Battle of Senluo Temple opens the Boxer conflict in Shandong (October 1899)

Background. The Boxer movement, officially the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists, existed since the mid-1880s but was first reported externally in 1899. In 1898, groups in Shandong fell under more direct leadership with established ranks. Environmental pressures, including drought and floods in 1897–98, forced farmers to flee to cities, contributing to social unrest that fueled the movement's spread across Shandong.

Naming and Identity. At the Battle of Senluo Temple, the Boxers called themselves the "Militia United in Righteousness" for the first time. This name, or Yihetuan, became widely used in English publications, though earlier reports referred to them as the "National Righteousness Group." The shift in nomenclature coincided with the clash between Boxers and Qing government troops in October 1899.

Shandong Context. The movement spread across Shandong in 1899, destroying foreign property and attacking missionaries. Prior to the battle, incidents such as the Juye Incident in November 1897 and attacks on Christian communities in October 1898 highlighted tensions. The battle occurred in a region where the Qing court later replaced Governor Yuxian with Yuan Shikai to suppress the movement.