The Boxer Uprising, also known as the Boxer Rebellion, was a major anti-foreign and anti-Christian movement that erupted in China between 1899 and 1901 during the late Qing dynasty. The movement was led by a secret society called the “Yihequan” or “Righteous and Harmonious Fists,” whom Westerners referred to as the Boxers because of their practice of martial arts. The uprising represented a powerful reaction against foreign imperialism, economic exploitation, missionary activity, and the weakening of Chinese sovereignty. The roots of the uprising lay in the profound crisis that China faced in the nineteenth century. Defeats in the Opium Wars, unequal treaties imposed by Western powers, foreign control over trade and customs, and the rapid expansion of Christian missionary activities created widespread resentment among the Chinese population. Natural disasters such as droughts and floods further aggravated rural distress. Many peasants believed that foreign influence had disrupted traditional Chinese society and brought economic hardship. The Boxers initially emerged in Shandong province, where anti-missionary sentiment was particularly strong. They attacked Christian converts, missionaries, railway lines, telegraph poles, and foreign-owned property. Their slogan, “Support the Qing, destroy the foreigners,” reflected a complex attitude: although they opposed foreign domination, they sought the protection of the Qing dynasty. Empress Dowager Cixi eventually decided to support the Boxers, hoping to use the movement to