The Boxer Rebellion in China was a rebellion against foreign influence and was covertly supported by which figure?

The Boxer Rebellion in China was a rebellion against foreign influence and was covertly supported by which figure?

• A. Sun Yat-sen
• B. Kang Youwei
• C. Li Hongzhang
• D. Dowager Empress Cixi

Answer: (D)

The key idea is that the Qing court used anti-foreign sentiment to try to reclaim control, with the Dowager Empress Cixi backing the Boxers behind the scenes. She believed that supporting the Boxers could push foreign powers to withdraw on terms more favorable to China and help restore Qing authority. So while officials and the throne didn’t openly declare war on foreigners at first, Cixi’s backing gave the movement legitimacy and resources, allowing it to surge into Beijing before foreign forces intervened. The other figures were reformers or officials pursuing different paths—Sun Yat-sen and Kang Youwei favored modernization and constitutional change, while Li Hongzhang sought to negotiate and quell unrest rather than secretly back an anti-foreign uprising.

The key idea is that the Qing court used anti-foreign sentiment to try to reclaim control, with the Dowager Empress Cixi backing the Boxers behind the scenes. She believed that supporting the Boxers could push foreign powers to withdraw on terms more favorable to China and help restore Qing authority. So while officials and the throne didn’t openly declare war on foreigners at first, Cixi’s backing gave the movement legitimacy and resources, allowing it to surge into Beijing before foreign forces intervened. The other figures were reformers or officials pursuing different paths—Sun Yat-sen and Kang Youwei favored modernization and constitutional change, while Li Hongzhang sought to negotiate and quell unrest rather than secretly back an anti-foreign uprising.