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OCR A-level history: First Opium War source question answer
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First source question answer I have done for this topic/unit, I got a mark of 21/30 for this essay
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Ellie Cain, 13JG2Evaluate the interpretation in both of the two passages and explain which you
think is more convincing as an exception of the causes of the Boxer Uprising
[30]
Introduction
The Boxer Rebllion was an anti-foregien, colonial and Christian uprising in China from 1899-
1901, towards the end of the Quing dynasty. This uprising was the result of various different
factors, including that of the presence of foreigners and Christianity in China and ‘scarmble
for concession’ between the main powers of Europe, and the actions of Empress Dowager
Cixi.
Passage A is a top-down interpretation, from the perspective of the dynasty, which sees the
developments within the ruling Quing dynasty and the innate conservatism of Empress Cixi,
which led to the spread of the Boxer movement.
The quote "China was in a parlous state, at the mercy of the West and with internal threats
simmering" suggests that the impact from the Opium Wars is the 'mercy of the West which
then led to the 'Scramble for Concession' between Britain, Germany, Russia, France, and
Japan in the late 1890's, which followed after China's defeat from the Sino-Japanese War.
This quote from the passage is valid, due to the Quing dynasty's power was likely to fall,
hence in a parlous state, which was due to the imperial powers who were all dividing up
China between each of them, as well as various treaties that were made with China, these
treaties were all seen as unequal towards China, allowing for these European nations who
wanted to claim Chinese land were able to and could extend their territorial and commercial
interests in the country.
Passage A also holds a invalid opinion with the quote "the Hundred Days' Reform", as this
event is a separate one from the Boxer Rebellion and can't be used as an example towards
the causes of the uprising. As well, the Boxers had a primary focus on getting rid
of/eliminating any sort of Western influence within China and reforms are based on Western
models.
Lastly, the passage has another valid opinion, as shown with "threw her (Cixi) considerable
support behind the growing nationalist group", as it's seen as important that Empress
Dowager Cixi hadn't opposed the uprising, but instead allowed it to develop, and then
escalate into spreading throughout China and then weaken any influence that the
Westerrier's had in the country.
Passage B has a bottom-up interpretation, as it argues that the hatred towards those from
the west and there was suspicion aimed at the influence from the west, of which was the
cause for the uprising.
The passage has a valid opinion from it identifying the core of shared anti-western and
Christia feeling amongst the Boxers, which is shown by the quote: ‘tensions had been
growing for some time over western missionaries and their Christian converts.
‘Fuelled by a mixture of primatice magical beliefs’ is valid, due to characterising the boxers
as unsophisticated, however this is invalid from the source ignoring the nationalist ideology
that was emerging and developing in China of which many Boxers were adopting.
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