Ideology Control During The New Policy Reform In The Late Qing

Ideology control is an important instrument for a country to put social control in practice, and it is of vital importance to the reform's success or failure and the state future during the period of transform. As a great revolution era, the late Qing Dynasty was confronted with crisis in ideology control and it tried to enforce thought control to the masses of the people, particularly to the new intellectual group. Choosing the "New Policy Reform" at the end of the Qing Dynasty, this dissertation tries to discuss the reasons for its abortion by drawing the outline of the Qing's system of ideology control and its change, and as well by expatiating detailedly on relative measures by which the government tried to enforce ideology control. The dissertation can be divided into six parts as bellows: â… . Adjustments of the Official Ideology The changes of official ideology control in modern times cannot be understanded but to find out its connotation before. Before modern times, the official ideology control of Qing Dynasty is a mixed system based on the imperial Neo-Confucian, taking the traditional Shamanism and the Yellow Sect as supplements. The scholars' spirit of social governing was suppressed tremendously by the imperial Neo-Confucian, which became a repressive measure by the government. At that time, there were many inofficial ideologies antagonistic to official ideology in varying degrees, being regarded as deviationism or heresy and confined or suppressed. Christianism was categorized by heretical ideas. The official ideology control was confronted with tremendous challenges because of the corruption and inability of the Qing Dynasty, the impact of western bourgeois nationalism and democratic rights ideas, and as well the Christian impact which had become legal relying on unequal treaties. In order to maintain the ideology's dominant position, the Qing Dynasty was obliged to adjust the official ideology control. Firstly, the social-management of Chen-Zhu Neo-Confucian renewed to became the kernel of official ideology from 1960's to 1990's, and 'Chinese Principles with Western Usage' is the heart of official ideology in late Qing's "New Deal". It was a necessary measure for the state to adjust ideology, which was the purpose of the adjustment for late Qing's adjustment of ideology. â…¡. The Evolvement of ISAs (Ideology of State Administrations) in New Policy Reform ISAs plays an important role in the control system of the state ideology, which fell into two categories of the state and the special ones. The central Ritual Department and all levels of local governments constituted the main body of ISAs, moreover, LiFanYuan, Han Lin Academy and Zhan shi Fu were regarded as components accountable for relative works of ideology control. Clans and official academies including the Imperial College, local official schools and multiform civilian schools, were two of the most state machines of ideology in Qing Dynasty. Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucian was the kernel for students to study, and the official ideology instilled ideology into the students. Clans, existing generally in traditional China, became one the state machine of ideology control for its rigorous system and domestic discipline and family rules according with feudal ethic and moral. The setup of Academy Department had Qing's political ISAs changed greatly. The Academy Department replaced Ritual Department with its central ideology control. However, Ritual Department existed and continued to give full play. With the foundation of modern educational system, schools of all levels became the most special ISAs of Qing Dynasty which still attached great importance of schools to ideology control. Meanwhile, Qing Government initiated official papers vigorously and stroke up ISAs never existing in traditional society. â…¢. The Transformation and Continuance of Ideology Control System Imperial Examination, state sacrifice system, state comfortable and compensation system, and Preach system of Imperial Decree constituted ideology control system of Qing D...