SP22 HI242 Week 3: Whither the Qing? Reform or Revolution by Jenny Day https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3 Now we are at the 1890s. Do you espouse a reformist path or a revolutionary upheaval to save China? If you are not sure, talk about what you would need from a successful government - what would be the economic and social policies that would bring most benefits to you? Two rules: 1) Your posts should assume first-person perspective ("I" rather than "he/she/they"); 2) Everyone MUST vote on all posts and leave a comment for why "you" support/or not support each proposal. en-us 2022-01-20 22:00:08 UTC 2025-09-30 13:36:56 UTC hello@padlet.com http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aDGKBY8fnoU/UISig8CYWtI/AAAAAAAABAA/Xf0Q1mNobqY/s1600/Go+Vote.png oonacampisi https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2038190553 Other peasant farmers in the Shangdong have been talking about rumors of a revolution, I myself am weary of this idea as what will happen to us peasants? I wish for a revolution that will aid us in moving forward and support our success. I would like a leader and a government that is less focused on how high of a tax they can implement on us in order to make the most profit and instead focus on our aid and help support our success. I may be just a peasant but our work is very important to that of China. I also fear what a revolution and the relationship with foreign powers may be as the Germans have started coming to Shangdong and I fear what a revolution will change in our relationship. I would support a revolution if it were to help us peasants as there is no way reform would come its way to the farmers, they are not thinking of us when they think reform, they could say they do but reform would only benefit the gentry and officials. Therefor I am weary of the rumors of revolution but in full support, I do hope it benefits us farmers and provide aid and a way for us to get out of debt.]]> 2022-02-09 15:38:29 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2038190553 bellahynes https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2038704678 Local peasants under the banner "support the Qing, destroy the foreigners" have popped up all over Hunan- some even close to Changde. In 1881 some locals burned down a church and chased out the foreigners trying to convert many in the city to christianity. I have been called to Changsha to try and mediate some of the conflict a few times now. I’ve heard that this has been happening even in counties as far as Tianjin. I don’t disagree with some of these groups of rebels or any others that claim to be against the foreigners coming in and pushing their religion on us and causing tensions to rise further than they already were. The foreigners are threatening the emperor's credibility amongst the people by making the lives of many here in Hunan difficult. They are trying to get us to change our ways of life. Many nearby however were calling not just for the foreigners to be kicked out but for the Qing to be completely thrown out of power. They want to have a total revolution. There has already been so much war and destruction we don’t need anymore. We don’t need revolution, but reform. Especially in the military. This will allow more young people to seek civil service jobs like myself when I was young, and protect our shores from foreign forces like Japan, France, and Germany.  
My own son is soon to take the examination again. He is to follow in my footsteps and enter the civil service, hopefully somewhere closer to the city and enable me to retire soon so I can help tend to the land and the rest of the family. The city is where the higher-ranking jobs are. He could do work beyond relaying local peasants' complaints about the emperor to government officials as I have been doing.
]]> 2022-02-09 19:15:45 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2038704678 jrwilson10 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2038921933 As a merchant, I can't choose which side to support as I don't know which one will allow me to be more successful. What I would need from a reformed or revolutionized government would be free trade and lots of support to trade as well as a way to help support merchant guilds and other big groups in order to allow products to move around China easily. I would also side with the group that the most economically focused as that would open many doors for me and allow me to try and trade and move more products around the nation such as the highly profitable textile industry. In terms of social policy, I would like the new type of government to include the middle class more such as allowing middle class people to be more involved in politics and official work, or to just talk to the middle class in order to learn and fix any issues. At the end of the day whatever helps my business to succeed and develop further will be the side that I will choose.]]> 2022-02-09 21:19:53 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2038921933 gpalmer16 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039075272 After hearing of the Donghak rebellion in the south, I am supportive of the cause for reform in both the Qing dynasty and Choson Korea. Although I am not a practitioner of Donghak myself, being a peasant, I have been impacted by the corrupt government officials (yangban) of Choson. It is partially what forced me and my family to migrate north to the Qing dynasty. We faced corrupt yangban officials who would confiscate our land by imposing ridiculously large taxes and then seize it when we could not pay. Social mobility in Choson was impossible, as my husband and I are too poor to afford schooling for our sons to take the civil service exam. Furthermore, even if my sons had been able to take and pass the exam, most yangban status is achieved hereditarily. I stand with the donghak in ridding Choson of these corrupt officials. While these officials should be rid of, they system itself is sound. We are only proposing to punish corrupt officials, lower taxes, and free slaves. In fact, it is mine and the donghaks goal to restore Confucian ethics to officials in Choson which has inspire these changes. We want people to reform themselves, to be loyal to their king, to show filial piety to their parents, to respect their teachers, and to show friendship to their fellow men.
 
 
Foreign powers have also taken a hold in Choson Korea. They attempt to spread Christianity and their foreign ways of life. This is a threat to our Confucian traditional way of life. Foreigners have no right to invade Choson and force us to conform. I and my fellow peasants support Daewongun as our legitimate regent, though he was ousted from power by Queen Min. Daewongun supports our social reforms and also wishes to expel foreign powers. Peasant rebels are right to criticize Queen Min in her corrupt and oligarchical ways. I support the return to and reimplementation of Daewonguns rule and policies. 
 
While my hardships have waned now that I have migrated north, I see similar struggles in the Qing dynasty. Many Chinese farmers have moved to our area in Jilin. They tell me about the foreign invaders and rebellions. The Qing government has failed them, forcing them to migrate like I had to. High taxes, foreign concessions, and corrupt elites have greatly impacted the peasant population. However, we are not to revolt against the government. A revolution will only result in further deaths, bad economic conditions, and the implementation of a foreign government system. Furthermore, if the Qing were to revolutionize, it risks damaging the relationship between Choson Korea and the Qing, which is the most important political, economic, and social relationship for both states. As in Choson Korea, the Qing need to remember the strength of Confucian values that has kept dynasties successful for thousands of years. The problem is not the Confucian political system that has been maintained for thousands of years, it is corruptness, a lack of benevolence, and foreign invaders.  Solutions to these problems lie in the reform of military, economic, and political practices, not the overhaul of it.
]]> 2022-02-09 23:43:51 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039075272 nandre7 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039210470 While the Qing empire is in extremely dire straits, I would never suggest a revolution. While a revolution would likely halt my salary as a bannerman, this would negatively affect many other than just my family. A revolution probably wouldn't be swift, and would likely spark other revolutions that would lead to more unnecessary conflict. More conflict leads to more money and lives lost, which makes us more vulnerable to invasion. Our focuses need to be on modernizing our military and rooting out corruption. We have the manpower, we only lack the technology. I mean, how would our conflicts with Britain have gone if we had ships like them instead of junks? Then for corruption, to prevent more people like Heshen from abusing their power, we can let the bannermen keep the officials in check. That is, bannermen should have the power to impeach officials besides just the emperor. If the bannermen as a collective believe a Qing official is abusing their position of power, we should be able to impeach them, and then the Qing Emperor can appoint a new official as they see fit.]]> 2022-02-10 01:23:34 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039210470 yotamdinur https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039247886 It has been thirteen years since Xinjiang fell into revolt, thirteen years since my family’s wealth and respect was extinguished. Five of those years were spent in flight, hiding in meager hovels, bedding with simple peasants. My grandson was born in one of those hovels. My daughter has grown up in the backs of caravans. With the return of the Manchus, a tentative peace has fallen across this war-shadowed land. Peace will not fertilize the black soil of burned farmland, nor will it bring back the many souls who were lost, but it has offered us a chance to rebuild. But if we are to be ruled, let it be as equals, as a province of the empire, not as a distant territory.

Some fear that we will be made puppets of the Qing state. To that I say - good! It should be plain to all that the time for war, for retribution and revolution, has come to an end. There is no use in fighting them, we will only bring ruin upon ourselves. Others fear that they shall import foreigners to our land, and again I say that is good! My grandfather was a foreigner. Who in this land can say their ancestors cannot be traced to some distant territory? We cannot repopulate these vast tracts alone. We have nothing to lose, my friends, and everything to gain.

(Of course, I have personal reasons for desiring Qing provincehood, though I will never share them publicly. The Qing will guarantee stability, allowing for my business to operate unhindered. In addition, I distrust local leadership. I have not forgotten the despair of losing my wealth or the shame of poverty, and so I hold a grudge.)

]]> 2022-02-10 01:50:37 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039247886 aesposito25 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039275263 Our nation has been struggling with rebellion and foreign invasion for decades now. I was born in 1810, and thus am now over 80 years old. While I can't say for certain what the better scenario would be for the nation as a whole, for me personally reform would be far preferable. Surviving through a bloody revolution would be difficult for me in my old age. What I seek is stability. Not only that, revolution would make us an easy target for all of the other nations that seek to do us harm. Living my life as a trader, I'm well aware of international affairs and agreements; the countries we trade with are not on our side. My business, or the family business rather, has been quite successful through all this time. Why would I want drastic change when the status quo has served me well? Change is not quite what I desire at this age, although my children may have a different opinion.]]> 2022-02-10 02:09:57 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039275263 yirutu777 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039320932 After my brother had died in the battle with the rebelling people, I prefer the reformist path. My name is Guofu Wei. Qingyi Wei is my father. As a trader in Fujian, my family business of tea trading keeps working, although many battles and wars happened last ten years ago. After an increasing number of foreigners immigrate to China, they brought a number of new goods and stuff to trade with us. For better negotiation, I have learned English and Japanese. I have heard the story from my father that my grandfather's brothers join in the rebellion named Taiping. I really don't care about whether Qing will die or not. I just hope there should be fewer wars and a more peaceful country, and then my trading could be continuous. In addition, my children could inherit the trading business. If my children have some ideas about revolution, I will reject them stoutly. ]]> 2022-02-10 02:43:22 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039320932 jmclaugh7 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039472349 While I did earn enough money to pull myself out of the absolute poverty that most peasants in the Yunnan province were living in through getting involved in the opium trade, money is still tight. Even more so than when I was unmarried, as in the interim I have married and am raising a young boy. Despite my social status being that of a minor merchant now, I have never forgotten my time in the mines, nor the friend that I lost while in there. With my child's future to consider, and with the continued lack of any real presence from the central government in the region, I can only see revolution fixing our problems. If our rulers will not assist in its people's struggles, defend us against armed rebels, or even attempt to disperse the technology that I've heard the foreigners have, which could improve the lives of Chinese on every level of society, then we must take matters into our own hands.]]> 2022-02-10 04:45:36 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039472349 EthanHarvey512 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039482357 I am now a 71 year old man. Both my boys passed the examination and are working gentries. I still work as a civil servant but don't know how much longer I will be able to do this. The whole country feels like it's reaching a stage of revolution. If the rebels don't take over then the Westerners will. There is no stability. My family is scared for the future. My boys worked hard to be in the positions they're in but I'm nervous a shift of power might affect their social standing. We need to reform China into the country that it once was. A country of unity, economic stability, and with an understanding of the power structure. Violence will not solve anything. These rebells spilling blood and blundering cities is going to lead to a civil war. They are barbarians. 

We must maintain the current government structure. It is what we've used for thousands of years. It is what helped build China and it will help us get out of the mess we are in right now. I do admit, we have gotten our selves into some less than ideal trade policies and our taxes are high but this is a time we need to come together as a nation, not split apart. Local gentries like my sons and I will do everything in our power to make things right. ]]> 2022-02-10 04:54:21 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039482357 I am Wang Han's second child since I was born in 1838, I am now 52 years old. When I was young, I often need to run with my father to mountains to avoid the Taiping. We are peasants in Anqing, Anhui, China for generations. I am unaware to the fact that the Qing government has signed a lot of treaties. As long as my family can sustain themselves, I will not complain much since I was born in a relative poor family. My brother and I are old now. I have three sons born in 1856,1859,1863, and a younger daughter when is born in 1868. She is 22 and she was married four years ago. I am a grandfather of many now. My dad taught me to have a good relationship with my landlord which I listened and benefit from. As a man who is older than 50, I honestly do not care much how the government to function. As long as my family can have a relative safe environment and we are honest peasants who want less taxes and as long as the landlord does not ask too much from us, we are okay with that. If possible I wish my grandchildren may have the ability to go to school for at least four years, but I am sorry that I cannot support them. I wish the tuition for my great grand children to be cheaper so they may go to school so they do not have to work like us. If I have to choose, then I will be a reformist. hxu44 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039502557 2022-02-10 05:12:31 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039502557 Zhiqing's choice hulkyyn https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039539744 I am Zhicheng, Zhiqing's Son, and was born in 1880. 
Since I was a kid, my father educates me with the Confucian classic, and wish me to be sucessful at the Keju exam, to fulfill his regret of not passing the Jinshi exam. 
When I was young, I think that only the classic philosophy can save people, only through them can a men be trained into a real gentelmen or Junzi, and thusly they can save the problematic society.
When I was 15, the Keju is abolished. And suddenly, I do not know what to do. My father, too, knowing that his dream can never be complished now, start to think about the new way to go out of it. The vanish of his dream made my father more clearer about his thoughts, and gave him a more clearer vision about the futher. Now, he knows, the old way can never save China, we need new power. Actually, after the years of Chaos, he already knew the Qing government won't last long, he just did not dare to face it.
Finally, we began to face up to western science, and think about find a way out of it. Hearing that people in Nanjing is teaching the western science for free, my father decided to give it a try after careful consideration.
So I went to the Jiangnan Lushi Xuetang at Nanjing, started my education in a totally different setting.
At that time, I am all for a revoluiton, with the striking of new knowledge, I do not think the reformation will change anything as long as the old powers are still on the political stage.
I imagine the new government need to adovocate for the equality of people, and to redistribute the assest and land which is accumulated in the hand of aristocrats. 
I also think that new technology need to be valued, what I learnt in the shcool tells me the productivity means a lot, and so I dreamed to be industrialist, I want to open factory to help my country. ]]> 2022-02-10 05:48:40 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039539744 awestern1115 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039550462 As a family of devoted Banner Soldiers our family has always had pride in the traditions of the Qing dynasty. These traditions may be lost to time if revolution strips us of this tethering identity. Some may say that I am only claiming this because of my Manchu heritage, but I believe all members of the dynasty can find some for of unification or solidarity in the legacy of this shared empire. Despite losing our farm to the Taiping rebellion and the current relative impoverished status of my family, I believe that reform is the only way. My father died in the rebellion and I have seen firsthand the dangers of violence of revolution. I am hoping to find work to help care for my family and I fear we will starve before that happens if revolution continues to decimate our land. We need to work to restore the Qing Empire to what it once was; recreate a proper infrastructure to guarantee protection from famine, restore our social customs to what they were before Western infiltration and create a strong military to keep ourselves safe from both internal and external threats. I propose a hefty tax on all foreign trade, a reinvestment in military and a land tax to help redistribute from those with vast land holdings to us poorer farmers and those brave soldiers displaced by the chaos of recent years. ]]> 2022-02-10 05:58:14 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039550462 jidemot1 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039629416 I am the son of a Bannerman soldier. Our family has passed down this role through the generations and have been proud to do so. However, over the last few years, it has not been so easy to be so prideful. It is hard to stay strong when we are constantly on the move, moving from place to place fighting wars and fending off rebels. I’m honestly surprised I am still alive and am lucky to have not been in the front lines. My father enjoyed the last years of normalcy within the ranks and used opium recreationally even though it was forbidden. We were to tell no one. He didn’t have fight in those wars, not like I did. I wish for reform. The fighting provides my family with purpose, but it is straining. It is ugly and is like a disease that is stripping away our happiness. I don’t want to die but I will continue for my country. Perhaps I will get my sons into academia so they will have a different future. A place amongst the officials. Seems more beneficial than being a mere soldier. The Bannerman stability is falling apart . We get weaker with each battle. If the fighting continues, what land will be left to protect?


]]> 2022-02-10 07:09:50 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039629416 notobusinessworks https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039668734 Although my occupation and social position have not changed, many other elements of my life have. We fought hard to stay out of trouble even as opium ran its course through our farm, however it simply was not enough. My husband quickly took to the drug, either from a neighbor or elsewhere I do not know, and passed away 12 years ago. Our son is now grown but I have been unable to do much to provide him with the necessary tools to grow intellectually. I've heard from other families that the tests administered in the cities are no longer geared toward the same material I've provided him with, and while I wish to climb I've run dry of resources. Our family has been in shambles due to the loss we've experienced and the day to day uneasiness of impending conflict. A war is coming, we can feel it. And although I am never for unnecessary trouble, we have no other options but to rebel and fight for widespread change. If I want to climb the social ladder and find opportunities for my son or perhaps myself, we need to branch out and make changes for ourselves, just as we have for generations. Reform will only change policies that cannot reach us, and we may inevitably suffer if the government fails to implement enough changes. We've already endured much as a family, and I want to put an end to it. I will do whatever I can from here to provide us a way out. There is a grim future waiting for problems to get solved by a government that does not acknowledge their very existence. ]]> 2022-02-10 07:37:53 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039668734 Yifei Chen yifeichen1 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039805237 My name is Zhang Zhiyuan, as the only son of Zhang’s family in Sichuan province, I choose reform without hesitation. Since I already participated in the Jingtian uprising in 1853 and gave up the imperial examination. That was a long absence of seven years which made me deeply know and realized that people would face great difficulties and complex situations during the revolution. After the uprising, I went back to my home, reunited with my family, and started to learn to make bamboo strip products to inherited my father’s craft. When I was young, I followed the activists who had the same ambitious goal to establish a country where everyone was equal and harmonious. However, the reality was brutal and I maintain that the revolution was jacobinic and extreme. The underdeveloped technology skills made China's road to self-help quite arduous, if not increasingly dangerous. With the iterative escalation of the technological revolution, the relative strength of the major powers that China faced became increasingly terrifying. Since China's weapons were heavily dependent on foreign countries, considering the reality of being a peasant, I was not in a position to participate in the revolution. Besides, because of Sichuan's complex landscape, the wars did not affect us too much until the explosion of the Sino-Japanese war. After the Sino-Japanese war, the state treasury was in economic crisis and needed to make the people pay in installments to make up for the shortfall of 200 million silver taels in compensation. This added to the financial difficulties of our family, which was already not well-off. I reckon that we could learn about western culture and retain the rights of the monarch which is to make the constitutional monarchy instead of not participating in politics. As a peasant, I hope to create a business environment for ourselves by promoting the development of the commodity economy because mechanized production is a kind of impact on the traditional handicraft industry. More importantly, I want my children could go to school through the education reform that receives substantial knowledge of western’s such as aesthetics, mathematics, and philosophy instead of a single old-style private school called “Sishu”.

]]> 2022-02-10 09:08:23 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2039805237 masonsjohnson3 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2040150204 My name is Chong Xi, and the 1890’s were not a good time for my family. I was born in 1854 as the first child in my family, with a younger brother and sister. My father had blossomed our family with international textile trade after the Opium wars and it was my job to continue what he worked so hard on. I believe that our country needs reform, as rebellion would not be good for my trade, and radical new ideas with a new government post rebellion might change the treaties we have with the west that had made my family's trade so profitable for us. I also am tired of all the violence that has seemingly dominated my life and the life of my father before me. A full out rebellion would leave us with a new weak government that would be ripe for corruption and influence from foreign powers or even invasion. A merchant like myself was prone to liking security. I was still a Presbertatian after having been raised by my father in this way, and had taught my 2 children the same. The Boxer rebellion would mark the beginning of the end for our family. It started slowly, with people not wanting to trade with us due to our foreign religion. Though Ningbo had a Christian community it was rather small. We were seen as foreigners, outsiders trying to benefit off of what really was our homeland; our religion did make trade easier with the west, but even that began to dry up. Already in financial straits, our family home in Ningbo would be attacked and looted by Boxers. Not only was much of our wealth stolen, they murdered my brother, father, and mother leaving me with only my 2 children and my sister. All I can do is pray for them now. I am having a life crisis, how would God allow something like this to happen? Do I give up the family trade and go on the run with the rest of my family? I resolved that this must be God's plan for us, and spent much of our remaining wealth moving the family to a small home further out of the center of Ningbo. We would hole up here and brace ourselves against the Boxer storm. Now that our trade was basically dry and our many people did not accept us I contemplated moving out of China altogether. My son became very anti-Christian, believing that it is God's fault that this happened to our family and we never should have converted. He believed that what happened to our family could only be rectified by returning to Buddhism and the old traditional ways. I shall try to point him down a better, more Christian path, but I doubt I shall be successful. ]]> 2022-02-10 12:58:01 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2040150204 eshaw118 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2040274586 My family has suffered greatly from the rule of the Manchus and the upheaval that has been plaguing the region for ages. The Qing dynasty put the Manchus first and neglected all other minority groups, including me and my family the Hui. They also did a bad job of controlling the insurrections that were occurring which caused great stress for my family. We participated in the rebellion fighting for Muslim rights but it wasn’t enough. The reforms that the government has proposed won’t nearly do enough, they have shown throughout history that they are not fit to rule China in a way that keeps the people safe from the outside world and themselves. I believe that a revolution and total upheaval of the Qing dynasty is the way to go. Foreign powers will continue to try and control us if we don’t fit into the modern world, we are falling behind and the traditions that the Manchus are trying to maintain is the cause. My family has suffered and the only way for us to regain our footing is to live in a world where we are not in constant fear of internal rebellion and massacres against us by the ruling power.]]> 2022-02-10 13:57:15 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2040274586 jpastore11 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2040380933 My family has suffered greatly recently, the opium wars took all of what little we had. We never had much, living as peasants on a rice farm, but after our farmer abandoned his farm to trade opium we were forced to the streets. To make money I had to smuggle opium and began to struggle with addiction. People around me including my family members died as a result of addiction and poverty. My family and others like my family feel that we have nothing left to lose, we lost our land and livelihood under this dynasty and change is in order. Revolution is the only option. We need immense change now. We will do anything to make that change happen for family members lost. and we won't stop until we get that change and are back to living lives that aren't filled with poverty and addiction. ]]> 2022-02-10 14:40:12 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2040380933 I am Xu Kong, a third generation farmer living in the Shandong Province. Being raised by a family of farmers, while growing up with a brother three years older than me, I learned the importance of hard work and a good work ethic. From an early age my father would preach to my brother and I that "nothing would come easy to us farmers, and everything we got we had to work for." Now my brother and I are old enough to run the farm ourselves, however my brother has gotten addicted to opium over the past few months which has affected his ability to work efficiently. In addition to the opium crisis, most of the shangdong region is going through a drought, which has negatively affected profits. More people are becoming restless and rumors of revolution are starting to spread. I am not yet sure how I believe this revolution will go for my family and the rest of the farmers, but my brother is adamant about joining the uprising. He believes there is more for us then living off our land and providing for our family with a small profit. His ambitions are big, however i am not sure how realistic they are given were still poor farmers. mkarpous https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2040479770 2022-02-10 15:18:08 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2040479770 Brendan Grover, Gentry https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2040492591 Following the absolute failures of both Opium Wars. The Imperial Court finally began to take me seriously. All though it was too little too late to make much of a difference in regards to Opium, I was still glad to never the  less begin the necessary steps to fully industrialize China. I ended up forming a group with like minded individuals called the Self-Strengthening movement. Our Goal to industrialize and modernize all of China especially the military. Even though we were getting what finally I had wanted, my old age was beginning to take its effect on me thankfully I had gotten married after the first Opium War and had two sons both of whom I personally tutored and taught them the importance of industry and technological modernization. Both sons and myself also see how limited political reform similar to that of Japan's Meiji Restoration could provide a great deal of stability. Especially following our even more disastrous war with Japan in the 1890's.

My father who was a very intelligent man who saw the reality of the world long before the rest of the incompetent oafs at the Imperial Court had even put down their Opium pipes has passed at the old age of 83. I and my younger brother both passed the Civil Service Exam and we still continue to advocate industrial as well as economic reform within the Imperial Court. But the Court is even more divided than when our father was my age. No matter though we are just as persistent as he was and we won't be giving up anytime soon.]]> 2022-02-10 15:23:15 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2040492591 Jin Huang, Trader bvanderhulst https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2040608277 As a trader whose family suffered greatly due to the wars that took place along the Huangpu river, I have lost faith in our current dynasty. The Qing clearly do not favor us, the people, but we must not turn to a republic. Our entire history has been based on a ruling dynasty, and a revolution of this sort would be unprecedented.]]> 2022-02-10 16:11:51 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2040608277 Peasant, Shandong divabelo28 https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2040612659 I am not sure as to whether I would like a revolution or reform, but the kind of government I would like to have is one that will not increase the taxes and will establish one common currency for all the classes. As a woman, I would also like to have a government that protects and ensures my rights. Other than that, my family is highly affected by the opium addiction so a government that will fix this problem would be ideal for me.]]> 2022-02-10 16:13:49 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2040612659 Bstandzin, Tibet Elite s8wknc8mnt https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2041321803 Created by Thomas Tan

As a Tibetan elite at 1890, I strongly wanted the revolution to take place. In the 1890s, Qing's power was not as strong as it was 200 years ago. Under this circumstance, Qing had no power helping Tibet's living or maintaining their power in Tibet. Therefore, I would like an opportunity to gain independence and cooperate with British Raj. 

However, I no longer needed to worry about that. British soon invaded Tibet for twice and forced Qing to agree the Sino-Britain treaty of Tibet and India and the revised version of the treaty Lhasa. Although theoretically Tibet was still belonged to its original suzerain, Qing actually lost its control over Tibet and most territory and resources of Tibet were given British. By setting up strong relationship with Britain and getting out of the control of Qing, I started to look for new opportunities that can further connected the western people. ]]> 2022-02-10 23:04:30 UTC https://padlet.com/jhuangfu1_1/sp22hi242week3/wish/2041321803