Juye Incident
Encyclopedia
The Juye Incident refers to the events of November 1, 1897, when a band of twenty to thirty armed men broke into a Catholic missionary compound in Juye County
(Shandong
province, China
) and killed Richard Henle and Francis Xavier Nies, two German missionaries
of the Society of the Divine Word. A few days later, Germany
took these murders as a pretext to seize Jiaozhou Bay on Shandong's southern coast, triggering a "scramble for concessions
" during which Russia
, Britain
, France
, and Japan also secured their own sphere of influence
in different regions of China. Under threats from Germany
, the government of the Qing dynasty
was also forced to remove many Shandong officials from their post (including governor Li Bingheng) and to build three Catholic churches in the area at its own expense. The mission that had been attacked also received 3,000 tael
s of silver in compensation for stolen or damaged property, and received the right to construct seven fortified residences in the area, also at government expenses. This settlement strengthened missionary work in Shandong province and was part of the events that led to the Boxer Uprising (1899–1900), a movement directed against the Christian and foreign presence in northern China.
Historian Paul Cohen has called the Juye incident "the opening wedge in a process of greatly intensified imperialist
activity in China," whereas Joseph W. Esherick comments that the Juye killings "set off a chain of events which radically altered the course of Chinese history."
Juye County
Juye is a county in western Shandong province which is under the administration of Heze municipality. The county is 1,303 square km in area and has a population of approximately 910,000.-Qing & Republic:...
(Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
province, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
) and killed Richard Henle and Francis Xavier Nies, two German missionaries
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
of the Society of the Divine Word. A few days later, Germany
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
took these murders as a pretext to seize Jiaozhou Bay on Shandong's southern coast, triggering a "scramble for concessions
Concession (territory)
In international law, a concession is a territory within a country that is administered by an entity other than the state which holds sovereignty over it. This is usually a colonizing power, or at least mandated by one, as in the case of colonial chartered companies.Usually, it is conceded, that...
" during which Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, France
French Third Republic
The French Third Republic was the republican government of France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed due to the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, to 1940, when France was overrun by Nazi Germany during World War II, resulting in the German and Italian occupations of France...
, and Japan also secured their own sphere of influence
Sphere of influence
In the field of international relations, a sphere of influence is a spatial region or conceptual division over which a state or organization has significant cultural, economic, military or political influence....
in different regions of China. Under threats from Germany
Gunboat diplomacy
In international politics, gunboat diplomacy refers to the pursuit of foreign policy objectives with the aid of conspicuous displays of military power — implying or constituting a direct threat of warfare, should terms not be agreeable to the superior force....
, the government of the Qing dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
was also forced to remove many Shandong officials from their post (including governor Li Bingheng) and to build three Catholic churches in the area at its own expense. The mission that had been attacked also received 3,000 tael
Tael
Tael can refer to any one of several weight measures of the Far East. Most commonly, it refers to the Chinese tael, a part of the Chinese system of weights and currency....
s of silver in compensation for stolen or damaged property, and received the right to construct seven fortified residences in the area, also at government expenses. This settlement strengthened missionary work in Shandong province and was part of the events that led to the Boxer Uprising (1899–1900), a movement directed against the Christian and foreign presence in northern China.
Historian Paul Cohen has called the Juye incident "the opening wedge in a process of greatly intensified imperialist
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
activity in China," whereas Joseph W. Esherick comments that the Juye killings "set off a chain of events which radically altered the course of Chinese history."
Further reading
- Tiedemann, R. G. (2007b). "Not Every Martyr is a Saint! The Juye Missionary Case of 1897 Reconsidered." In Noel Golvers and Sara Lievens (eds.), A lifelong dedication to the China mission: essays presented in honor of Father Jeroom Heyndrickx, CICM, on the occasion of his 75th birthday and the 25th anniversary of the F. Verbiest Institute, K.U. Leuven. Leuven Chinese studies, 17. Leuven, Belgium: Ferdinand Verbiest Institute, K.U. Leuven. ISBN: 9789080183384; 9080183385.