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Numerous rebellions against China'sQing dynasty took place between the mid-19th and early 20th centuries, prior to the abdication of the lastEmperor of China,Puyi, in February 1912. The table below lists some of these uprisings and important related events.
| Date | War | Pro-Chinese parties | Rebels | Death | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1850[a] – July 1864[b] | Taiping Rebellion[c] |  Qing China British Empire France | Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Co-belligerents: Nian rebels Red Turban rebels Small Swords Society | 10–30 million killed | 13 years and 6 months (minimum) 20 years and 8 months (maximum) |
| Date | War | Pro-Chinese parties | Rebels | Death | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1851[d] – 1868 | Nian Rebellion[e] | Qing China | Nian rebels[f] Co-belligerents: Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Red Turban rebels | 100,000+ killed | 15 years (minimum) 17 years (maximum) |
| Date | War | Pro-Chinese parties | Rebels | Death | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1854 – 1873 | 4.9 million+ killed | 19 years |
| Date | War | Pro-Chinese parties | Rebels | Death | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1854 – 1856 | Red Turban rebels | Unknown | 2 years |
| Date | War | Pro-Chinese parties | Rebels | Death | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1855 – 1861 | Hong Soldiers rebels | Unknown | 6 years |
| Date | War | Pro-Chinese parties | Rebels | Death | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1856 – 1873 | pro-Du Wenxiu forces | Unknown | 17 years |
| Date | War | Pro-Chinese parties | Rebels | Death | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1862 – 1877 | Unknown | 15 years |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1850–1864 | TheTaiping Rebellion, led by theheterodox Christian convertHong Xiuquan, sees southern China descend into civil war. The rebellion later becomes an inspiration toSun Yat-sen, the leader of the1911 Revolution. |
| 1851–1868 | TheNian Rebellion, revolt in Northern China |
| 1861–1895 | TheSelf-Strengthening Movement seeks institutional reform – members of China's elite seek to modernise the nation. |
| 1890s | More intellectuals and members of the elite, mostly students studying abroad, vow to overthrow theManchuQing Dynasty and build arepublic. |
| 1892 | Yeung Ku-wan, together withTse Tsan-tai and others, start theFuren Literary Society inHong Kong. |
| 1894 | Sun Yat-sen founds theRevive China Society (Xingzhonghui) inHonolulu, Hawaii. |
| 1895 | China is defeated in theFirst Sino-Japanese War, revealing the severe weaknesses of the Qing state, and the power of the modernisedJapanese Empire. |
| 1895 | The Furen Literary Society is merged into the Hong Kong chapter of the Revive China Society, with Yeung Ku-wan as president and Sun Yat-sen as Secretary. |
| 1895 | TheGongche Shangshu movement – a petition of civil service candidates – becomes the first modern Chinese political movement, with intellectuals and members of the elite petitioning the Qing government for political reform. The leaders of the movement become the key figures of theHundred Days' Reform. |
| 1895 | The abortiveFirst Guangzhou uprising is organised by the Hong Kong chapter of theRevive China Society. Sun Yat-sen and Yeung Ku-wan are forced to leave China and Hong Kong, respectively. |
| 1898 | TheHundred Days' Reform sees the youngGuangxu Emperor initiate 103 days of reform, which are ended by conservative opponents led byEmpress Dowager Cixi. Many reformers are forced to leave the country. |
| 1898 | TheBoxer Rebellion highlights hostility to foreigners and domestic political frustration. The movement targets foreign concessions and missionaries in China. |
| Early 1900s | The Revive China Society and other revolutionary groups stage abortive coups across the country, including theHuizhou uprising in 1900, thePing-liu-li uprising in 1906, and theHuanggang uprising in 1907. Japan becomes the most popular destination for Chinese students, as revolutionary sentiments spread. |
| 1901 | Yeung Kui-wan is assassinated and buried in an unnamed tomb in Hong Kong. |
| 1905 | Sun Yat-sen andSong Jiaoren found theTongmenghui, an alliance of many Chinese revolutionary groups, in Tokyo. Its oath is "To expel Tartar barbarians and to revive China, to establish a republic, and to distribute land equally among the people". |
| 1911 | TheRailway Protection Movement begins in response to public anger over the sale, by the Qing government, of railway construction rights to foreigners. Violence spreads toSichuan,Shaanxi andHunan. The Qing government mobilises troops to put down unrest inHubei. |
| April 27, 1911 | Second Guangzhou Uprising or the Yellow Flower Mound revolt, is led byHuang Xing, the Tong Meng Hui leader. Over a hundred revolutionaries force their way into the residence of the viceroy ofGuangdong andGuangxi provinces. The revolt ends in a catastrophic defeat, and most of the revolutionaries are killed. |
| October 10, 1911 | Revolutionary groups organise theWuchang Uprising in theHubei city ofWuchang. This serves as the catalyst for theXinhai Revolution and the establishment of theRepublic of China. |
| January 1, 1912 | Sun Yat-sen announces the establishment of theRepublic of China inNanking, and is inaugurated as the provisional president of the republic. |
| February 12, 1912 | The last Qing emperor,Puyi, abdicates. |
| February 14, 1912 | Yuan Shikai is elected provisional president of the Republic of China by the provisional Nanjing senate and on March 10, in Peking (Beijing), is sworn in. |