Lost Nation: What Was the Cause of the Disintegration of China? Essay Example

the country’s material wealth, they ultimately took a plunge for the worst. During the reign of Han Chaodi, they were dirt poor but still managed to keep a secure and peaceful place to live in. Confidence in the government, as well as communication, is the key to keeping a stabilized and undisturbed country.

One of the first problems with the government is the heavy tax load that is put onto the people of Suzhou, Songjiang, Zhangzhou, and Junjiang. Farmers are being forced to sell rice for coins that have to be converted into silver… because of these grievances, there are a larger number of delinquents. Tax collectors are sent out to harass the people of these districts by imposing corporal punishments to those who refuse. With any failure, tax collectors must pay the balance with their own money, risking ruining their own lives and families.With beatings till’ there was blood and flesh, there is no doubt that full-fledged riots occurred very often during tax collection time. An ever bigger problem was the greater increase in the number of bandits across China.

Whenever a crime was reported, soliders would come to the villages after the bandits had already fled, and just burned some of the houses while departing to impress the villagers with his “power” after announcing that the bandit had already been killed.While not caring about the safety of the villagers, many bandits were released with handsome bribes. In turn, many of the bandits victims lost property and went bankrupt due to the idiocy of the officials, and their appeals against them. As far as innocent victims are concerned, many cases ended with the plaintiffs receiving punishment

in the end, on the ground that they made false accusations.

If the plaintiff were to fail to present the truth in his petition, he would received one hundred blows by a striking rod. Who can believe that when an ordinary citizen is a plantiff and a government official a defendant, the defendant is always right and the plaintiff always wrong? ” (Andrea, 354) After accessing the three biggest problems of the Chinese government, Zeng goes on to say that the “governors-general and governors are to think carefully about them and to devise a way for their cure”, as well as stabilizing the price of silver.

As for the revival of the deteriorated regime, a man by the name of Sat Yat-Sen set out to make large reforms for the future of the Chinese people by forming an ideology called the “three people’s principles”. Sun Yat-sen believes it is absolutely necessary that China undergo a political revolution of democracy…“the vicious politics of today will be swept away after the nationalist revolution triumphs, but it will also be necessary to eradicate the roots of such politics.

As far as the “Principle of the People’s Livelihood”, Yat-sen explains that because of the advancement of civilization, there is less of a need for human labor in all parts of the world. So, because of the development of scientific agriculture, everyone “should be living in a state of plenty and happiness undreamed of antiquity” (Andrea, 354).

Since there was an increase in wealth, poverty rose and spread to over several thousands of people throughout Europe… “This is because the power of human labor is no match for the power of capital” (Andrea, 354).Basically,

human labor was no match for capitalist industry! With looking at the civilizations of both Europe and America, Yat-sen looks at this as a lesson for China in dealing with both the “good and bad fruits” of their own country… which is the basis of his principle. In respects to land, he believed that there should have been an increase of value over time, and in the end the owner would receive a profit with no loss, which would ultimately eliminate shortcomings. Yat-Sen then says that “the collection of land revenues alone will make China the richest nation on earth.

He believed that after excessive taxes were abolished, the price of consumer goods would fall and the people of China would become more prosperous. While Sun was elected provisional president of the United Provinces of China, his glory was short-lived without an armed force or political party to back him up…forcing him to resign in 1912.

In 1917, Sun attempted to establish a parliamentary government, but failed while they fell into warlord rule. As a lost nation, the Chinese faced a number of devastating problems.Results of foreign trade, a corrupted government system, and a spiraling population left China with land shortages, famine, and poverty. On top of that, they also had to suffer through heavy taxes, inflation, and the greediness of Chinese officials. “Rebellion, lawlessness, and foreign exploitation continued to plague the Qing regime until the Revolution of 1911 caused it, and China’s ancient imperial tradition, to pass into history” (Andrea, 345).