: Words of Warning in a Prosperous Era

Author: Zheng Guanying
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-10-01
Features: The Crisis of the Empire is an important work written by Zheng Guanying, a pioneer thinker of the late Qing reform movement and a renowned industrialist. It advocates self-strengthening and seeking wealth, as well as reform and innovation. The bookZheng Guanying's ideas on improving the feudal society, gradually implementing a constitutional monarchy, and establishing a capitalist economic system. The most prominent feature of the book is the dominant role of the concept of "commercial warfare." It argues that to change the backward state of modern China, merely adopting a "strengthening the military" policy and relying on single-handed efforts to compete with Western powers is far from sufficient. It is necessary to establish a legislative assembly, implement a constitutional monarchy, develop a capitalist economy, and resist foreign colonial economic aggression to truly achieve national independence and national prosperity. When The Crisis of the Empire was published, it was widely read by officials and commoners alike. Emperor Guangxu ordered the Imperial Household Department to print 2,000 copies and distribute one to each minister. Mao Zedong also greatly admired this book. In his autobiography, he wrote: "At night, I often covered the windows and doors of my room so that my father would not see the light. I read a book I loved called The Crisis of the Empire." The Crisis of the Empire inspired me to continue my pursuit of knowledge...