Chinese soldiers, race, and the British Empire: The case of the 1st Chinese Regiment of Infantry, 1898-1906

Abstract

This thesis examines racial prejudices among British military officers and colonial officials towards the Chinese soldiers of the 1st Chinese Regiment of Infantry, in service from 1898-1906. Based on archival studies at The National Archives of the United Kingdom, the thesis focuses on British perceptions of the general Chinese population, the concept of ‘martial races,’ on British views concerning what kind of organisation was best suited for Chinese soldiers, and on perceptions of the soldiers’ ‘trustworthiness.’ In each of this thesis’ subtopics, racial prejudice would be important. However, who expressed racial prejudice and how it was expressed would generally depend on the specific issue at hand. The concept of ‘martial races’ made it important for the British to recruit the ‘correct’ group and organise British-led armed forces in the most suitable way for ‘Oriental races.’ The way ‘martial races’ were divided on ethnic lines in British India was not, however, applicable in China, where groups were instead delineated socially, with different Chinese classes being perceived as more or less suitable for warfare. The key finding of the thesis is that poor peasants and manual workers were generally viewed more positively than the better off and educated classes, who were seen as likely to be corrupt, dishonest, cowardly. However, positive opinions about poorer classes were generally tied to their low status and relationship with Britain and Britons. Additionally, prejudice that was overall only ascribed to the well off and educated classes could also be extended to the rest of the Chinese ‘race,’ showing that this was not a hard divide. While Chinese people were by many considered suitable as soldiers, most Britons did not trust them as officers.