HIST 270: Chapter 18 Reading Guide

Ebrey, A History of China — Chapter 18: China in Decline (1800–1900)

Note: This is a reading guide, not a study guide. It is designed to be completed while you read — directing you to specific passages, keeping you engaged, and holding you accountable as you move through the text. The goal is comprehension and evidence-gathering, not review.

Chinese history can feel unfamiliar at first. This guide will help you identify and understand the most important events and processes, so that by the time you finish the chapter, you will have a solid grasp of the material your professor wants you to know — and be well prepared for the Chapter Quiz.

Step 1: Find the sentence using the page and opening words provided. Type it verbatim into the first box.
Step 2: Answer the question in your own words. No outside research needed or permitted.
⚡ Auto-Save Enabled: Your answers are automatically saved to this browser as you type. If you close this page and return later on the same device and browser, your answers will still be here. This guide is not submitted — use it to prepare for your chapter quiz. Use Export Answers to save a backup text copy, or Print to PDF to keep a personal record.

Review Question 1

On Page 315, find the sentence beginning with the words: "As farms grew..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

How did rapid population growth contribute to the economic and fiscal problems facing Qing China during the early nineteenth century?

Review Question 2

On Page 317, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Unless trade in..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Why did the opium trade become such a serious crisis for the Qing government, and how did Lin Zexu attempt to solve the problem?

Review Question 3

On Page 317, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Concluded at gunpoint..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

What were the causes and consequences of the First Opium War, and why was the Treaty of Nanjing considered an unequal treaty?

Review Question 4

On Page 318, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Like many of..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

How did the Taiping Rebellion begin, and why did it become one of the most destructive rebellions in world history?

Review Question 5

On Page 320, find the sentence beginning with the words: "He recruited officers..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

How did Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang, and other regional leaders help suppress the Taiping Rebellion, and what long-term effects did their methods have on China?

Review Question 6

On Page 321, find the sentence beginning with the words: "With the transfer..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Besides the Taiping Rebellion, what other major internal rebellions threatened the Qing Dynasty during the nineteenth century, and what factors contributed to their outbreak?

Review Question 7

On Page 321, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Russia, seeing China's..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

What were the causes and outcomes of the Second Opium War, and how did it further weaken Qing sovereignty?

Review Question 8

On Page 322, find the sentence beginning with the words: "He called for..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

What goals did Feng Guifen and the Self-Strengthening reformers hope to achieve, and what specific reforms did they advocate?

Review Question 9

On Page 323, find the sentence beginning with the words: "For a while..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Why did the Self-Strengthening Movement achieve only limited success despite significant efforts by reform-minded officials such as Li Hongzhang?

Review Question 10

On Page 324, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Cixi was a..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

How did Empress Dowager Cixi shape Qing politics during the late nineteenth century, and what role did she play in balancing reform and conservatism?

Review Question 11

On Page 324, find the sentence beginning with the words: "It was under..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

How did foreign imperialism and the loss of tributary states such as Vietnam and Korea demonstrate the declining international position of Qing China?