| This study is essentially biographical and built on a conceptual framework supported by a thorough analysis of the sources. It begins with Chang's significance in the history of modern China, discussing Chang's early life up to 1884. The author evaluates Chang's records in the United States in dealing with immigration problems during the period of 1885 through 1889. He covers the period from 1890 through 1894, reviewing Chang's diplomacy with Britain and Russia. Chang's active role in the 1898 reform and his execution in Sinkiang following the outbreak of the Boxer Rebellion constitute an important part of the dissertation. Chang's historical position as a reformer is the point of evaluation in the conclusion.The author finds correlations among the tensions between the pro-British and pro-Russian factions in the Ch'ing court, and between southerners and northerners in the Tsungli Yamen bureaucracy, and between Manchus and Han Chinese. He offers new insight on the conflicts between the Empress Dowager Tz'u-hsi and the Emperor Kuang-hsu and on the ambiguous role of Li Hung-chang and the overestimated role of Weng T'ung-ho. The author contributes fresh viewpoints on the large questions in these critical periods of modern China. |
