Describe the Boxer Rebellion.

• A. A rebellion in Beijing led by the Boxers opposing foreign devils; Western troops ended it.
• B. A reform movement within the Qing court to modernize China.
• C. A war between Britain and France over opium trade.
• D. A successful rebellion that expelled all foreigners from China.

Answer: (A)

The Boxer Rebellion was an anti-foreign, anti-Christian uprising centered in Beijing around 1899–1901. The Boxers, a martial-arts society, attacked foreign nationals and Chinese converts, aiming to purge foreign influence. They laid siege to the foreign legations in Beijing, and their assault drew in a multinational force—an alliance of eight powers including Britain, France, Germany, Russia, the United States, Japan, Italy, and Austria-Hungary—to relieve the siege. The rebellion was eventually crushed by these Western-led forces, and the subsequent Boxer Protocol imposed penalties and allowed continued foreign influence in China. This makes the description of a rebellion in Beijing led by the Boxers opposing foreign powers, ended by Western troops, the best fit.

It isn’t a reform movement within the Qing court, so it doesn’t describe efforts to modernize China from within. It also isn’t a war between Britain and France over opium trade, which is a different historical episode. And it wasn’t a successful rebellion that expelled all foreigners; foreign troops intervened and China remained under foreign influence after the crackdown.