Book Review of The Dragon Wakes: China and The West 1793–1911
by Christopher Hibbert, Readers’ Union, 1971 (originally published Longman Group Ltd, 1970)
This book continues the timeline of events in the previous book, Imperial China, by Raymond Dawson, picking up from the reign of the Ch’ien-lung Emperor and the arrival of Lord McCartney from London. It has a distinct focus on China’s interactions with Western powers — primarily Britain— both in terms of military encounters as well as the underlying diplomatic manoeuvres taken by both sides. Hence, the title is no surprise. The book finishes on the cusp of the ascendancy of the first President of the Republic of China, Dr. Sun Yat-sen.
The book is clearly structured in four distinct sections, reflecting the focus of each phase of China’s interactions with the West:
- Ambassadors bearing Tribute — on cultural misunderstanding and an inability for China and Britain to co-operate on trade
- Traders in Foreign Dirt — on the crisis caused by the opium trade and the First Opium War
- Rebels and Innocents — on further military conflict and the signing of the “unequal treaties” (to use a Chinese term; this term is never used in the book itself)
- Aggressors and Reformers — on the Boxer Rebellion and the reforms leading up to the establishment of the Republic of China
While history can never be so neatly demarcated in such distinct phases, this structuring makes the events of the book memorable. The tragedies and consequences of their decisions for both Chinese as well as the Western powers are described through vivid examples and ornate writing.
The book does not pretend to be balanced in its view; it is not an academic, but rather, popular work from a British perspective, written for a British audience. I would have liked to see perhaps more of what life was like in China generally, away from the foreign concessions and legations and coastal trading ports during these turbulent times.
This book does offer a glimpse, however, of the feelings of both the Western powers and Chinese as they pursued their foreign policy and social objectives. One thing which struck me in particular was the description of the sufferings of the Chinese as their villages and cities were looted, their inhabitants were raped and even the Imperial Palace in Peking was burnt down. This to some extent explains the quote in the last chapter:
The Chinese, after centuries of seclusion, had been pushed by circumstances and by force into unwanted contacts with the Western world and they looked forward to the day, …, when they would be strong enough… to proclaim with impunity, “China for the Chinese and out with the foreigners!”
The quote “China for the Chinese” is not attributable — along with numerous other examples, a certain degree of artistic license is afforded to the interpretation of events described.
But is this prophecy currently being fulfilled under Xi Jinping and his trade war with America?
Overall this book, while not as detailed and precise as I would have perhaps personally preferred, is still an invigorating and memorable read. A map, list of sources (including Chinese sources), and index are provided. I give this a 4/5.
