The Discussion Of Impact On China’s Early Modernization Of Three Provincial Magnates In Late Qing Dynasty

The late Qing dynasty was the intersection of Chinese modern and ancient time,when China was just caught up with by a comprehensive integration tide of the world.Only the analysis of typical characters at that time, can we get the trend of the change.There were three prominent provincial magnates in late Qing dynasty: Viceroy ofHuguang Zhang Zhidong, Viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi Cen Chunxuan,Viceroy of Zhili Yuan Shikai. People called them three provincial magnates. Thispaper intends to start a three-dimensional analysis of each character, and then putsthese three magnates into the flat of modernization of China. So, the contributions ofZhang Zhidong, Cen Chunxuan and Yuan Shikai to the modernization of Chinagradually became obvious, and it could help us to find a special angle of view to makea study of Chinese modernization.Firstly, by analyzing the motives of Zhang Zhidong’s thought of westernizedChinese style and safeguard of interest groups, the paper analyzes Qing dynastyofficials couldn’t realize the function of businessmen in the process of modernization.So, they didn’t gain the ability of switch Chinese traditional agriculture civilization towestern modern industrial civilization. Therefore, Zhang Zhidong’s thought servedthe rule of Qing dynasty, not for the ordinary people.Secondly, the paper draws the outline of the nature of Chinese bureaucraticculture, and introduces the legendary official career experiences of Cen Chunxuan,and finally gets the results of his realignment of corrupt officials. Compared withZhang Zhidong and Cun Chunxuan on views of management of officials, we canrealize the differences of bureaucrats and advisors. We can conclude that CunChunxuan’s remonstrance serves the landlord class of Qing dynasty, not for theordinary people.Thirdly, from the new viewpoints about Yuan Shikai in history, we can see to itthat Yuan Shikai’s response to the revolution of1911and overthrow of monarchy gain some useful meaning to the trend of Chinese modernization. While, his usurp ofthe revolution victory fruits is bad for Chinese modernization. So we can concludethat Yuan Shikai’s ability aims at his own interests, not for the ordinary people.Finally, the paper summarizes these three Viceroys as the ending. These threeviceroys play a significant role in modernization of Chinese early modern timesobjectively, but from their subjunctive ideals, they restrain the process of thismodernization.