26

THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE

Yangtze  and  bombarded  Chinkiang,  an  important  city  at
the  junction  of  the  Yangtze  and  the  Grand  Canal.  After
some  resistance  this  place  was  taken,  and  the  fleet  proceeded ­
  to  Nanking.  When  this  city  was  reached,  the
Chinese  submitted,  and  two  Imperial  Commissioners,  Ilipu
and  Kiying,  were  instructed  to  enter  into  negotiations  for
peace.  The  first  treaty  between  China  and  Great  Britain,
known  as  the  Treaty  of  Nanking,  was  concluded  on  August
29,  1842.  Among  the  terms  agreed  to  were  the  following ­
  :  (1)  Canton,  Amoy,  Foochow,  Ningpo,  and  Shanghai
were  to  be  opened  as  Treaty  Ports,  where  foreigners  could
reside  and  carry  on  trade  ;  (2)  The  island  of  Hongkong
was  to  be  ceded  to  Great  Britain  ;  (3)  An  indemnity  of
$21,000,000  was  to  be  paid,  $6,000,000  of  which  was  for  the
opium  destroyed  ;  (4)  Fair  tariff  rates  were  to  be  imposed
at  the  Treaty  Ports  ;  and  (5)  Official  correspondence  was  to
be  carried  on  upon  equal  terms  between  the  two  nations.
Shortly  after  this  treaty  had  been  ratified  at  Peking,  similar
treaties  were  made  with  China,  first  by  the  United  States
and  then  by  France.

The  Taiping  Rebellion  (First  Stage,  1850-1860)
In  1851  the  Emperor  Hienfeng  ascended  the  Dragon
Throne.  During  his  reign  broke  out  one  of  the  greatest
rebellions  China  has  ever  experienced.  This  was  the
Taiping  Rebellion.  The  leader,  Hung  Hsiu-chuen,  having
obtained  some  knowledge  of  the  Christian  religion,  had
become  a  zealous  opponent  of  idolatry.  He  established  a
society  called  the  Shang  Ti-hui—that  is,  the  society  for  the
worship  of  “  the  Almighty.”  At  first  the  movement  was
of  the  nature  of  a  religious  crusade,  and  his  followers  went
about  the  province  of  Kwangsi  breaking  down  idols  and
destroying  temples.  The  rising  soon  assumed  a  political
aspect,  and  the  members  of  the  society  declared  open  rebellion ­
  against  the  reigning  dynasty,  taking  as  their  rallying
cry  “  the  extermination  of  the  Manchus.”  After  some
successes  in  Kwangsi,  the  rebels  advanced  into  Hunan,  and