Celia

Hallo,

I have just joined and I am a novelist doing research. Now I have a very specific question. In the International Settlement of Shanghai there was a Volunteer Corps with a commanding officer provided by the British Army. I would like to know who that was in 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion, if he was the only professional soldier in the Volunteer Corps or if he came with an executive officer (to replace him in times of sickness etc.) or some subordinates. Any idea where I can get information on that?

Besides I would be grateful for recommendations concerning books about the Boxer Rebellion, especially regarding the Boxers themselves. The situation in the legations and the manoueverings of the Qing court seem rather well documented but I can't find very much on how the boxers actually lived and how they were organized. They had female units called the red lanterns. I would like to know more about them.

I am very grateful for any piece of information.

Thanks in advance.

Celia

Mandate of Heaven

As you probably guessed, the women at Red Lanterns did not fight physically, but they did supernatural stuff like invoking goddesses to help destroy the foreigners. The male boxers also had supernatural elements about them, as they were supposed to be bullet-proof.

Lawnmowerman

I always thought the red lantern was assosiated with prostitution. Where these women prostitutes as well???

Mandate of Heaven

No. The Boxers, oddly enough, was associated with the White Lotus Society, which had been bitterly anti-Qing. It used alot of superstitious stuff that was similar to the apocalyptic messianic movement of First Century Judea to draw followers. Red Lantern Society is White Lotus for women.

Celia

I have read that they fought occasionally. In the White Lotus tradition female warriors were not that unusual and women did also do some fighting during the Taiping Rebellion. But of course that was more the exception than the rule. Does anyone have more information on that - internet links or recommended books?

Red, by the way, was the colour of the boxers. They wore red turbans and red headbands. They considered themselves bullet-proof but they weren't in the end. Western soldiers mention, however, that it was pretty hard to kill them and that several bullets were needed to make them fall down. I suppose their beliefs gave them a lot of inner strength.

Celia