HISTORY DOESN'T REPEAT ITSELF, BUT IT DOES HAVE A TENDANCY TO RHYME -- MARK TWAIN.

The Boxer Rebellion

Throughout the nineteenth century, China's emperors had watched as foreigners encroached further and further upon their land. Time and again, foreigners forced China to make humiliating concessions. Foreign regiments, armed with modern weapons, consistently defeated entire imperial armies. Now, as a new century was about to begin, Tsu Hsi, empress dowager of the Ch'ing Dynasty, searched for a way to rid her empire of foreign parasites. . . .

While the outside powers bickered over who would control China, Tsu Hsi issued an imperial message to all the Chinese provinces.

The present situation is becoming daily more difficult. The various Powers cast upon us looks of tiger-like voracity, hustling each other to be first to seize our innermost territories. . . . Should the strong enemies become aggressive and press us to consent to things we can never accept, we have no alternative but to rely upon the justice of our cause. . . . If our . . . hundreds of millions of inhabitants . . . would prove their loyalty to their emperor and love of their country, what is there to fear from any invader? Let us not think about making peace.

In northern Shandong province, a devastating drought was pushing people to the edge of starvation. Few people there were thinking about making peace. A secret society, known as the Fists of Righteous Harmony, attracted thousands of followers. Foreigners called members of this society "Boxers" because they practiced martial arts. The Boxers also believed that they had a magical power, and that foreign bullets could not harm them. Millions of "spirit soldiers," they said, would soon rise from the dead and join their cause.

Their cause, at first, was to overthrow the imperial Ch'ing government and expel all "foreign devils" from China. The crafty empress, however, saw a way to use the Boxers. Through her ministers, she began to encourage the Boxers. Soon a new slogan -- "Support the Ch'ing; destroy the foreigner!" -- appeared upon the Boxers' banner.

In the early months of 1900, thousands of Boxers roamed the countryside. They attacked Christian missions, slaughtering foreign missionaries and Chinese converts. Then they moved toward the cities, attracting more and more followers as they came. Nervous foreign ministers insisted that the Chinese government stop the Boxers. From inside the Forbidden City, the empress told the diplomats that her troops would soon crush the "rebellion." Meanwhile, she did nothing as the Boxers entered the capital.

Down below, Orrin posts an article quoting various representatives of the Arab Street as confidently predicting victory for Iraq. In effect, they are saying that Allah will bring victory by defeating any American who sets foot on Iraqi soil. It struck me that this is a strain of defeatism. Even the Arab Street knows that Arab bravery and feats of arms stand no chance against the US military. Their only hope is a miracle. This put me in mind of the Boxer Rebellion, briefly described above.

Although there are important differences between the Boxer Rebellion and Al Queda, the similarities are obvious. A species of fundamentalism born out of grinding poverty and despair. Hatred of the foreigner seen not only as the cause of this misery but also because he sets an unbearable example. Hatred of the non-fundamentalist government seen as contributing, or at least not opposing, the humiliation of a people that should, by rights, control the world. The cynical use of this movement by that government, until it gets out of hand. Finally, the triumph of a modern military over the deluded masses.

If this is a legitimate precedent, the news is not entirely good. The West put down the Boxer Rebellion and, in so doing, destroyed the power of the Imperial government. As the Imperial government was corrupt, tradition bound and incapable, this was a good thing. The Chinese Republic, which eventually came into being, was better, but not much and the lot of the average Chinese did not change. Eventually, the resentment, the humiliation, the poverty (and a good dollop of Communist treachery) led to the establishment of the People's Republic, which was a tragedy for China from which it has yet to recover.

Posted by David Cohen at March 20, 2003 9:55 AM