Jiu-hwa Lo UPSHUR

Ancient ink painting of warriors with spears. COURTESY OF JOAN LEBOLD COHEN.
Beginning with the Han dynasty, the strength and allegiance of the Chinese army were determining factors in the rise and fall of imperial dynasties. China’s willingness to adopt Western science, technology, and other innovations in the first decade of nineteenth century led to repeated defeats by Western countries and Japan that culminated in the revolution and the end