Editing History of Asia (section)

==Late modern==
{{further|Modern history#Late modern period}}

===Central Asia: The Great Game, Russia vs Great Britain===
[[File:Great Game cartoon from 1878.jpg|thumb|250px|Political cartoon depicting the Afghan [[Sher Ali Khan|Emir Sher Ali]] with the rival "friends" the [[Russian Bear]] and British Lion (1878)]]

[[The Great Game]] was a political and diplomatic confrontation between Great Britain and Russia over [[History of Afghanistan|Afghanistan]] and neighbouring territories in [[Central Asia|Central]] and [[South Asia]]. It lasted from 1828 to 1907. There was no war, but there were many threats. Russia was fearful of British commercial and military inroads into [[Central Asia]], and Britain was fearful of Russia threatening its largest and most important possession, India. This resulted in an atmosphere of distrust and the constant threat of war between the two empires. Britain made it a high priority to protect all the approaches to India, and the "great game" is primarily how the British did this in terms of a possible Russian threat. Historians with access to the archives have concluded that Russia had no plans involving India, as the Russians repeatedly stated.<ref>Barbara Jelavich, ''St. Petersburg and Moscow: Tsarist and Soviet Foreign Policy, 1814–1974'' (1974) p 200</ref>

The Great Game began in 1838 when Britain decided to gain control over the [[Emirate of Afghanistan]] and make it a protectorate, and to use the [[Ottoman Empire]], the [[Qajar dynasty|Persian Empire]], the [[Khanate of Khiva]], and the Emirate of Bukhara as buffer states between both empires. This would protect India and also key British sea trade routes by stopping Russia from gaining a port on the Persian Gulf or the Indian Ocean. Russia proposed Afghanistan as the neutral zone, and the final result was diving up Afghanistan with a neutral zone in the middle between Russian areas in the north and British in the South. Important episodes included the failed [[First Anglo-Afghan War]] of 1838, the [[First Anglo-Sikh War]] of 1845, the [[Second Anglo-Sikh War]] of 1848, the [[Second Anglo-Afghan War]] of 1878, and the annexation of [[Khanate of Kokand|Kokand]] by Russia.<ref>* {{cite journal |jstor = 40105749|title = Great Britain's Great Game: An Introduction|journal = The International History Review|volume = 2|issue = 2|pages = 160–171|last1 = Ingram|first1 = Edward|year = 1980|doi = 10.1080/07075332.1980.9640210}}
</ref> The 1901 novel [[Kim (novel)|''Kim'']] by [[Rudyard Kipling]] made the term popular and introduced the new implication of great power rivalry. It became even more popular after the 1979 advent of the [[Soviet–Afghan War]].<ref name="Seymour Becker 2012">Seymour Becker, "The ‘great game’: The history of an evocative phrase." ''Asian Affairs'' 43.1 (2012): 61-80.</ref>

===Qing China===
{{Main|Qing dynasty}}
[[File:Empire Chinois, Japon (1832).jpg|thumb|280px|The Qing Empire in 1832.]]
By 1644, the northern [[Manchu people]] had conquered [[Ming dynasty]] and established a foreign dynasty—the [[Qing dynasty]]—once more. The Manchu Qing emperors, especially Confucian scholar [[Kangxi Emperor|Kangxi]], remained largely conservative—retaining the bureaucracy and the scholars within it, as well as the Confucian ideals present in Chinese society. However, changes in the economy and new attempts at resolving certain issues occurred too. These included increased trade with Western countries that brought large amounts of silver into the Chinese economy in exchange for tea, [[porcelain]], and silk textiles. This allowed for a new merchant-class, the [[comprador]]s, to develop. In addition, repairs were done on existing [[Levee|dikes]], canals, roadways, and [[irrigation]] works. This, combined with the lowering of taxes and government-assigned labor, was supposed to calm peasant unrest. However, the Qing failed to control the growing landlord class which had begun to exploit the peasantry and abuse their position.

By the late 18th century, both internal and external issues began to arise in Qing China's politics, society, and economy. The exam system with which scholars were assigned into the bureaucracy became increasingly corrupt; bribes and other forms of cheating allowed for inexperienced and inept scholars to enter the bureaucracy and this eventually caused rampant neglect of the peasantry, military, and the previously mentioned infrastructure projects. Poverty and banditry steadily rose, especially in rural areas, and mass migrations looking for work throughout China occurred. The perpetually conservative government refused to make reforms that could resolve these issues.

====Opium War====
{{Main|First Opium War|Second Opium War}}
[[File:98th Foot at Chinkiang.jpg|thumb|British troops taking [[Battle of Chinkiang|Zhenjiang]] from Qing troops]]
China saw its status reduced by what it perceived as parasitic trade with Westerners. Originally, European traders were at a disadvantage because the Chinese cared little for their goods, while European demand for Chinese commodities such as tea and porcelain only grew. In order to tip the trade imbalance in their favor, British merchants began to sell Indian [[opium]] to the Chinese. Not only did this sap Chinese bullion reserves, it also led to widespread drug addiction amongst the [[scholar official|bureaucracy]] and society in general. A ban was placed on opium as early as 1729 by the [[Yongzheng Emperor]], but little was done to enforce it. By the early 19th century, under the new [[Daoguang Emperor]], the government began serious efforts to eradicate opium from Chinese society. Leading this endeavour were respected scholar-officials including [[Imperial Commissioner (China)|Imperial Commissioner]] [[Lin Zexu]].

After Lin [[Destruction of opium at Humen|destroyed more than 20,000 chests of opium]] in the summer of 1839, Europeans demanded compensation for what they saw as unwarranted Chinese interference in their affairs. When it was not paid, the British declared war later the same year, starting what became known as the [[First Opium War]]. The outdated Chinese [[Junk (ship)|junks]] were no match for the advanced British gunboats, and soon the [[Yangzi River]] region came under threat of British bombardment and invasion. The emperor had no choice but to sue for peace, resulting in the exile of Lin and the making of the [[Treaty of Nanking]], which ceded the British control of [[Hong Kong]] and opened up trade and diplomacy with other European countries, including Germany, France, and the USA.
[[File:1859-60 CE world map.PNG|thumb|280px|Political map of Asia in 1860]]

====Manchuria====
{{Further|Northeast China|History of Manchuria}}
Manchuria/Northeast China came under influence of Russia with the building of the [[Chinese Eastern Railway]] through [[Harbin, China|Harbin]] to [[Vladivostok]].<ref>Henry B.  Miller, "Russian Development of Manchuria." ''National Geographic Magazine'' 15 (1904): 113+ [https://books.google.com/books?id=cxQSAAAAYAAJ&dq=manchuria+%22port+arthur%22&pg=PA113 online].</ref> The [[Empire of Japan]] replaced Russian influence in the region as a result of the [[Russo-Japanese War]] in 1904–1905, and Japan laid the [[South Manchurian Railway]] in 1906 to [[Lüshunkou|Port Arthur]]. During the [[Warlord Era]] in China, [[Zhang Zuolin]] established himself in Northeast China, but was murdered by the Japanese for being too independent. The former Chinese emperor, [[Puyi]], was then placed on the throne to lead a Japanese puppet state of [[Manchukuo]].<ref>Louise Young, ''Japan's Total Empire: Manchuria and the Culture of Wartime Imperialism'' (1999) [https://books.google.com/books?id=YjW41KFGw04C&dq=manchuria++japan&pg=PP1 excerpt]</ref> In August 1945, the Soviet Union invaded the region. From 1945 to 1948, Northeast China was a base area for Mao Zedong's [[People's Liberation Army]] in the [[Chinese Civil War]]. With the encouragement of the Kremlin, the area was used as a staging ground during the Civil War for the [[Communist Party of China|Chinese Communists]], who were victorious in 1949 and have controlled ever since.<ref>Steven I. Levine, ''Anvil of Victory: The Communist Revolution in Manchuria, 1945-1948'' (1987).</ref>

=== Joseon ===
[[File:Korea-Portrait_of_Emperor_Gojong-01.jpg|thumb|left|[[Gojong of Korea|Gojong]] (1852–1919), the 26th king of [[Joseon]] dynasty and the first emperor of [[Korean Empire]].]]
[[File:Deoksugung Palace.jpg|thumb|right|[[Deoksugung]], the palace where Emperor Gojong established [[Korean Empire]].]]
When it became the 19th century, the king of [[Joseon]] was powerless. Because the noble family of the king's wife got the power and ruled the country by their way. The 26th king of Joseon dynasty, [[Gojong of Korea|Gojong]]'s father, [[Heungseon Daewongun]] wanted the king be powerful again. Even he wasn't the king. As the father of young king, he destroyed noble families and corrupt organizations. So the royal family got the power again. But he wanted to rebuild [[Gyeongbokgung]] palace in order to show the royal power to people. So he was criticized by people because he spent enormous money and [[inflation]] occurred because of that. So his son, the real king [[Gojong of Korea|Gojong]] got power.

=== Korean Empire ===
By the [[Treaty of Shimonoseki]] article 1 of the first Sino-Japanese war, Korea was independented from China. The 26th king of [[Joseon]], Gojong changed the nation's name to ''Daehan Jeguk'' ([[Korean Empire]]). And he also promoted himself as an emperor. The new empire accepted more western technology and strengthened military power. And [[Korean Empire]] was going to become a neutral nation. Unfortunately, in the [[Russo-Japanese war]], Japan ignored this, and eventually Japan won against [[Russian Empire]], and started to invade Korea. Japan first stole the right of diplomacy from Korean Empire illegally. But every western country ignored this invasion because they knew Japan became a strong country as they defeated Russian Empire. So emperor Gojong sent diplomats to a Dutch city known as [[The Hague]] to let everyone know that Japan stole the Empire's right illegally. But it was failed. Because the diplomats couldn't go into the conference room. Japan kicked Gojong off on the grounds that this reason. 3 years after, In 1910, Korean Empire became a part of Empire of Japan. It was the first time ever after invasion of Han dynasty in 108 BC.