Early Stages Of The Reform Prince Kung example essay topic

317 words
During the period of 1840 to 1911 one act of reform that failed was " The Self-strengthening Movement". This "movement" initiated in 1861, then on into the 1890's. This act of reform was motivated by the defeats by the British and French armies in the " Opium Wars". The Tai pin, Nier and Muslim revealed their government's weaknesses. During this period reform was necessary to be a great nation and also to survive colonisation from many Western countries.

From these reasons it was essential to have reform. The main aim of reform was to modernise the exam system, rid corruption in the government and the bureaucracy, and to revise Confucianism. The aim though was not change the whole system in which they were in, but to back to the old ways. Modernisation by the Central Government was evident. There was a new emperor, but he was six years old and was unable to rule in his own right. Although he was unable to rule, power of the government was given to three regents, Prince Kung, Dowager Tz'a-an and Dowager Tz'u-hsi.

In the early stages of the reform Prince Kung was the dominant figure. He did many things for the reform. He created a department of "Foreign Affairs". He also had international books which were not allowed be to read, were translated into Chinese. Furthermore he set up an Interpreter's College to translate book on Western military, navel, commercial and industrial topics. Moreover he tried to arrange a range of British boats.

When Dowager Tz'u-his thought that Prince Kung was going too far with the reform, she acted fast and removed Kung from the position of emperor and placed him under house arrest. She did not tell the public what she had done with him, besides say he was "sick".