The Stranger at the Gate: Social Unrest in Southern China, 1839-1861

This book is Professor Frederic Wakeman's doctoral dissertation, a scholarly study of China's transition to modernity at the end of the Qing dynasty. The author opens Strangers at the Gate with the famed Sanyuanli Incident, then examines the anti-British movement centered on the Guangzhou region during and after the Opium War. The book reconstructs the militia movement of the time, the role of the gentry class, the court's response, the British forceful entry into Guangzhou, and their trade with China, offering an in-depth analysis of this complex series of events and phenomena. While restoring the historical record, the author also reveals the causes behind these developments and the causal relationships between them. Though not a lengthy work, this book encompasses a wealth of major historical themes.