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CHAPTER  II*

SKETCH  OF  CHINESE  HISTORY  FROM  THE  BEGINNING  OF
FOREIGN  RELATIONS
In  the  last  chapter  we  gave  a  brief  review  of  the  first  two
periods  of  Chinese  history.  The  Tsing  Dynasty  introduces
a  new  element  and  brings  us  to  the
THIRD  PERIOD  (a.d.  1644  to  the  present  time)
The  reshaping  of  the  old  civilisation  through  intercourse
with  Western  nations
It  has  been  customary  to  refer  to  China  as  the  “  fixed
type,”  and  to  prophesy  that  change  in  her  government  or
form  of  civilisation  was  an  impossibility.  Recent  events
have  once  more  proved  how  unsafe  it  is  to  indulge  in  political
forecasts  respecting  the  future  of  nations.  Radical  changes
have  already  been  effected  in  China,  as  the  result  of  the
pressure  brought  to  bear  upon  her  by  outside  influences.
In  order  to  preserve  her  national  integrity,  she  has  been
forced  to  adopt  important  reforms,  and  to  introduce  many
foreign  elements  into  her  civilisation.
This,  however,  has  only  been  accomplished  slowly,  and
has  come  about  through  a  long  series  of  frictions  and  contests ­
  with  Western  nations.
The  Reign  of  Kanghi  (1662-1723)
As  early  as  the  reign  of  Kanghi,  the  second  of  the
Manchu  Emperors,  two  European  embassies  arrived  at
Peking  for  the  purpose  of  opening  up  commercial  relations
*  Written  by  the  Rev.  F.  L.  Hawks  Pott,  D.D.