A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE IDEAS BEHIND THE SELF-STRENGTHENING MOVEMENT IN CHINA, 1861-1895

Abstract

China's self-strengthening movement of 1861-1895 had its origin in the Maritime Defence Era (1839-1860) which witnessed some efforts at westernizing China's maritime defences as a result of the Opium War. The compelling factors that sparked off the self-strengthening movement were the Anglo-French expedition (1856-1860) and the Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864), both of which exposed China's military weakness. Hence the military nature of the self-strengthening movement. During the self-strengthening movement three schools of thought can be discerned, namely that of the metropolitan and provincial leaders, the reformists, and the anti-reformists. All three schools shared the same patriotic feelings and were agreed in principle that China must strengthen herself in the face of both external and internal enemy. The metropolitan and provincial leaders and the reformists held the same view that China’s self-strengthening movement must be based on learning the ‘superior techniques’ of the westerners. But they differed in the interpretation of the term ‘superior techniques', which the metropolitan and provincial leaders associated with the military superiority of the West over China. Thus they confined themselves to introducing the military aspect of westernization, paying particular attention to ships and cannon. The reformists, however, were dissatisfied with the superficial changes brought about by their superiors. They called for a more comprehensive introduction of western learning, and advocated western political and economic institutions that would truly enrich and strengthen China. The anti-reformists were also in favour of strengthening China but they disapproved of the idea of importing anything from the West, be it warships, cannon, western learning, or political and economic institutions. Largely as a result of their strong cultural superiority complex, they advocated traditional means in strengthening China.