Description
Book SynopsisInserting China into the history of nineteenth-century colonialism, this title explores the ways that Euro-American imperial powers humiliated the Qing monarchy and disciplined the Qing polity in the wake of multi-power invasions of China in 1860 and 1900.
Trade Review“I am very positive about this book because James L. Hevia’s efforts to move beyond a ‘China-centered approach’ are fresh and innovative. His chapters on the Boxers and their aftermath are the best part of the book. By reconstructing the polychromatic, global imperialist context circa 1900, Hevia thus builds on more recent views that have been drawn mainly from Chinese sources. Rather than essentialize ‘Western imperialism’ and ‘China's victimization’ in black and white, Hevia presents a more penetrating account of Euro-America's ‘civilizing mission’ before and after 1900.”—Benjamin A. Elman, Professor of East Asian Studies and History, Princeton University
“James L. Hevia takes the notion of imperial discipline and pedagogy beyond metaphor to precise illustration and explanation. With the help of a wonderfully selected set of prints and the mastery of an unusual set of archives,
English Lessons manages to make of the familiar story of British imperialism in China something new and startling.”—Marilyn B. Young, Professor of History, New York University
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations and Tables ix
Acknowledgments xiii
Abbreviations xvii
I. Introduction: Imperialism, Colonialism, and China 1
Part I: Opium Wars and Treaties of Peace, Friendship, and Commerce 29
2. The Arrow War, 1856-1860 31
3. Violence and the Rule of Law in China, 1856-1858 49
4. Beijing 1860: Loot, Prize, and a Solemn Act of Retribution 74
Part II: Reterritorializing China, 1861-1900 119
5. Constructing a New Order 123
6. The Qing Empire in the Era of European Global Hegemony 156
Part III: Making China Perfectly Equal 185
7. A Reign of Terror: Punishment and Retribution in Beijing and Its Environs 195
8. Desacralizing Qing Sovereignty, 1900-1901 241
9. Mnemonic Devices: Memorializing the West as Victim and Hero 282
10. The Return of the Repressed, Recirculations, and Chinese Patriotism 315
Postscript 346
Bibliography 351
Index 375
