33.6 The far east: a.d. 1801 to 1900  (Page 5/6)

Korea

Throughout most of the century Korea remained under suzerainty of the Chinese Manchus, although with their own kings. After systemic persecution of Christians under the regent Tai Wen Kun, there were several western expeditions attacking Korea, including a French force and an American naval force under Captain Shufeldt. Three ports were opened to Japanese trade in 1876 and in 1882 a treaty with the United States, negotiated by Shufeldt, allowed certain extra-territorial rights and permission to trade. China and Japan then began to dispute rights of control over the peninsula. In 1894, led by a Japanese underworld strongman sent specifically for the purpose, a group of Koreans, the Tonghaks, known to favor closing the country to Japanese trade, started a revolution. When Chinese troops were being mobilized at the call of the Korean government and Czar Nicholas had massed troops on the northern Korean border, Japanese troops suddenly arrived by sea and occupied Seoul and other Korean cities. The Chinese navy, attempting to prevent reinforcements of the invaders, was sunk by the Japanese navy. The non-entity, who was the emperor of Korea, ran to Russia. China sued for peace, giving Japan the right to "protect" Korea, an indemnity and the island of Taiwan. But Russian influence was still dominant and a Russian-Korean Bank was formed, while timber and mining concessions were given to Russia. On June 9, 1896 Japan and Russia established the Labanov-Yamagata Agreement under which the two countries cooperated in the reform of the army and finances of Korea, but Russian penetration continued, setting the stage for the Russian-Japanese War in the next century. (Ref. 8 , 12 , 119 , 46 )

Southeast asia

Mainland southeast asia

Burma

Burma, having failed to invade Siam in the last century, now turned its expansion policy toward the west, threatening Bengal, seizing Manipur and Assam in 1822. This soon brought King Bagyidaw up against the British East India Company and in the next 62 years there were three Burmese Wars with the British. The latter won the first war of 1824-26 and annexed Assam, Arakan and Tenasserim to British India. After the 2nd war in 1852 the British occupied the Irrawaddy delta region and stimulated great rice production there, as well as opening up the great teak forests. After the 3rd war in 1886 Upper Burma was added to the British domain, although guerrilla activity continued for years, with 32,000 British troops still involved between 1886 and 1891. The Shan states were not subdued until 1887 and the Chin Hills not until 1891. (Ref. 8 , 175 , 119 )

Thailand: siam and cambodia

After the long conflict with Burma had ended, Siam secured part of Cambodia through division of that state with Annam and finally, in 1844, the whole of Cambodia passed under the protection of Siam's King Mongkut. Rama IV (1851-1868), ruler and monk, philosopher and scientist, who taught himself English and Latin, made a study of western governments and began the work of modernizing Siam. After new treaties were drawn up with Great Britain in 1855, consuls were established and trade agreements initiated. In 1863 the French established a protectorate over Cambodia and Siam gave up its claims to that region. The real founder of modern Siam was Rama V, Chulalongkorn. Under him the old feudal system was abolished, slavery was reduced and there was administrative reform with new taxation and finance methods, better postal service, the telegraph (1883) and the first railway in 1893. But the French had long been trying to extend their dominions westward to the Mekong River and finally, after an acute Anglo-