The secret society of the "Righteous and Harmonious Fists" was at the origin of the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901). Numbering between 50,000 and 100,000 members at its peak, its ideal was to eradicate by violence any form of foreign occupation in Chine.

The Righteous and Harmonious Fists

(义和团 yì hé tuán)

In the rural regions of northern Chine, plagued by drought and poverty, and more specifically in Shandong, a secret society emerged: "The Righteous and Harmonious Fists," called the Boxers by Westerners. Initially firmly opposed to the Qing dynasty, the Boxers subsequently pledged their allegiance in order to fight together against the threat of the "foreign devils" who had settled in foreign concessions following the two Opium Wars.

Nourished by a strong nationalist and even xenophobic sentiment, the Boxers had long been preparing to fight by practicing martial arts in a rudimentary fashion, guided by masters who drew their inspiration primarily from Taoism.

Inscribed in the great Chinese tradition of secret societies, the Boxer movement found its origins among various currents of protest stemming mainly from the lower classes of Chinese society. Young peasants who had lost their livelihoods due to the arrival of new Western technologies (railways, telegraph…), demobilized soldiers, and ruined artisans swelled their ranks. Added to these were members with xenophobic leanings and those who initially rejected the Qing dynasty and all its supporters.

The Boxers attracted new recruits and popular support by playing on superstitions. To prove their invulnerability, their leaders had themselves shot at with blank bullets. A few women joined the movement. They were nicknamed the "Red Lanterns"; they were said to be capable of levitating and burning down houses…