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still more because of the unsettled conditions in China during the 1850s and 1860s. Internal dissent manifested itself through the Taiping rebellion, in which Shanghai was threatened. The native city was occupied by insurgents during 1853-1855 and in order to prevent Imperial troops from threatening the neutrality of the Settlement, the recently formed Shanghai Volunteer Corps (which later, in the 1860s, gave some amateur dramatic performances) fought the Battle of Muddy Flat on April 4, 1854, a skirmish about which some Shanghailanders still spoke with unreserved pride fifty years later, but for which a performance of the dramatic corps had to be postponed for more than a month.
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In the early sixties, tension heightened again; in August 1860, the Taipings threatened the Settlement; 1861 was relatively calm, but in January and August 1862, the town was once more the target of the rebels. Foreign, mainly British, troops, however, had been brought down to Shanghai from North China, where they had been fighting another war, and with the aid of the Shanghai Volunteer Corps, as well as mercenaries, all attacks could be staved off. Early in 1864, the Taiping insurrection was definitely quelled,
All this was not without its consequences, of which only those pertaining to theatrical life need detain us here. It was not to be wondered that, as long as the Settlement was under the threat of attack, its foreign population had other matters to attend to than mere amusement, so in these years (1861-1862), there is an almost total eclipse of entertainment. Yet, no sooner had tensions eased somewhat than "nightlife" again appeared in full swing. The thousands of soldiers and marines had swelled the originally small population; as a result, this led, on the one hand, to amateur dramatics by the garrison forces; on the other, to an increased audience for travelling companies, which gave, for the first time in Shanghai's history, rather lengthy seasons.
As was mentioned above, the resident foreign population was fairly small, and this should not be forgotten during any discussion of cultural life in the Settlement. In 1846, the total number of foreigners was given as 120; five years later, the British census showed 256, of whom 38 were females; in December 1859, there were 495 male and 74 female westerners, whereas the census of March 1865, which incorporated the results of events in recent years, showed a total of about 2100 resident foreigners, increased by 1850 military (a number which had no doubt been still higher in 1863 and 1864) --- 160 women again formed a tiny
159
still more because of the unsettled conditions in China during the 1850s and 1860s. Internal dissent manifested itself through the Taiping rebellion, in which Shanghai was threatened. The native city was occupied by insurgents during 1853-1855 and in order to prevent Imperial troops from threatening the neutrality of the Settlement the recently formed Shanghai Volunteer Corps (which later, in the 1860s, gave some amateur dramatic performances) fought the Battle of Muddy Flat on April 4, 1854, a skirmish about which some Shanghailanders still spoke with unreserved pride fifty years later but for which a performance of the dramatic corps had to be postponed for more than a month.
―
In the early sixties tension heightened again; in August 1860 the Taipings threatened the Settlement; 1861 was relatively calm, but in January and August 1862 the town was once more the target of the rebels. Foreign, mainly British, troops, however, had been brought down to Shanghai from North China where they had been fighting another war, and with the aid of the Shanghai Volunteer Corps as well as mercenaries all attacks could be staved off. Early in 1864 the Taiping insurrection was definitely quelled,
All this was not without its consequences, of which only those pertaining to theatrical life need detain us here. It was not to be wondered that as long as the Settlement was under the threat of attack its foreign population had other matters to attend to than mere amusement, so in these years (1861-1862) there is an almost total eclipse of entertainment. Yet no sooner had tensions eased somewhat than "nightlife" again appeared in full swing. The thousands of soldiers and marines had swelled the originally small population; as a result this led, on the one hand, to amateur dramatics by the garrison forces; on the other, to an increased audience for travelling companies which gave, for the first time in Shanghai's history, rather lengthy seasons.
As was mentioned above, the resident foreign population was fairly small and this should not be forgotten during any discussion of cultural life in the Settlement. In 1846 the total number of foreigners was given as 120; five years later the British census showed 256, of whom 38 were females; in December 1859 there were 495 male and 74 female westerners," whereas the census of March 1865, which incorporated the results of events in recent years, showed a total of about 2100 resident foreigners, increased by 1850 military (a number which had no doubt been still higher in 1863 and 1864) --- 160 women again formed a tiny
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