Religion and Conflict: Evidence from China, 1860 – 1911

Abstract

This project examines the economic origins and impacts of religious conflicts in the context of late Qing China (1860–1911). While the literature has attributed the anti-missionary violence to the cultural clash between Confucianism and Christianity, we show that the missionaries’ economic contributions to China through the treaty ports and public goods provision, rather than the strength of Confucianism, significantly attenuated Chinese anti-missionary movements. We then assess the impacts of the anti-missionary episode on China’s economic development. We find the conflicts discouraged Western merchants from investing in China, evidenced by fewer modern industrial firms and banks. This negative effect also spilled over Chinese domestic modern growth till 1930. The consequences persisted to the present time with conservatism towards international trade, and consequently, fewer foreign investments in regions with more historical conflicts.