The Concept of “Self-Government” across Cultures: From the Western World to Japan and China

Cultura ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-72
Author(s):  
Donglan HUANG
Keyword(s):  
English Word ◽  
Western World ◽  
Meiji Japan ◽  
Local Elites ◽  
Late Qing ◽  
The Qing Dynasty ◽  
Qing Government ◽  
Provincial Autonomy ◽  
Traditional Counterpart ◽  
Japan And China

Abstract This paper focuses on the change of the meaning of “self-government” after it was introduced from Western world into East Asia in late 19th and early 20th century. By surveying the process of translation and dissemination of the concept “self-government” as well as the institutionalization of local self-government in Japan and China, the author points out that in Meiji Japan, the meaning of the word “selfgovernment” underwent significant changes from “freedom” which means antiauthoritarianism that was transmitted in the English word “local-government” to sharing the responsibility of national administration as embodied in the German word “Selbstverwaltung” along with the establishment of Prussian modeled local selfgovernment system. In late-Qing China, on the other hand, the term “localgovernment” was accepted as “self-reliance” as a way to achieve national prosperity and independence by enhancing individuals’ capacity, or “provincial autonomy” as a step to overthrow the Qing Dynasty. Qing government enacted a set of “selfgovernment” laws with reference to Japan’s system, but it turned out to be the same as its traditional counterpart enforced by local elites to offer public services under the profound influence of the Confucian tradition of xiangguan(local heads) in ancient China instead of incorporating the local elites into the state administrative system.

Japanese Modernization and the Emergence of New Fictwn in Early Twentieth Century China: A Study of Liang Qichao

1995 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 817-840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroko Willcock
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Literature ◽  
Small Circle ◽  
Late Qing ◽  
The Qing Dynasty ◽  
Liang Qichao ◽  
The People ◽  
History Of ◽  
Chinese Intellectuals ◽  
Artistic Quality

Inspired by Japanese influences among others the late Qing period saw a great surge in the writing of fiction after 1900. The rate of growth was unprecedented in the history of Chinese literature. The great surge coincided with rapid socio-political changes that China underwent in the last fifteen years of the Qing Dynasty. At the psychological level, the humiliating defeat by Japan in 1895 gave rise to a feeling of urgency for reform among some progressively minded Chinese intellectuals. Those reformers came to view fiction as a powerful medium to further their reform causes and to arouse among the people the awareness of the changes they believed China most urgently required. Fiction was no longer considered as constituting insignificant and trivial writings. It was no longer the idle pastime of retired literati composed to entertain a small circle of their friends, or written by a discontented recluse to vent a personal grudge through a brush. The role of fiction came to be defined in relation to its utility as an influence on politics and society and its artistic quality was subordinated to such a definition.

scholarly journals Self-Strengthening Movement of Late Qing China: an Intermediate Reform Doomed to Failure

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Qu
Keyword(s):  
Western World ◽  
The Political ◽  
Trade Policies ◽  
Qing Empire ◽  
Late Qing ◽  
Imperial Court ◽  
Late Qing China ◽  
The World ◽  
World Trend ◽  
Economy System

<p class="1Body">Despite of strong economy including highest GDP gross and self-sufficient feudal economy system, the late Qing Empire fell behind the world trend with its isolationist trade policies. As the Western world caught up technologically, economically, and politically, the former biggest economy had suffered from consecutive losses in wars. In order to preserve the feudal regime, the initiative reform, termed the Self Strengthening Movement was grandly carried out. However, without the true support from the supreme power on one hand, and without the support of the populace on the other, the Movement was an intermediate reform in attempt to preserve the royal system and forestall its continued decline. In policy, the reforms envisioned Western-style modernization without adjusting the political order, yet the entrenched conservatism of the Qing Imperial Court proved to be the decisive hindering factor in the failure of the Movement.</p>

Local Elites in Ming-Qing China

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tze-ki Hon
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
River Delta ◽  
Local Power ◽  
Local Elites ◽  
Late Qing ◽  
Early Republican ◽  
Marxist Concept ◽  
Local Leaders

Also known as late imperial China, the Ming-Qing period (1368–1911) has received increasing attention in the late 20th and early 21st centuries as a result of debates over China’s modernization. At issue in the debates is whether China was able to modernize without foreign interventions. For a long time after World War II, China was viewed as politically and socially stagnant. Shaped by the Weberian notion of bureaucracy and the Marxist concept of “the Asiatic mode of production,” scholars argued that the Chinese could not revitalize their political and social systems until external stimuli (such as imperialism) arrived. In stark contrast to this earlier view, the Ming-Qing period is now seen as a turning point when fundamental transformations took place owing to a robust economy, a vibrant society, and strong local leadership. Research shows that before widespread contact with Europeans in the mid-19th century, China had already created a mobile and diverse society. One thing that separates the new view from the old is the definition of local elites. From the 1950s to the 1970s local elites were considered a homogeneous group of scholar-officials who worked for the imperial government after passing the civil service examinations. Commonly known as gentry or literati, scholar-officials were said to have exercised their power as government officials and local leaders. In both capacities their power came directly from the imperial state. In contrast, since the mid-1980s local elites have been understood more broadly as a diverse group of degree holders who might or might not work for the imperial government. This expansion of the meaning of local elites has led to research on various forms of local organization, such as market towns, charity, lineages, and religions. In addition, the expansion of the meaning of local elites calls attention to regional differences, because the structure of local power in the Pearl River delta was significantly different from those in the lower Yangzi River delta and the North China plain. As a result, the power of local elites is traced to a variety of sources, including commerce, landownership, local militia, philanthropy, and rituals. The expanded scope of study of local elites has led to a new perspective on the late Qing (1895–1911). Rather than being the end of the imperial period, the late Qing is now seen as the beginning of a new era when political power was shared between the central government and local leaders. Some scholars contend that this trend of decentralization continued after 1911, when warlords and regional leaders became dominant players in national politics. As such, the late Qing and the early republican periods (1911–1927) are the high point of local power before the rise of the party-state.

A Precious Mirror for Governing the Peace: A Primer for Empress Dowager Cixi

NAN Nü ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 214-244
Author(s):  
Ying-kit Chan
Keyword(s):  
Qing Dynasty ◽  
Best Interests ◽  
Late Qing ◽  
The Qing Dynasty ◽  
Modern Chinese ◽  
Late Qing China ◽  
Chinese Historiography ◽  
Political Vocabulary

The vilified Empress Dowager Cixi (1835–1908) of late Qing China remains a symbol of national humiliation and weakness in modern Chinese historiography. Scholars attribute Cixi’s “rule behind the curtains” responsible for the ultimate decline of the Qing dynasty and its capitulatory peace with foreign powers. This article revisits the conditions that enabled Cixi’s rise to power during the Tongzhi reign (1861–75) and argues that Hanlin academicians regarded her as a potentially capable regent upon whom they could count to manage state affairs in the best interests of the Tongzhi emperor. This article also argues that Cixi acquired her political vocabulary from her Hanlin lecturers who compiled a unique primer for their patroness – the Zhiping baojian (A precious mirror for governing the peace) – on female regency in China’s imperial past.


龔自珍戒詩歷程考論

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (26) ◽  
pp. 053-068
Author(s):  
張日郡 張日郡
Keyword(s):  
Qing Dynasty ◽  
Turning Point ◽  
Chinese Poetry ◽  
Late Qing Dynasty ◽  
Late Qing ◽  
The Qing Dynasty ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Relationship

<p>龔自珍為清代著名的詩人及思想家，而這樣一位「但開風氣不為師」的詩人，一生有過幾次自覺戒詩的經驗，而「戒詩」的現象在中國詩歌史上相當特殊的，詩人為何要戒詩，而又破戒？龔自珍內心「寫作的焦慮」之根源是什麼？本文試圖從兩個方面切入，其一、爬梳相關文獻，先行探求龔自珍的詩學觀，唯有如此，我們才能從中得知為何是戒「詩」。其二、切入相關詩歌文本，觀看龔自珍自己如何看待自己的「戒詩」與「破戒」的說法。最後，分析兩者之間的關係，以及變化。期能為龔自珍之相關研究做出一點貢獻。</p> <p>&nbsp;</p><p>Gong Zizhen was a famous poet and thinker in the Qing dynasty. The era he lived was a turning point from flourish to the decadence, from tradition to modern. This phenomenon can be read in the works from Gong Zizhen and it’s also the key point for emancipation of the ideas in late Qing dynasty. Gong Zizhen who leaded the fashion but not stood under the spotlight, he had many experiences of quitting writing poetry. Quitting writing poetry is a special phenomenon in the history of the Chinese poetry, why did poet want to quit? The thesis studied these from two aspects. The first is to explore the poetry concept of Gong Zizhen through article review so that it may be understood why he choose to quit writing poetry? Second, it could be discovered how did Gong Zizhen treat his explain about quitting writing poetry and breaking it repeatedly by reviewing related poetries. Last, analyzing the relationship and transformation between the two. Expecting to offer some contributions for the study of Gong Zizhen.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

Christianizing Confucian Didacticism: Protestant Publications for Women, 1832-1911

NAN Nü ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-101
Author(s):  
Ryan Dunch
Keyword(s):  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Chinese Society ◽  
Women Readers ◽  
Important Place ◽  
Late Qing ◽  
The Qing Dynasty ◽  
Early Readers ◽  
Four Books ◽  
Printed Materials

AbstractThe printed Protestant missionary engagement with Chinese views of the role and proper conduct of women in society was more complex and ambiguous than scholars have often assumed. Publications targeted at women readers occupied an important place among Protestant missionary periodicals, books, and other printed materials in Chinese during the late Qing. Most publications for women and girls were elementary doctrinal works, catechisms, and devotional texts designed to introduce early readers to Christian belief, and light reading (fictional tracts and biographies) for women's spiritual edification, but there were some more elaborate works as well. After an overview of mission publications for women, this article focuses on two complex texts, one a compendium of practical knowledge and moral guidance for the Chinese Protestant "new woman," Jiaxue jizhen (The Christian home in China) (1897; revised 1909), and the other, a Protestant reworking from 1902 of the Qing dynasty didactic compilation Nü sishu (Women's four books). Together, these two texts give us a more multifaceted picture of how missionaries engaged with Chinese society and the role of women therein.

Notes from the Pier No. 1: On Route to “A Global Renaissance”: An f : Fabric in the “BRI: One Belt One Road”

2018 ◽  
Vol 01 (04) ◽  
pp. 1850025
Author(s):  
Chihlien Huang
Keyword(s):  
Family System ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
East India Company ◽  
Western World ◽  
Human Needs ◽  
The Qing Dynasty ◽  
Open Policy ◽  
Chinese Characteristics ◽  
One Belt One Road ◽  
Development Processes

This paper is actually a summary of the authors series of academic research since 1970s. It focuses on interconnectivity of civilizations with a focus on major civilizations and their impact on regional development. It is very clear that in comparison to Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity and modern Western Civilizations, the Imperial China and its traditional civilizations did not play a profound role outside China as judged by the Kublai Khan and Zheng Hes naval expeditions to East Asia and Indian Ocean areas. Apparently, she did not make good use of the “f-shaped” maritime road either. This “civilization-inabsentia” was probably due to traditional Chinas economy and culture which were built on unstable agricultural bases; thus conditioning its Han Chinese elites had its upper structure that evolved around paternalism and a feudal family system. Its inward-looking approach prohibited them from going outside to impose its cultural system so as to colonize the local populations along the “f-shaped maritime and land Silk Roads”. Her refusal to pursue an open policy inhibited formal international trades, thus giving the British East India Company a good excuse to conduct a so-called “Trade War” against the Qing Dynasty; and the Opium War had caused a total collapse of the Chinese Empire in 1830s. On the contrary, the Westerners have been using the “f-strategy” to impose on a broken China westernization in her search of model of modernizations. Here, the author has been trying to make good use of an “f-shaped” theory and methodology to interpret and understand Chinas historical, contemporary and future development processes. The f : fabric has proved to be an inspiring and useful model to configure Chinas shuttles between the so-called “#1.0: Pre-Western Culture” (before 1500 AD) and the “#2.0: Western Supremacy Culture” (1500–1990) and from here to move ahead for its “Socialism with Chinese characteristics” after entering the 21st century; finally, she could be a pioneer in the pursuit of a “#3.0: Post-Western and Non-Western World”. The tentative conclusion of the paper is that this newly introduced f : BRI-OBOR can be taken as a prelude to the future civilizations which are going to satisfy the human needs so as to promote the so-called “human pentagonal system” much more effectively.

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