The Shanghai International Settlement
Shanghai International Settlement
The Shanghai International Settlement originated from the 1863 merger of the British and American enclaves in Shanghai, in which parts of the Qing Empire would hold extraterritorially under the terms of a series of Unequal Treaties until 1941.
Full Answer
When was the Shanghai International Settlement established?
Established in 1843, the Shanghai International Settlement grew rapidly. It started with the British Concession in 1843, followed by the American Concession in 1844, then the French Concession in 1848. In 1863, the American and British Concessions officially joined together, creating the Shanghai International Settlement.
What does Shanghang International Settlement stand for?
The Shanghai International Settlement ( Chinese: 上海公共租界; pinyin: Shànghǎi Gōnggòng Zūjiè; Shanghainese: Zånhae Konkun Tsyga) originated from the 1863 merger of the British and American enclaves in Shanghai, in which parts of the Qing Empire would hold extraterritorially under the terms of a series of Unequal Treaties until 1941.
Is Shanghai a possession or a settlement?
However, it must be clearly understood that Shanghai has been from the beginning a settlement, not a possession. [editorializing] The British Government annexed Hong Kong, which became British territory, and subject to British law.
What are the best books about the International Settlement at Shanghai?
Henriot, Christian, and Wen-Hsin Yeh, eds. In the shadow of the rising sun: Shanghai under Japanese occupation (Cambridge UP, 2004). Hudson, Manley O. "The Rendition of the International Mixed Court at Shanghai." American Journal of International Law 21.3 (1927): 451–471. Lockwood, William W. "The International Settlement at Shanghai, 1924–34."
When was Shanghai settled?
October 1, 1949Shanghai / Date settled
Why was Shanghai an international city?
Shanghai has been inhabited for thousands of years. It became a city in the 13th century and was a major centre of trade and industry by the 16th century. After the First Opium War, in 1842, the British imposed an agreement whereby foreign citizens could live and trade in Shanghai via 'concession' agreements.
Is Shanghai under British rule?
After the first Opium War, however, the British named Shanghai a treaty port, opening the city to foreign involvement. The village was soon turned into a city carved up into autonomous concessions administered concurrently by the British, French, and Americans, all independent of Chinese law.
Is Shanghai an international city?
Shanghai has an interesting pool of creative people who draw the city together very successfully. It's also the most international city in China, with lots of opportunities to work all over the PRC from here.
What happened to the International Settlement in Shanghai?
The international settlement came to an abrupt end in December 1941 when Japanese troops stormed in immediately following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Why is Shanghai so important?
With a storied history of foreign economic and cultural exchange, Shanghai is known as mainland China's most international city. Today, it boasts significant finance, trade, and shipping industries, including the world's largest port by cargo throughput.
When did Shanghai stop being British?
British Concession (Shanghai)British Concession in ShanghaiHistoryHistory• Established1845• Disestablished18639 more rows
What country owns Shanghai?
ChinaShanghai, also spelled Shang-hai, city and province-level shi (municipality), east-central China. It is one of the world's largest seaports and a major industrial and commercial centre of China.
Is Shanghai controlled by China?
As with most cities in China, Shanghai is overbounded in its administrative territory. The city in the year 2010 was composed of 16 districts and one county, together occupying 6,340.5 square kilometers (2,448.1 sq mi) of land area.
Is Shanghai the biggest city in the world?
As a cultural center, Beijing boasts of seven World Heritage Sites listed by UNESCO. Shanghai's population of 24.1 million makes it the top populous city proper not only in Asia but in the world as well....The Largest Cities in the World.Rank1CityShanghaiCountryChinaPopulation24,153,00029 more columns
Is Shanghai the best city in the world?
Shanghai Tops New Forbes China Ranking Of Best Cities For Living.
When did Shanghai become a treaty port?
After Shanghai's opening as a treaty port in 1843, English began to emerge among the merchant groups as a trading jargon used between local Chinese and foreigners.
How did Shanghai become a megacity?
The city was already an established trading hub, but all of these foreign nations transformed it into a burgeoning metropolis during the 19th century. From here, the Europeans could trade with all of China and its neighbouring countries, and Shanghai – in the blink of an eye – became the richest city in East Asia.
When did Shanghai stop being British?
British Concession (Shanghai)British Concession in ShanghaiHistoryHistory• Established1845• Disestablished18639 more rows
How is Shanghai different from the rest of China?
Shanghai is distinct from other Chinese cities, standing above its peers in commerce, culture and wealth, and internationalism. It is known for its collective commercial nous. This historical legacy has given Shanghainese a certain sophistication, which some see as confidence – others as brashness and arrogance.
When did Shanghai become a megacity?
Shanghai has experienced the fastest economic growth of any megacity from the early 1990s, averaging 12 percent annually. Shanghai attracted over US$120 billion in total foreign direct investment (FDI) after 1992, including US$14.6 billion in 2006, or 23 percent of China's total FDI (Balfour 2007).
What was the Shanghai settlement?
The Shanghai International Settlement(Chinese: 上海公共租界; pinyin: Shànghǎi Gōnggòng Zūjiè; Shanghainese: Zånhae Konkun Tsyga) originated following the defeat of the Qing dynastyof China by the British Empirein the First Opium War(1839–1842) and the subsequent signature of the Treaty of Nanking. Under the terms of the treaty, the Chinese city of Shanghai, along with four other treaty ports, opened to foreign trade, overturning the former monopoly held by the southern port of Canton (Guangzhou) under the Canton System. The British, already active in Hong Kong, which had been ceded to them under the Treaty of Nanking, quickly established a settlement along the banks of the Whangpoo Riverfor the furtherance of their commercial interests.
What countries were involved in the Shanghai settlement?
American and French involvement followed closely on the heels of the British, with distinct areas of settlement for the French in the south and the Americans to the north drawn out of the British settlement. In 1854, the three countries created the Shanghai Municipal Council to serve all their interests, but in 1862, the French concessiondropped out of the arrangement. The following year the British and American settlements formally united to create the Shanghai International Settlement.
What was the purpose of the Treaty of Wanghiawas?
The Sino-American Treaty of Wanghiawas signed in July 1844 by Chinese Qing governmentofficial Qiying, the Viceroy of Liangguang, who held responsibility for the provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi, and Massachusetts politician Caleb Cushing(1800–1879), who was dispatched with orders to "save the Chinese from the condition of being an exclusive monopoly in the hands of England" as a consequence of the 1842 Nanking treaty. Under the Treaty of Wanghia, Americans gained the same rights as those enjoyed by the British in China's treaty ports. It also contained a clause that effectively carved out Shanghai as an extraterritorial zone within Imperial China, though it did not actually give the American government a true legal concession. [4]
What color is Shanghai?
Location of Shanghai International Settlement (in red) relative to the French Concession (yellow) and the Chinese zone (grey)
How many people were born in the International Settlement?
6Notable people born in the International Settlement
Why did the Chinese move into the International Settlement?
While the Settlement had at first disallowed non-foreigners from living inside its boundaries, a large number of Chinese were allowed to move into the International Settlement to escape the Taipings or seek better economic opportunities.
Which two countries have formal courts in China?
Two countries, Britain and the United States established formal court systems in China to try cases. The British Supreme Court for China and Japanwas established in 1865 and located in its own building in the British Consulate compoundand the United States Court for Chinawas established in the US Consulate in 1906. Both courts were occupied by the Japanese on 8 December 1941 and effectively ceased to function from that date.
Where is the Shanghai International Settlement located?
As the map below clearly shows, the Shanghai International Settlement grew rapidly during its existence, taking up both sides of Suzhou Creek and the north bank of the Huangpu River in central Shanghai.
What was the settlement of Shanghai?
The land on which the Settlement was situated, outside (and later on, within) the growing city of Shanghai, belonged to the Chinese Government . It was conceded to the foreign powers for use as a trading-post, and was not considered foreign soil, similar to the land on which foreign embassies and consulates are built.
Why did the Chinese leave the Shanghai settlement?
Because, while the rest of Shanghai was controlled by the Chinese, the Settlement was effectively under foreign control. And if the Japanese attacked the British, French or American concessions of the Settlement and killed foreigners living there, they were terrified that all the other countries in the world would come running after them. So they left the Settlement alone. Because of this, despite the conflict going on all around them, the people living in the International Settlement continued life…more or less as they had always done. Sure, now there were Japanese soldiers poking their noses into everything…but that needn’t disrupt the black tie soiree going on at the ballroom of the Majestic Hotel down the road.
Why did Jews flee to Shanghai?
In the mid and late 1930s, with Nazism on the rise in Europe, Jews were desperate to escape rabid antisemitism. Unable to go to New York or London or Melbourne or San Francisco or any other major port city in any but the very smallest numbers due to international immigration quotas, between 20,000-30,000 Jews, mostly German, but also Polish Jews, fled to the Shanghai International Settlement between 1933-1941. The disruption caused by the Japanese occupation of Chinese Shanghai meant that travel-restrictions in China were virtually nonexistent. This made the International Settlement the perfect place for opportunistic and desperate Jews to hide out for the duration of the Second World War.
What was the name of the city that was open to Western trade?
Under the terms of the Treaty, the Chinese had to open up various cities to Western trade. These ‘treaty ports’ as they were called, lined the Chinese coast. The most famous one was the ancient walled city of Shanghai. Shanghai liteerally translates as “On the Waterfront” in English.
What is the grey area in Shanghai?
The grey area is the French Concession. The circular white area next to it is Old Shanghai. Immediately north of the French Concession is the British Concession, which expanded westwards and northwards to the south bank of the Suzhou Creek (the wiggly line between the medium brown and yellow parts of the map).
Why did the Shanghai Settlement become neutral?
Because the Settlement existed as a separate entity from the rest of Shanghai, at the commencement of hostilities, it actually declared its neutrality from the war. Because the Japanese wouldn’t bomb the Settlement, thousands of Shanghainese poured into the Settlement, seeking shelter from the enemy.
When did the American concession become the Shanghai International Settlement?
In 1863 the American concession (land fronting the Huangpu River to the north-east of Suzhou Creek) officially joined the British Settlement (stretching from Yang-ching-pang Creek to Suzhou Creek) to become the Shanghai International Settlement.
What was the official governing body of Shanghai in 1860?
By the late-1860s Shanghai's official governing body had been practically transferred from the individual concessions to the Shanghai Municipal Council (工部局, literally "Works Department", from the standard English local government title of 'Board of works'). The British Consul was the de jure authority in the Settlement, but he had no actual power unless the ratepayers (who voted for the Council) agreed. Instead, he and the other consulates deferred to the Council.
What was the purpose of the Shanghai Municipal Council?
The aims of this first Council were simply to assist in the formation ...
Which countries did not have Chinese sovereignty?
Chinese sovereignty still prevailed on the territory, but individuals who were not Chinese and were members of the Fourteen Favoured Nations (Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States) enjoyed extraterritoriality.
Was Hong Kong a British colony?
In summary, the International Settlement was not a British possession in the sense that Hong Kong or Weihaiwei were, and was instead ruled as a self-governing treaty port under the terms of the Treaty of Nanking 1842. Chinese sovereignty still prevailed on the territory, but individuals who were not Chinese and were members of the Fourteen Favoured Nations (Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States) enjoyed extraterritoriality. The SMC did however exercise a considerable degree of political autonomy over both foreign and Chinese within its borders.
History
- Arrival of the British, Americans, and Europeans
While Europeans had already shown interest in Shanghai's strategic position as a port, the first settlement in Shanghai for foreigners was the British settlement, which was opened in 1843 under the terms of the Treaty of Nanking following the first Anglo-Chinese Opium War. On the orders o… - Municipal Council
On 11July 1854 a committee of Western businessmen met and held the first annual meeting of the Shanghai Municipal Council (SMC, formally the Council for the Foreign Settlement North of the Yang-king-pang), ignoring protests of consular officials, and laid down the Land Regulations whi…
Legal System
- The International Settlement did not have a unified legal system. The Municipal Council issued Land Regulations and regulations under this, that were binding on all people in the settlement. Other than this, citizens and subjects of powers that had treaties with China that provided for extraterritorial rights were subject to the laws of their own countries and civil and criminal compla…
Currency
- The currency situation in China generally was very complicated in the 19th century. There was no unified system. Different parts of China operated different systems, and the Spanish pieces of eight that had been coming from Mexico for a few hundred years on Manila Galleons were current along the China coast. Until the 1840s these silver dollar coins were Spanish coins minted mainl…
Postal Services
- Shanghai had developed a postal service as early as the Ming Dynasty, but during the treaty port era foreign postal services were organised through their respective consulates. For example, the United States Post Office Department maintained a United States Postal Agency at the Shanghai consulate through which Americans could use the US Post Office to send mail to and from the U…
List of Chairmen of The Shanghai Municipal Council
- Edward Cunningham (25.5.1852 - 21.7.1853)[lower-alpha 1]
- William Shepard Wetmore (21.7.1853 - 11.7.1854)[lower-alpha 1]
- James Lawrence Man(11.7.1854 - 1855)
- Christopher Augustus Fearon(1855)
Notable People Born in The International Settlement
Relation with The French Concession
- The French Concessionwas governed by a separate municipal council, under the direction of the Consul General. The French Concession was not part of the International Settlement.
References
- Sources
1. Bergere, Marie-Claire: Shanghai: China's Gateway to Modernity. Transl. from French by Janet Lloyd. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0-8047-4905-3. 2. Bickers, Robert, "Empire Made Me: An Englishman Adrift in Shanghai", Allen Lane History. 3. Hauser, Ernest O. …
See Also