Shanghai Local Autonomy Research (1905-1927)

Author: Zhou Songqing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: The Shanghai local self-government from 1905 to 1927 was achieved against the backdrop of the integration of Eastern and Western cultures. The Western model of self-government was its pursuit, while the Eastern model served as the measure of its survival space. During its process, Shanghai local self-government constantly faced the crisis of institutional alienation and was suppressed by state power. It sought survival in this dilemma. Despite its, it had an undeniable and significant impact on local self-government across various parts of China at the time. The author employs theories and methods from multiple disciplines, relying on extensive primary and reliable sources, demonstrating strong empirical rigor. By reasonably applying logical and imaginative thinking, he effectively clarifies relevant historical facts, reconstructs the historical process of Shanghai local self-government, and arrives at historical conclusions that stand up to the test of historical evidence and facts. The author argues that Shanghai local self-government is a product of the conflict, integration, and interaction between Eastern and Western cultures, as well as between two models of self-government. The Western model of self-government is the goal pursued by Shanghai local self-government, while the indigenous model largely serves as the measure of its autonomy space and a retreat when it faces suppression by state power. The author reveals that Shanghai local self-government was established outside the state power structure, and the issue of institutional alienation is an obstacle to its rational development in modern Shanghai. This insight suggests how local self-government can become an indispensable and positively interactive part of the state power structure, which should be established as a new model of state-society relations in the modernization process. It can be said that this is the subtle essence and fundamental purpose of this book.