Biography of Sheng Xuanhuai (Volumes 1 and 2)

Author: Xia Dongyuan
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-01-01
Features: "Guided by Marxist theory, primary sources, and innovative arguments" are the three principles I adhere to in my academic pursuits. The integration of these three elements constitutes the essence of 'scholarship' (works), and this is what truly qualifies as scientific research.
Any research in any discipline involves the mastery of primary sources. For example: geology relies on surveys, mining depends on drilling and analysis, and pathology requires autopsies. As historians, we are no exception in needing to grasp and utilize primary sources. Without excavating and seeking out primary sources, academic progress would be difficult. In the study of history, primary sources beyond official records should be obtained from archives, documents, personal accounts, as well as a vast number of memorials and correspondence. This is particularly true for the study of modern Chinese history. When researching a specific figure, such as Sheng Xuanhuai, it is especially important to uncover more primary original materials.
Sheng Xuanhuai (1844-1916), styled Xingsun, was a native of Wujin, Jiangsu, and a prominent industrialist in modern Chinese history. He founded numerous modern enterprises, including steamships, telegraphs, coal and iron mines, metallurgy, railways, banks, and textiles. Additionally, he established China's earliest two formal universities—the Northern Industrial College (precursor to Tianjin University) and the Nanyang Public College (precursor to Jiao Tong University, then also known as the Nanyang Industrial College). These educational endeavors cultivated a large number of modern talents, all of which were critically needed for the development of modern Chinese society. Academia and the historical field should regard him as a key subject of study. However, nearly nine decades since his death in the 20th century, few researchers have focused on him, with the scarcity of primary sources being one of the major reasons. The primary sources I compiled in this work, The Extended Chronology of Sheng Xuanhuai, aim to address this scarcity to some extent, providing scholars and future researchers with important primary original materials.
Regarding primary sources on Sheng Xuanhuai, they can be summarized as "both abundant and scarce," meaning there are many sources but they are difficult to obtain. In terms of personal archival materials, the Shanghai Library holds the "Sheng Xuanhuai Archival Materials," and the Chinese University of Hong Kong preserves Sheng's handwritten correspondence, memorials, and drafts with officials, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Experts estimate that Sheng's personal memorials, telegrams, correspondence, and writings could compile a Complete Works of Sheng Xuanhuai of approximately 25 million words, surpassing Li Hongzhang (whose works total about 20 million words), making him the most prolific figure in modern Chinese history. Among the published primary sources on Sheng Xuanhuai, apart from the 100 volumes of The Collected Works of Yu Zhai (including 12 volumes of Supplementary Works) published in 1938, the Shanghai People's Publishing House has released works such as Before and After the Xinhai Revolution, The Hubei Coal and Iron Mining Bureau and Jingmen Mining Bureau, The First Sino-Japanese War (two volumes), Hanyeping Company (two volumes), and The China Merchants' Bank, totaling over 5,000 pages. The Chinese University of Hong Kong has published The Drafts of Sheng Xuanhuai's Industrial Correspondence (two volumes), The Drafts of Sheng Xuanhuai's Correspondence with Officials (three volumes), The Diplomatic Responses of the Late Qing Dynasty (two volumes), and The Negotiations on Foreign Commercial Treaties in the Late Qing Dynasty (two volumes), totaling over 5,000 pages. Additionally, nine large volumes of The Genuine Handwritten Letters of Modern Famous Figures were published by selecting and printing Sheng's correspondence with officials. Furthermore, Zhonghua Book Company published a nearly 300-page Unpublished Letters of Sheng Xuanhuai in 1960.
From the perspective of published primary sources on Sheng Xuanhuai, they are indeed abundant! Why then compile The Extended Chronology of Sheng Xuanhuai?
First, for scholars, these publications, especially the eight volumes from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, are extremely difficult to obtain. Second, apart from The Collected Works of Yu Zhai and The Drafts of Sheng Xuanhuai's Industrial Correspondence, which are primarily Sheng's own writings, the proportion of Sheng's personal writings in the other books is very small. Third, due to my years of accumulation, I have selected approximately thousands of unpublished primary source cards on Sheng Xuanhuai for inclusion in the "Extended Chronology." With the support of Mr. Gu Tinglong, the then of the Shanghai Library, I spent nearly three years around 1960 extracting many primary source cards related to Sheng Xuanhuai from the "Unpublished Drafts of Li Hongzhang" (re-extracted after losses during the Cultural Revolution). Later, from the mid-1970s to the late 1980s, I copied more primary source cards on Sheng Xuanhuai from the Sheng Xuanhuai Archival Materials. These primary source cards were not included in The Collected Works of Yu Zhai. The plan for compiling The Collected Works of Yu Zhai was divided into four parts: Memorials, Telegrams, Correspondence, and Writings, all starting from 1896. Only the Memorials and Telegrams drafts were published, while the Correspondence and Writings were not. The Correspondence drafts have been organized and copied (the Writings were not organized), bound into over 30 volumes, with the cover inscribed "Handwritten Correspondence," and unpublished. There are also copied volumes such as The Handwritten Letters of Donghai, The Handwritten Letters of the Wuxu Era, The Handwritten Correspondence of Sihui Studio, and The Handwritten Correspondence of Military Affairs. From these nearly 40 "Handwritten Correspondence" volumes, I extracted many rare and valuable primary sources. It should be noted that none of these "Handwritten Correspondence" were actually written by Sheng Xuanhuai but were copied from "handwritten" drafts. I have never seen any of these original drafts. The "Handwritten Correspondence" in this chronology is based on the names on the covers of the bound copies. However, in the vast number of Sheng's drafts before 1896, I found many handwritten writings, letters, corporate charters, and memorials by Sheng Xuanhuai, and I copied some as needed. I believe these materials are even more valuable. Including them in the "Extended Chronology" would be highly significant for scholars' research. Here, I would like to express my deep gratitude and remembrance to the late Mr. Gu Tinglong, who passed away three years ago.
Fourth, another reason for compiling The Extended Chronology of Sheng Xuanhuai is to "fill in the gaps" and compile other primary sources on Sheng Xuanhuai scattered in books other than those mentioned above. For example: The Complete Works of Li Wenzhong, The Eight Volumes of Materials on the Self-Strengthening Movement, The Letters of Li Hongzhang to Pan Dingxun, Materials on the History of Modern Chinese Industry, and The Relations between the Old China Hanyeping Company and Japan. During my time at Huashan Hospital, under the meticulous care of Dr. Wang Xingqing, I recovered quickly and, after a period of rest and review, resumed writing this book. I was able to engage in long-term, intensive "sprint-style" work, which ultimately allowed me to complete it. I summarize Dr. Wang's medical skills as: "thorough examination, accurate diagnosis, targeted treatment, and addressing both symptoms and root causes." I extend my gratitude to him here.
The completion of The Extended Chronology of Sheng Xuanhuai would not have been possible without the significant contribution of my wife, Bo Fang. Since the late 1950s, she has been extracting primary source cards for me, and many of my cards are in her handwriting. The appendix of The Biography of Sheng Xuanhuai, A Summary of His Life, was primarily her work. In the "preparatory phase" of this "Extended Chronology," she read the books while I copied, working in perfect coordination. When working on the main manuscript, she was always "ready to respond at a moment's notice," copying cards and reprinting materials. I will dedicate this book to her as a gift in return for her efforts!