The Boxer Rebellion was described as which of the following?

• A. It was a peasant uprising that led to Qing collapse.
• B. It was a Chinese secret society movement opposing foreign influence; Western troops ended it.
• C. It was a reform movement within Qing to modernize the military.
• D. It was a campaign by Western powers to colonize China.

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is that the Boxer Rebellion was driven by a Chinese secret society movement that sought to oppose foreign influence in China, and it was ended by a coalition of Western troops. The Boxers, a group calling themselves the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists, drew support from peasants and others who resented foreign intrusion and Christian missionaries. They attacked foreigners and Chinese Christians and laid siege to Beijing’s foreign legations. Their aims were anti-foreign and anti-Christian rather than a plan to reform the Qing from within or to replace the dynasty. Ultimately, an international force—made up of Western powers plus Japan—intervened to crush the uprising, leading to the defeat and a harsh settlement known as the Boxer Protocol. That combination of anti-foreign secret-society action and its suppression by Western troops is why this description fits best.