In 1894, the Qing dynasty lost the First Sino-Japanese War. After this loss, China signed a treaty agreeing to pay a lot of money to Japan. The treaty also gave Japan access to Chinese markets for their ships and goods. This opened the door for other foreign countries to bring in their industrial products and missionaries. The sudden flood of foreign goods hurt China’s traditional industries. In response to the growing foreign influence, secret societies and local militias fought back in wh...
