Late Qing gentry and local politics (a study centered on Wenzhou)

Author: Li Shizhong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: This book employs some theories and concepts from sociology, using several events that occurred in late Qing Wenzhou as the subject of narration and analysis. It focuses on an in-depth examination of the relationship between local officials and gentry in late Qing Wenzhou, as well as the relationships among different factions within the gentry. Dr. Li Shizhong's work, in addition to the regional studies mentioned above, provides us with another case study of the transformation of the gentry in Wenzhou, Zhejiang. The author, both in terms of perspective and writing style, is quite open-minded, taking a broad view while starting from specific details. Finally, based on ample historical evidence, he proposes several conclusions with meso-level significance.
The various political reforms and social changes during the late Qing period were, for rural society, essentially a process of redrawing the distribution of interests. As participants in these reforms, local governments and various levels of gentry interacted in extremely complex ways. The influence of churches and religious factors also alternately participated in this process. Meanwhile, the "people" remained absent in this power struggle, serving as the silent majority who were represented, exploited, and manipulated. This also demonstrates the inherent complexity of any historical transformation, far from being as simple and straightforward as ideological propaganda suggests.