What was the Boxer Rebellion?

The Boxer Rebellion was a violent anti-foreign and anti-Christian uprising in northern China between 1899 and 1901, led by the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists. Fuelled by natural disasters, economic anxiety, and resentment of foreign imperialism, the movement initially targeted the Qing government before aligning with Empress Dowager Cixi to expel foreign powers. An international coalition known as the Eight-Nation Alliance ultimately crushed the rebellion, imposing severe financial indemnities and long-term military occupation on China.

What we know

• The uprising was carried out between 1899 and 1901 by a secret society known in English as the Boxers. [2, 3]
• Boxers blamed natural disasters such as droughts and Yellow River flooding on foreign and Christian influence. [3]
• Empress Dowager Cixi eventually supported the Boxers, issuing a de facto declaration of war against invading foreign powers in June 1900. [3]
• The conflict concluded with the Boxer Protocol, requiring 450 million taels of silver in indemnity payments and allowing foreign troops to be stationed in Beijing. [3, 5]

Still open

• The exact total number of participants in the Boxer movement remains difficult to estimate because many local village groups kept their membership secret, though it may have reached 100,000.

Where to go next

• how we knowWho were the Eight-Nation Alliance?
• what followedHow did the Boxer Protocol impact the Qing dynasty?
• whoWhat role did Empress Dowager Cixi play in the uprising?
• what caused itWhat caused the rise of the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists?
• whenHow did the Xinhai Revolution follow the Boxer Rebellion?
• an unexpected connectionWhy is an indie rock band named after this uprising?An international indie rock band formed in London in 2001 chose to name themselves after this violent anti-imperialist conflict.

Sources

• [1]Yìhéquán (Wikidata Q1335146) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Boxer movement · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Boxer Rebellion · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]The Boxer Rebellion (band) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Boxer Indemnities · CC BY-SA 4.0