Origin of the Boxer War

Author: Xiang Lanxin
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2003-12-25
Features: This is not an ordinary historical work. The author, with profound academic expertise in international studies and history, selects the Boxer Rebellion—a topic seemingly familiar to the Chinese people—as the subject of this book, yets a vast field previously unexplored by predecessors. The interpretation of the Boxer Rebellion in this book differs from both Western-centricism and the general understanding of modern imperialism theory. Instead, it approaches the issue by examining the interconnections between the origins and development of the event and its broader international context, exploring the true essence of the Boxer War through the interplay of thought and action. The author possesses exceptional proficiency in multiple foreign languages. Based on extensive research involving the collection and mastery of archival documents from China, the UK, France, Italy, Japan, Russia, and other countries—including a large number of private letters and manuscripts—the book was written over a decade of dedicated effort, allowing it to reflect the intricate contradictions embedded in the grand panorama of the Boxer War over a century ago. These contradictions encompass the interplay and conflicts between various factions within late Qing China, such as the court and the reformers, the innovators and the conservatives, the Manchus and the Han, the populace and the court, the Christian converts and the Boxers, as well as the tensions among different factions within the court itself. They also reflect the complex web of interactions and rivalries between the late Qing government and foreign powers, foreign envoys and the court, Confucianism and Western religion, the civilian society and the church, China experts and diplomats from various countries, diplomats and their respective governments, as well as the interactions and conflicts between Protestantism and Catholicism within Western religion, and among the various foreign powers.
Leveraging the author's two decades of experience in overseas studies, the book goes far beyond merely documenting the unfolding of these contradictions. Instead, it vividly reveals and compares the diverse cultural elements embedded in foreign policies toward China, thereby not only making the book highly engaging but also offering significant insights into the underlying ideological backgrounds and behavioral characteristics of Western countries' policies toward China from a historical perspective. Due to the widespread influence of this book, published by Routledge in early 2003, in the academic circles of Europe and America, the author was awarded the qualification to serve as the Kissinger Lecturer at the Library of Congress.