It got ahead of the Catholic hierarchy's ability to control it, and so there's that now. The introduction of printing was key to the ethos of the Protestant Reformation. The centrality of a religious text (the Bible) and the increased accessibility of literature made sharing the Protestant message much, much easier. The Magisterial Reformation was the first stream of Protestantism. It kept a lot in common with its Roman Catholic origins—as much of a force for revolution that it was. The Radical Reformation went even further, further emphasizing conscious personal conversion and explicit profession of faith. It was a further break from centuries of authority and tradition. When Protestants started to send missionaries, print was a primary way they shared their message—and so that's how the founder of the Taiping movement got the resources he started out with. What This Means for China Messengers coming with a universal religion, revolutionary message, sharing their message in print. They are driven to share their spiritual and moral message, no matter what happens next. And it's entering the ferment that is China at this time. Next week: history of Protestant missionary efforts in China before the Opium War. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. THIS IS FREE! Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E08 Chinese Intellectuals Before the Opium War 29:25
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Chinese Scholarly Discussion of Foreign Trade, Before the Opium Wars In this episode, we look at how Chinese scholars examined trade with foreign countries, prior to the First Opium War (1839-1842). Chinese academia was extremely sophisticated, but it was aimed toward passing exams for the traditional Confucian civil service in China. Bao Shichen (1775-1855) One of the key scholars examining foreign trade was Bao Shichen, from Anhui province. He passed the provincial level exams, but he never passed the national-level exams. He turned his attention to "statecraft" studies, including subjects like agriculture and military studies. He influenced a whole generation of scholars working for higher-level officials, who in turn influenced higher policy. Chinese Analysis of Foreign Trade Officials with experience in Canton would not take such a hard line as closing all trade with foreign powers, but they were all concerned with the opium trade draining silver out of China. They were able to correctly deduce that trade was the main thing foreigners wanted from China. They also noted the superiority of British naval power and highly advanced British naval artillery. Many of the themes picked up in this episode will return when we look at how China responded to the Opium Wars. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. THIS IS FREE! Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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The Opium Trade In this episode, we look at the opium trade into China. It's drug trade, pure and simple. How one of the first multinational corporations was bound up in it partly led to the First Opium War. This episode draws heavily from Imperial Twilight by Stephen Platt. Origins of East India Company Involvement Occupying India drained EIC finances, and the China trade was the last profitable part of EIC operations. The opium trade was too illegal for them to engage in directly, but they got in on the supply side. The East India Company did not directly engage in the sale of opium into China. They produced it in India, sold it to "country traders" (British and Europeans who traded in the East and not between Britain and the East), and country traders sold it to Chinese distributers. Chinese Suppression of Opium Trade Chinese emperors and local officials would ban opium and write against the trade and consumption of opium, but their efforts ultimately never went anywhere until the magnitude of opium coming into China went up in the 1820s. Chinese officials and scholars debated strictness vs. flexibility and moderation in dealing with opium. Yes, the drug was bad, but they had to deal with a complicated problem in the right way. In next week's episode, we are going to cover precisely that debate. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. THIS IS FREE! Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E06 The Macartney Expedition Pt 2 34:05
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The Macartney Expedition, Part Two In this episode, we get to see how it actually went, when Macartney's embassy made it to China. Because of a lot of "lost in translation" and incongruent notions about how diplomacy is supposed to go, it went down in flames. What the British Brought The British brought an array of scientific and military technology to show off their advances to try to impress the Chinese. They sent their cutting edge stuff: a huge mechanical planetarium, modern guns, luxury carriages for the Chinese emperor, hot-air balloon demonstration, and more. They also sent a letter from King George III to Emperor Qianlong. Although it overdid some of the respectful verbiage toward the Chinese emperor, it was nevertheless a letter proceeding from a place of admiration and respect for Chinese civilization. The British also brought Chinese educated in Europe by the Catholic Church to be interpreters and translators. Since James Flint's ill-fated attempt to make direct contact with the Chinese government, the East India Company stopped encouraging employees to learn Chinese. Meeting the Emperor In essence, Sir George Macartney managed to offend Emperor Qianlong through his negotiations about the kowtow ritual of submission to the Chinese emperor. Although there was some interest in the technological stuff, the British were in the end told to go with none of their requests granted. They basically set the precedent of "these people are REALLY REALLY hard to talk to" rather than setting the foundations for successful future negotiation and relationship adjustment. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. THIS IS FREE! Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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The Macartney Expedition On this episode, we talk about the Macartney Expedition, a diplomatic mission from Britain that reached China in 1793. Last week I appeared on the Man Tools Podcast to talk about living in China and some thoughts about Chinese history. The guys behind the podcast, Eric Madrid and Trevor Lane, were great to talk to. Check them out! Exact link to the episode I was on: https://mantoolsmedia.com/chinese-revolutions-nathan-bennett-man-tools-147/ The Context for the Expedition The substance of this episode comes from Imperial Twilight by Stephen Platt. British trade with China had been expanding over the decades preceding this 1793 expedition. Expanding British industry and the usual East India Company trade carried on quite profitably. And they wanted more. The Ambassador, George Macartney George Macartney, in his career, literally saw the establishment of Britain as a worldwide empire. He served as a governor in the Caribbean, in India, and in South Africa. He was coming to China with a personal appreciation for how powerful Britain was. But he was going to run smack into trouble with the Chinese imperial self-conception and their lack of peer-level diplomatic relations. But come back next week... We're not done with the Macartney Expedition in this episode. I'm going to have to come back to it next week in a special double feature to get in just how it went when the British got to Beijing to see the emperor. And we have to talk about opium. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. THIS IS FREE! Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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Chinese Historical Context: So What Changes in All These Revolutions? This episode is a Wikipedia-fueled survey of traditional Chinese structures being changed by the revolutions we're about to cover. Today we cover three main things: Chinese imperial system Confucian examination system Chinese economy Chinese imperial system Qin Shihuang, the "first emperor of China" set the precedent in traceable history for a unified China. He standardized imperial rule, Chinese writing, weights and measures, the lot. China sat at the center of an East Asian cultural system. China would occasionally conquer and absorb some neighbor, but even neighbors that maintained their independence were held in the Chinese gravitational pull. European imperial expansion and advances in European medicine allowed for long-term stationing of Europeans in Asia, and so challenged the centuries-old Chinese imperial cultural sphere in East Asia. Confucian scholarship and examination system Confucian scholarship was all about aligning oneself and one's rule with the cosmic order. A series of extremely rigorous examinations governed the rise of talented individuals to bureaucratic offices in the Chinese government. Educated individuals who did NOT pass these exams formed lower professional classes and they give us the classes from which many revolutionaries emerged. As the revolutions roll on, a dichotomy will emerge between Western learning and traditional Chinese learning. A new synthesis will emerge ... eventually. Chinese economy The Chinese economy was solidly agrarian at the time of the Opium Wars. The difference between 1500 and 1800 is not that great. The coming shock to the Chinese system is the result of the clash between two sides with very different postures in dealing with global events. China had a centralized money system, but the stress on this as a result of integration with the world economy contributes to the threat to the legitimacy of the Qing dynasty. Although China had coastal defenses, they didn't have a power projecting navy like the British or other European powers. Piracy was an ongoing concern. Pirates, bandits, and secret societies form an essential dimension of the Chinese economy ... and revolutionary movements. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. THIS IS FREE! Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S01E03 Foreign Trade and Foreign Settlement 25:14
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Foreign Trade at Canton and the Foreign Settlement As we get up to the Taiping Rebellion, we're looking at the Opium Wars as the historical background. In this episode, pay attention to the ordinary Chinese in and around foreign traders. Portuguese Macau In 1554, the Portuguese formally rented Macau from the Ming Dynasty. It was the foreign foothold right on the Chinese coast, the one place that held up in the transition from the Ming to the Qing Dynasties. Missionaries and traders would start in Macau before venturing further up the Chinese coast or further into the country., Foreign Trade Most of the material for today's episode comes from Stephen Platt's Imperial Twilight . The British East India Company sent ships regularly to China starting in 1717. From 1725-1805, trade in tea increased by 100 times to 24 million pounds a year taken out of Canton. The main issue for the British in wanting to open up trade with China was volume: more trade, more space, more than Canton and the constricting local traders and elites. Foreign Settlement in Canton The foreign settlement was a walled off area at the edge of Canton. Chinese traders and laborers could come in, but foreigners couldn't really leave. Chinese owned the buildings and ran the staffing. Pidgin English developed as a way to communicate between Chinese and Europeans for business. ("Pidgin" actually means something like "business.") If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. THIS IS FREE! Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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The East India Company In this episode, we are answering why the British government was in a position to be sending military force to China in 1839. The short answer: the East India Company and trade with the East vital to British national security. Founding of the East India Company and Monopoly Francis Drake and other English adventurers discovered possibilities when they went out raiding the Spanish and Portuguese. In 1599, Queen Elizabeth ! granted a Royal Charter to the “Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading into the East Indies” for an exclusive monopoly on trade with the East. Over the long decades, the EIC successfully lobbied to keep its monopoly. It was a crucial source of money for the British government, so the EIC was supported. The symbiosis between the EIC and the British government is a prototype of modern government-corporate relations, such as we see today. The Country Trade The "country trade" was any trade past the Cape of Good Hope. The EIC had the monopoly on trade between East and West, but East-East? Fair game. Fired EIC employees and EIC employees working side jobs started this. Later, other companies started up. As the EIC lost its mojo, it lost its monopoly and other companies took over as the guarantors of British trade around the world. Book recommendation: The Honourable Company by John Keay . (Fantastic author about India in general!) If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. THIS IS FREE! Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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1 S1E01 Before the Opium War: The Beginning of Trouble 23:36
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Before the Opium War: The Beginning of Trouble If you’re asking, “Why are things like this?” it’s too late to understand. Let’s do better than that. Starting with some stories of incidents to illustrate what’s in play as the Qing Dynasty loses its “homeostasis.” We’re going to start with looking at the Flint Affair of 1759 and the Macartney Mission of 1793—at or near the peak of Qing power and the British still trying to go through proper channels to open up trade with China. Flint Affair – 1759 In 1759, The East India Company tried to send a representative directly to Beijing to negotiate with the Qing Dynasty to get around corrupt local traders and officials in Guangzhou. Officials get replaced. Flint gets jail time. Imperial Twilight: The Opium War and the End of China's Last Golden Age by Stephen Platt The book providing the essential materials for this part of the podcast. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. THIS IS FREE! Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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Chinese Revolutions: A History Podcast
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Books Behind the Podcast I'm going to introduce some of the books that gave me the foundational ideas and impressions for this podcast. Also, in this podcast, the intro and outro music is the anthem "China Heroically Stands in the Universe" because it's the best-sounding of Chinese revolutionary anthems that I could find in the era before the founding of the PRC. Books on American Connections to China Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911-1945 by Barbara Tuchman This biography of General Joseph Stilwell and the account of his time in China provides critical insight into the Chinese perspective of World War Two and gives extensive detail on a pivotal time of change in Chinese history. The Coldest Winter by David Halberstam Chinese intervention into the Korean War showed China a major power once again. Not any more a battlefield for competition between imperialist powers, China was again projecting power. The China Mission: George Marshall’s Unfinished War, 1945-1947 by Daniel Kurtz-Phelan A look into the Chinese political situation as America and other powers were withdrawing from China at the end of World War Two. The Communists had a coherent vision for what they wanted for the future. The Nationalists had a vision but couldn't coalesce around a constructive and unifying alternative to the Communist vision. Book on Evolution of Chinese Culture and Ethnic Self-Understanding The Invention of China by Bill Hayton Dynamic nations are continually articulating and re-articulating their self-understanding. At first I scoffed at this book. Then I actually read it and it became foundational to this podcast. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. THIS IS FREE! Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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1 S0E04 Setting the Stage for Chinese Revolutions 26:18
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Setting the Stage for Chinese Revolutions We’re going to set the stage, explore a little of the world that is to change, when the revolutionary fun gets going. Geography of China and Chinese History Chinese geography shaped what connections with the outside world were possible. When the British and other Europeans roll up on the Chinese coast, it's pretty much the one place they were likely to meet. Chinese Land Barriers Tibetan Plateau and Central Asian Steppe formidable landward barriers Expansion of the Russian Empire brought the Qing Dynasty into contact with a European power French intervention in and colonization of Indochina brought them closer to the Qing domains Cultural cohesion and ability to control land influenced the shape of the Chinese Empire Qing Empire In the Chinese tributary system, states surrounding China sent "tribute" to the Chinese court in exchange for tokens of political favor and legitimacy (titles, robes, etc.) Part of the difficulty between the Qing and Europeans seeking to make contact was the friction between internal and external politics. They wanted to keep external enemies from causing trouble, and the Qing weren't really playing the game foreign powers were playing. The Qing also really weren't running a mercantile sea power. The Europeans they had contact with were. Canton System (1757-1842) Trade focused in Canton as a mixture of convenience for Europeans (closer to SE Asian colonies) and Chinese imperial policies. Europeans want to trade, Chinese want to trade, Chinese emperor wants to maintain control and balance between interests of everyone involved. When you create an organization to command things on the ground, interests on the ground can work through the same thing back up to influence YOU. Local oligarchs were a kink in the hose, making it hard for clear communication between foreigners and the Chinese authorities about how to open up the relationship for greater potential. Foreign Power Over the Han Although non-Han dynasties legitimately held the "Mandate of Heaven," it still engendered Han readiness to engage in regime change as a matter of domestic policy. Chinese Diaspora Chinese traders went all over SE and E Asia – Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Korea, Japan … Foreigners sometimes employed people from these communities to help them communicate and make contact with the relevant business and government connections to set up trade Chinese sailors on foreign ships Chinese laborers taken to foreign colonies Chinese diaspora fed foreign ideas, money they had earned, other connections back to China in some of the revolutions we’re going to be covering Foreign exploration and trade missions Industrialization, need for export markets, sources of capital Development of the joint stock company and the ability to pour resources into exploration of new markets Foreign missionary activity Introduction of a new set of ideas around which to form weird little cults What Led to End of the Qing Dynasty The Qing Dynasty was unable to maintain "political homeostasis" in preserving its regime. If You'd Like to Support the Podcast Subscribe, share, leave a rating. THIS IS FREE! Give once, give monthly at www.buymeacoffee.com/crpodcast Subscribe to the substack newsletter at https://chineserevolutions.substack.com/ Also... Please reach out at chineserevolutions@gmail.com and let me know what you think!…
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