Chang Zhou' Clans And Social Work In The Late Qing Dynasty

Regions south of the Yangtze River, where Changzhou locates, were one of the well-developed, active places of ancient clans system and clans play an essential role in society. There were plenty of clans in Changzhou who were well-known in Ming and Qing Dynasty respectively. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom war destroyed traditional social orders in vast regions south of the Yangtze River, Changzhou no exception. Changzhou became prosperous and got its economic recovery after the war again. Under Tongzhi Emporror's domination, Qing Dynasty, rebuilding and social order regaining were the main activities in Changzhou at that time.As an important part of social order recovery, charity makes great contribution to stability of society and relief of social contradiction by relieving the poor. Local government of Changzhou appeals all levels of social organizations to cooperate to rebuilding and social order regaining. With such mutual value and interest, considerable charity organizations were set up and the total number are the greatest in history.Changzhou clans concentrated on their internal education and self-improvement in late Qing Dynasty, not only improved the quality of their members, but also maintained their reputation and status, making it one significant method to maintain their social order and self-development. Meanwhile, clans and native gentry made full use of the loopholes in society rebuilding policies and regulations that Qing government advocated so that they helped to regain and maintain traditional social education resources, rebuilt and set up different levels of education organization, such as prefecture level education (from the Tang to the Qing Dynasty, administration larger than county smaller than city), county level education and academy. As a matter of fact, it is an effective way they used to maintain and gain their clans'prosperity in accordance with social changes. They set up new forms of schools and laid foundations for new education form in Changzhou.If we say sacrifices to gods and ancestors meet citizens psychological needs, then civil engineering such as dredging the canal, building roads and bridges, setting up libraries and parks concerned about their daily life and their interests. In late Qing Dynasty, government was short of financial support to local public service and construction. During that period, clans and gentry took on officials'duties and obligations taking part in local construction and public service, partially and wholly, maintained local social order. On the other hand, government was thankful for their contribution and it helped improve their reputation as well as winning citizens'heart. From other view, it is a form of clans'control of the local society, in other words, the form of their existence and prosperity.In the late Qing Dynasty, clans and gentry in Changzhou making use of the loophole in policy, upon their property, ability and their social network, rebuild and set up local social charity organizations, traditional education system, new education system and public service and construction.. Changzhou's clans is the main driving force in social work transformation in late Qing Dynasty, meanwhile social work provided the stage for their existence and changes. Clans devoted themselves in social work with the purpose of their own prosperity. Interaction between clans and social work illustrates that clans adapt themselves to society spontaneously and promote the development of local social work . It is partial for us to see it as an isolated organization. Apart from their motivation, being an essential driving force, we see the great contribution they made to the society, and the irreplaceable role they played in history.