Figure 1.--China's immense population growth meant many youh mohers. Are children vcaring for their younger siblings. There was huge population growth in he 19h cenury and on an already huge base--far greater than that of any oher counry.

China entered the modern era with thevworld's largest population. Advancing maritime technology in the west resulted in rising levels of trade. At first the obtaining the products of advanced Chinese technologies could make fortunes in the West. Westerners had trouble offering trade goods in which the Chinese had any interest. The resulting China trade was largely financed by silver the Spanish found in the Americas. This involved the famous Manila galleons. A technological explosion in the West gradually changed the terms of trade. Suddenly it was the West that was the most advanced technologically. And the West began to create manufactured goods that could be sold in China. Even so it was still difficult to come up with goods the Chinese wanted. This resulted in the Opium War when Britain and France forced opium on the Chinese. Is at this time the Japanese decided to industrialize. The more traditional-grounded Chinese Imperial regme made no real effort to industrialize. Economists debate why the Chinese failed to industrtialze especially as CVhina had been an nimprna engine for techhnological developent for centuries. One historian focuses on 'political turmoil, weak government financial resources, and the missed opportunity of the Tongzhi Restoration.' 【Perkins】 The political earthquake of the Taiping Rebellion (1850-64) has to have been a major factor. It was the second deadliest war in history, and unlike World Wars I and II--all in one country and in the most agricultural produvtve areas of China. While little studied in the West, he Taiping Rebellion devastated large areas of China. At this time the population in the West because of industrialization changed dramatically with rapid urbanization and declining birth rates. This did not occur in China where the population continued to be mostly a landless peasantry. The Europeans and Japan seized control of most of China's ports -- The Unequal Treaties. Russia and Japan went far beyond seizing treaty ports, they annexed large areas of territory. Russia still holds those areas. Not only was China the world's most populace country at the beginnng of the century, but the 19th century, China experienced massive population growth. The population nearly doubled reaching some 430 million by the mid-century (1850). 【Census】 Advancements in agriculture and relative stability under the Qing Dynasty were imprtant factoes. Population growth was hampered after mise cenury with conflicts, especially the Taiping Rebellion, which caused population reductions in certain areas, largely dur to famine. But the overall population growth created land pressure which became was bevoming significant (late-19th century). This was leading to increased poverty and social unrest also generaed by European intrusions and he rise of he Boxers.

Sources

Perkins, Dwight H. "Stagnation and growth in China over the Millennium: A comment on Angus Maddison's 'China in the World economy, 1300-2030'," International Journal of Business Vol. 11, No. 3 (2006), pp. 255–64.

Census. Qing Goverbment (1850).

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