Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/419

Rh of Yüan Shih-k'ai and other officers, was the dominant military force in China until 1927.

At this time two movements, both aiming at the expulsion of foreigners and foreign influence, made their appearance in North China. One, known later as the Boxer Movement, arose among the common people; another arose among the nobles in Peking. The former had its origin in several mystic and superstitiou.s organizations, notably the Ta-tao hui 大刀會, or Big Sword Society, and the Pa-kua chiao 八卦教, both claiming for their adherents supernatural powers, even to immunity from bullets. During the Sino-Japanese War many people in Shantung joined these societies, believing that from them they could learn the magic which would save them from death by bullets. Led by shrewd and opportunistic rascals, these destitute and ignorant farmers began to stage riots and commit robberies. Believing that Christian converts used mystic foreign influences to oppress non-Christians, the rioters murdered Christians and burned their churches. Li Ping-hêng 李秉衡, governor of Shantung from 1894 to 1897 during the Sino-Japanese War and during the German occupation of Tsingtao, at first sent the perfect, Yü-hsien 毓賢 , to suppress the rioters by force (1895–96). But Li and Yü-hsien both hated foreigners for their political and military aggressions. In 1895 Li memorialized the throne against the establishment of railroads, mines, telegraph lines, paper currency, factories, a modern army and navy, Westernized schools, and even the post office. The only foreign thing which he did not condemn was firearms which could be used to oppose foreign aggression. In 1897 he was succeeded by Yü-hsien who was even less enlightened and may really have believed in the supernatural powers claimed by the mobs. Both were responsible for sponsoring the secret societies which this time were known generally as I-ho ch'üan 義和拳, whence the name "Boxers". In 1899 the Boxers adopted the slogan, "Support the Ch'ings, Annihilate Foreigners" (扶清滅洋), thus courting the approval of such anti-foreign reactionaries as Yü-hsien who gave his official endorsement to the movement by changing its name to I-ho t'uan (團). After many churches had been burnt and missionaries murdered, the foreign ministers in Peking succeeded, late in 1890, in having Yü-hsien removed from Shantung and Yüan Shih-k'ai sent in his place. Yüan took his army to Shantung and suppressed the Boxers by force. Forbidden in Shantung, the Boxers gradually moved to Chihli where they were welcomed and sponsored by the governor-general, Yü-lu 裕祿. By May 1900 one group of Boxers had established itself in Tientsin and another advanced northward to combine with the anti-foreign group in Peking.

The anti-foreign movement among the uneducated nobles and superstitious courtiers may be said to have been led by the Empress Dowager who was irked by the support which the foreign governments had rendered to the reformers of 1898. Prince Tuan (Tsai-i, see under ) despised the foreigners because they had frustrated his plan to elevate his own son to the throne in place of Emperor Tê-tsung. He saw in the Boxers an instrument for getting rid of foreigners, and convinced the Empress Dowager that the Boxers had unusual powers. Other princes who favored the Boxers were Tsai-hsün (see under ) and Tsai-i's younger brother, Tsai-lan (see under ), who were in turn encouraged by other reactionaries like Li Ping-hêng; the Grand Secretary, Hsü T'ung 徐桐 ; the Associate Grand Secretary, Kang-i 剛毅 ; the President of the Board of Punishments, Chao Shu-ch'iao 趙舒翹 ; the President of the Board of Ceremonies, Ch'i-hsiu 啟秀 ; and the Vice-president of the Board of Revenue, Ying-nien 英年.

In this period of conflicting counsels Jung-lu did not assert himself. He knew that the Boxers could not be trusted, and that armed conflict with the Powers was futile. Yet he did not dare to oppose the Empress Dowager, and feared to offend Tsai-i. Moreover, he had personal grudges against Emperor Tê-tsung. Among his subordinates, Yüan Shih-k'ai and Nieh Shih-ch'êng recognized the Boxers as a lawless mob. But Tung Fu-hsiang and his unruly Mohammedan soldiers from Kansu who were stationed in or near Peking were openly anti-foreign, and on June 11 murdered a secretary of the Japanese Legation. This was two days before the Boxers were invited into Peking by order of Empress Hsiao-ch'in and Tsai-i, and three days before the Boxers entered Tientsin. Later Tung's soldiers in Peking joined the Boxers in pillaging, burning and murdering. Though nominally in command, Jung-lu was powerless and had to accede to the edicts which justified the course taken by the Boxers. On June 20, at a council of princes and officials—from which Jung-lu was absent—Em- 407