Empires in Collision

In the nineteenth century, hordes of Chinese peasants rebelled against the circumstances that they were under. Several factors account for this. Due to the large population of the country, corruption was frequent and often soldiers were ordered to beat and pester the peasants. Also, taxes were increased upon them. This was around the time that Europe began to influence a change in China. This influence was forced after Britain began a war when China opposed am opium trade and ended the war by opening ports for European trade. This greatly impeded Chinese independence. Surrounded by issues, China used both old and new strategies to try to solve them. They relied on foreigners for expertise in certain areas. They also worked to strengthen individual local authorities rather than the country as a whole. Overall,  the nineteenth century was a trying time for China.

Also in the nineteenth century was the fall of the Ottoman Empire. There are also factories that led to this fall. The Ottoman Empire was heavily overthrown by the British. The British had gained plenty of momentum during this time and had become much stronger. Like China, the Ottoman Empire faced a great deal of issues, and their solutions defined them quite a bit. The Empire had advised the military to use European techniques to make them strong as well. A group called the Young Ottomans favored a stronger more European style military and government. The Ottomans struggled to remain strong in the nineteenth century.

Elsewhere in the eastern world, Japan faced changes during the Tokugawa Era. Over time, Japan began to change for the better. Fertilizer and rice business was booming and laborers were becoming more literate. This was likely due to the peaceful nature of the Japanese as a whole at the time. This change was revolutionary to the Japanese. The nation became more United than ever before. Also, unlike the Ottoman Empire, Japan focused on a central government rather than individual authorities. This also changed Japan's  relationship to the rest of the world. Japan escaped colonialization from the west. Also, they became a stable military powers. Of all of the eastern countries, Japan especially held their own.