Religion and Conflict: Evidence from China, 1860–1911

This paper examines the economic origins and consequences of anti-missionary violence during the late Qing China (1860–1911). Using newly digitized data, we find that conflicts were attenuated by economic complementarities — such as access to Treaty Ports and public goods — rather than triggered by religious competition with Confucian elites. On the consequences part, we document negative economic spillovers of anti-missionary conflicts, through reduced foreign and domestic investments in modern firms and banks. These negative outcomes were reinforced by Western media coverage and persist today through lower FDI flows and increased autarkic attitudes among residents.