Lin Zengping's Collected Writings

Author: Lin Zengping
Publisher:
Publishing Date: November 1, 2006
Features: Lin Zengping (1923—1992), native of Pingxiang, Jiangxi. Graduated from the History Department of Zhongzheng University in 1947. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he served as a lecturer at Nanchang University, associate professor and department head of the History Department, and president at Hunan Normal College. Later, he became a professor and president at Hunan Normal University, as well as the first and second president of the Xinhai Revolution History Research Association, and the third and fourth president of the Hunan History Society. He was also vice president of the Hunan Provincial Philosophy and Social Sciences Association. Specializing in modern Chinese history and the history of the Xinhai Revolution, he authored A History of Modern China, edited The Collected Works of Xiong Xiling, and co-edited A History of the Xinhai Revolution with Zhang Kaizhuang. A History of Modern China (over 600,000 words, in two volumes) was published in 1958 and went through multiple printings until the 1980s. Its immense influence is undeniable. The book received widespread acclaim upon publication, praised for its comprehensive system, rich and detailed historical materials, and fair and balanced arguments. With its completion, Lin Zengping's reputation soared, establishing him as a prominent figure in the study of modern Chinese history. A History of the Xinhai Revolution (in three volumes, totaling 1.1 million words) was published by the People's Publishing House in 1981. The book is widely recognized as a landmark work in the study of the Xinhai Revolution and is hailed by overseas scholars as "a monumental monograph on the history of the Xinhai Revolution in the past 30 years." Even after more than 20 years since its publication, the study of the Xinhai Revolution has not yet surpassed the framework set by this book. Since the 1960s, he published numerous papers exploring the process of the emergence, formation, and differentiation (into different strata) of the Chinese bourgeoisie, as well as their status and role in different historical periods of modern China. At the same time, he engaged in academic debates, expressing his own views. For example, while most historians at the time viewed the Hundred Days' Reform as a movement of the upper class of the bourgeoisie, after careful research, he concluded that this perspective did not align with historical facts. He argued that the Hundred Days' Reform reflected the situation and aspirations of a bourgeois group that had not yet achieved independent social status and was in the process of transformation. He believed that the Chinese national bourgeoisie should have formed in the early 20th century, leading to the differentiation between the upper and middle-lower strata. This development not only gave rise to the bourgeois revolution and its entry onto the political stage, leading the epoch-making Xinhai Revolution, but also contributed to the growing influence of the constitutionalist faction, which represented the interests of the upper class of the bourgeoisie. They orchestrated the powerful movement of the National Assembly Petition Campaign. The changes in China's political landscape from the late Qing Dynasty to the May Fourth Movement can all be traced back to the interactions and maneuvers between these two factions of the bourgeoisie. Lin Zengping's research contributions have played an active role in advancing the study of modern Chinese history and invigorating academic discussions. Collected Essays of Lin Zengping is a compilation of papers, including over 50 essays and more than 20 prefaces and speeches. It reflects the author's academic career and the level of research at the time.