Study On The Relationship Between China And Burma In The Middle And Late Qing Dynasty

The suzerain vassal relations between Burma and China can be traced back tosecond Century BC, the Southern Silk Road,which Connected Yunnan and Burma wasa bridge,where Burma paied tribute to China.The suzerain vassal relations had beenestablished formally in the year94AD,During Han Dynasty.As the Central Plainswars,Burma’s tributary activities almost cut off,until Tang Dynasty, Burma sent themission to visit China once more. Jia Dan, a geographer in Tang Dynasty, hasrecorded the detailed route between China and Burma firstly in Huang Hua Si Da Ji.Inthe middle of eleventh century, Pagan State, the first unified nation came to being, andthe country maintain friendly communications with the Song and Yuan. AfterTaungngu and Konbaung State, Burmese economy, religion and its culture becameunprecedented prosperity, the communication with China became more and moreclosed as well. However, the two countries has carried out the war as long as fouryears from1765to1769. After this war, they signed The Kaungtong Treaty, afer-reaching influence, which stipulate the tributary relationships between China andthe Konbaung State. It marked the beginning of a new period of the Bilateral relations.During this time, Burma has sent the mission to China15times, at the meantime, theQing Regime confered titles of nobility on the Burmese king.This period is also theinflux of a large number of ethnic Chinese in Burma engaged in the mining, plantation,commercial and other activities. However, the situation did not last long, the firstBritain-Burma war broke out in1824, and Burma was forced to sign the first unequaltreaty "Yang Dabo Treaty", so Burmese sovereignty and territory were infringed. Afterthe failure of the second and third Britain-Burma war, Burma became a British colonycompletely in1886. Around Burma’s sovereignty, the Qing government has conducteda number of consultations with Britain. Many patriotic diplomats, such as Zeng Jizeand Xue Fucheng argued, but the Qing government still as in the past to select a compromise facing the Great Britain.” has been come true again. After “Sino-BritishTreaty of Burma” signed1886, The suzerain vassal relations between Burma andChina came to end, while Burma still had to pay tribute to China once every ten yearsunder the old system. Qing government also took signed the "Sino-British BusinessArising from the Burma border Terms of Service" and "Sino-British Treaty arisingBurma" with Britain in1894and1897respectively. The suzerain-feudatoryrelationship between China and Burma ended formally. China lost a part of theterritory of the border, and was forced to open up some ports. Meanwhile, Britainbegan to invade Yunnan Province. Qing government set up the consulate in Mandalayin Burma, and it marks that China recognized the fact that the British occupiedBurma.This paper is divided into three parts: the first part, mainly discusses the suzerainvassal relations between Burma and China before first Britain-Burma war.First reviewthe suzerain vassal relationship history from the Qin Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty,andthen from the border conflict in the middle of the eighteenth Century, to sign TheKaungtong Treaty.To analyze the real content and historical influence from thebackground and historical records of The Kaungtong Treaty.After the20years ofdiplomatic consultations,Burma became the tributary country of Qing Dynasty in theyear1788. since then Border trade between the two countries, the suzerain vassalrelationship and civil exchanges has been developed rapidly.The second part, mainly discusses the suzerain vassal relations between Burmaand China after the first Britain-Burma war.During this period, the British colonistsinvaded Asia,which became a stumbling block to the development of the suzerainvassal relations between Burma and China. in the year1824、1852,Britain invadedBurma twice,occupied about half of Burma’s land. But Burma continues to pay tributeto China until1875, many overseas Chinese in Burma, patriotic soldiers and civiliansin Yunnan province involved in the struggle against aggression in Burma.But the Qinggovernment have held a negative attitude to the people who fought for Burma, andeven punish the patriotic officers and soldiers who fought against Britain,and protected the personal security and property of the Englishmen in the border betweenBurma and China,Only dare to make limited negotiations in the diplomatic level withthe British government,jumping into the negotiations trap.From the year1886to1897,the Qing government and the British signed the “Sino-British Treaty of Burma”、"Sino-British Business Arising from the Burma border Terms of Service" and"Sino-British Treaty arising Burma".through the three unequal treaties, Burma’ssovereignty was passed to Britain,the borderland crisis in southwest Chinaaggravated.The third part, analyzes characteristics of the suzerain vassal relations betweenBurma and Qing Dynasty. Burma is compared to the other vassal states of QingDynasty,and classfiy these vassal states into three groups,in one word,the suzerainvassal relations between Burma and Qing Dynasty as follows:the length of time isshort,the interval time of paying tribute is long,little influenced by Chineseculture.Finally, this paper also summarizes the reasons why the Qing governmentchose to abandon Burma’s sovereignty,correcting the mistake: the relations betweenBurma and Qing Dynasty is equal relationship,which wrote in Burma modern historybooks.