Agapitova I. The Qing China at the end of XVIII - the first third of ХІХ century as it was seen by western contemporaries

This research is based on wide range of historical sources and materials phenomenon of perception of social and political realities of the Chinese Empire by western contemporaries (end of XVIII - the first third of ХІХ century). This period is characterized by crisis of the Qing dynasty. The influence on creation "Myth about China" by works of the early researchers of China - Jesuits is analyzed. Their works for a long time have been a unique source of information about China in Europe. Literary trend, created by missionaries that presents to be an objective source of information about China on all stages of its existence has been criticized by J.J. Rousseau, O. Goldsmith, J.G. Herder, G.W.F. Hegel. Basic European authors aversion to Chinese way of life, customs, principles of social organization of the Chinese society, were determined by specificity of the European mentality. It explains practical absence of attempts to understand all that did not enter into usual frameworks of the European life and has caused amplification of the expansion tendencies in the European politic concerning China in the end of XVIII - beginning of XIX centuries. The beginning of XIX in Western Europe is characterized by storming growth of economy and industry. The appearance of interests to politics and economy of the Chinese Empire and accordingly the change of perception are connected with this.