Perspectives On The Structure Of Power Relationships In Wenzhou In Late Qing Dynasty

This thesis aims to shed light on the evolution of local power structure in China during late Qing Dynasty by deep investigation of the relationships of two blocs within gentries and between gentries and local bureaucrats in Wenzhou at that time. The research employs some concepts and theories in the discipline of sociology to make a historical interpretation of some critical events in Wenzhou in late Qing Dynasty.The thesis consists of introduction, conclusion and five chapters of detailed analysis, which are listed out as follows:Firstly, Wenzhou is investigated as a complete unit of social history, economic history and cultural history. In order to expose the historical process of Wenzhou regional integration, a background of Wenzhou economy, society and culture is described in terms of several key factors and their mutual dependence and evolution including natural resources, geographical layout, transportation availability, population migration, agricultural development, manufacture specification and fledging market system. Thus, some important characteristics of local social ecology of Wenzhou can be described and summarized. On the base of these general characteristics of Wenzhen region, its local power relationship in early Qing Dynasty can be revealed and summarized which acts as a starting point of discussing its evolution and changes in late Qing Dynasty.Secondly, a picture of local political changes in the middle of the 19th century of China is drawn through embedding the riots of Wenzhou Jinqian Gang and Qu gang in the overall institutional changes at that time. During the period of increasing local militarization in China, the local gentry class was divided due to different social status and interests. The upper-gentries conflicts with local government and the common people while the lower-gentries tended to cooperate with local government and unite the public to control the power of upper-gentries. The two sub-classes of gentries struggled and resulted in a further polarized power structure with expanded upper-gentries and dramatic marginalization of lower-gentries. However, theupper-gentries, to some extent, vibrated the original power hierarchy, but didn't fundamentally change the whole power hierarchy in spite of their presence and expansion in cracking down Jinqian Gang rebellion .Thirdly, the attitudes of Wenzhou people, local government and gentries and their reactions to the introduction of western religions are analyzed revolving around several large-scale religious activities. Western religion is identified as an important factor influencing local power change in which both gentries and the public have larger space than before. The gentries substantially weakened the authority of government through depriving the bureaucrats of their original political power in dealing with local affairs. Since Jiashen Religious Riot, the gentries have assumed dominant position in local politics through compromising with the church and suppressing the public.The fourth part of my analysis goes into the initiation of New Education by the famous scholar Sun Yirang to reveal the intensive local power contention. After the beginning of New Education activities, the local bureaucrats tried to penetrate government power into local society. But the upper-gentries actively took part in the administration of local education under the banner of self-governance. They utilized the local educational organizations to vastly aggregate and expand power by virtue of their privileges in wealth, longevity and prestige. The local bureaucrats resorted to the lower-gentries who were in relatively underprivileged condition at that time. These two forces cooperated to launch fierce counterattacks, but couldn't wade off the strong outstretch of upper-gentries due to the fact that these upper-gentries groups boast superiorities in collecting money and educational management.The final part of analysis focuses on the contradictions within the gentry class after the 1870s. The humble-gentries and the well-known families are opposed to each other, but obviously the former were dominated by the latter. After late 1870s, with the revitalization of Yongjia School, the humble-gentries obtained extraordinarily active vitality and pioneering spirit. They extended their social network through forming organizations and built up their advantages on western cultural resources. The humble-gentries grew gradually and achieved fair power in early 1900s.From these processes of the local power structure evolution in late Qing Dynasty, several conclusions can be drawn: The power expansion of upper-gentries is dominating and the lower-gentries were long in a relatively marginalized status. The local power structure featured interactions and complicated political balance and interdependence of bureaucrats, upper-gentries and lower-gentries. Gens, as a big existence in Chinese society, has phenomenal implications in local politics due to its inherent collective rationalism. Ideology was used as a tool in political games for realizing social rulers' control, suppression and governance and counteraction from the ruled under the excuse of the truth.