<P> Women missionaries had a "civilizing mission" of introducing Protestant middle - class culture to China, educating Chinese women and "elevating their gender ." They played a major role in campaigns against opium and foot binding . The widespread view in Europe and America in the late 19th century was that "Civilization cannot exist apart from Christianity ." </P> <P> Nineteenth - century women missionaries to China included two early explorers of Tibet, Englishwoman Annie Royle Taylor and Canadian Susanna Carson Rijnhart, both of whom undertook much more dangerous expeditions than famous explorers of the day such as Sven Hedin and Aurel Stein . </P> <P> The Boxer Rebellion in 1900 was the worst disaster in missionary history . One hundred and eighty - nine Protestant missionaries, including 53 children, (and many Roman Catholic priests and nuns) were killed by Boxers and Chinese soldiers in northern China . An estimated 2,000 Protestant Chinese Christians also were killed . The China Inland Mission lost more members than any other organization: 58 adults and 20 children were killed . </P> <P> The Chinese had recognized the rights of the missionaries only because of the superiority of Western naval and military power . Many Chinese associated the missionaries with Western imperialism and resented them, especially the educated classes who feared changes that might threaten their position . As the foreign and missionary presence in China grew, so also did Chinese resentment of foreigners . The Boxers were a peasant mass movement, stimulated by drought and floods in the north China countryside . The Qing dynasty took the side of the Boxers, besieged the foreigners in Beijing in the Siege of the International Legations and was invaded by a coalition of foreign armies, the Eight Nation Alliance . The greatest loss of missionary lives was in Shanxi where, among others, all 15 members of the Oberlin Band were executed . </P>

Who was the leading christian missionary to china in the late 19th century