The mid-19th century to the mid-20th century

      From the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century, Chinese society experienced unprecedented transformation. The imperial order declined, and the imperialist warship frequented treaty ports. Peasant uprisings swept major provinces, and the gentry class turned to modern weapons and Western learning for security and solution. How to understand these changes and many more others? How to evaluate their influences in modern China? Please select ONE perspective from below to share your thoughts and ideas. Qing emperors or officials Merchants and businessmen Reformists and revolutionaries You are supposed to organize your thoughts and ideas into a 1200-word essay. In your essay, your discussion and analysis have to focus on the chosen group (1, 2, or 3) and the changes around them. You are also expected to use at least one particular individual as an example to elaborate your ideas. For example, you could use Sun Yat-sen as an example of the revolutionaries to discuss the conditions of revolution in the early 20th century.