A Research On The Modern Political Transformation Of Li Hung-chang Clan

Clan transformation refers to the process in which the clan takes the initiative to actively transform itself in the political,economic and educational spheres and to take the clan as a whole in a different direction than before.The clan transformation is a microcosm of social development,and the Li Hung-chang clan made four distinct transformations in the modern era,through unremitting efforts,the clan members have enhanced their economic strength,improved their social status and expanded their scale,thus realizing their long-term prosperity and development.An exploration of the representative Li Hung-chang clan of the late Qing dynasty will not only help to present a comprehensive history of the rise and fall of the Li Hung-chang clan,but will also provide a glimpse into the development and changes of modern society.During the period of Daoguang(1821-1850),the Li Hung-chang clan transformed from a clan of ploughing and reading to a clan of imperial-examination.This thesis examines the background to the clan’s transformation from both economic and educational perspectives.By sorting out the achievements of the imperial examination of the seventh and eighth generations of the clan,this thesis analyzes the process of the clan’s transformation into the clan of imperial-examination,and then the positive impact on the social networks and on the descendants of the clan engaged in the imperial examinations.The Li Hung-chang clan transformed into a military clan in the period of Xianfeng and Tongzhi(1850-1875),this thesis mainly analyzes the different military affairs of a large number of clan members and their different degrees of promotion under the turbulent social background of the people ’s uprising such as the Taiping Uprising and the Nian Uprising,and thus explains the role of the transformation of the clan in the building of the clan and the restoration of local order.During the period of Guangxu and Xuantong(1875-1912),the Li Hung-chang clan transformed into a foreign affairs clan.Under the background of the Westernization Movement and clan education content taking into account both traditional educational knowledge and western knowledge,the clan governors and ordinary officials engaged in foreign affairs and developed in the fields of diplomacy,finance,industry and commerce,further analysing the impact of the clan’s transformation on the management of industry and local public utilities.In the period of the Republic of China(1912-1949),members of Li Hung-chang clan have diversified development.In the early Republic of China,members of the clan entered politics,engaged in modern industry and commerce or followed a path of decline.In the late Republic of China,they became the new intellectuals and pursued a diverse range of careers.During this period,clan members mostly left their hometowns for development,which prompted changes in the traditional clan structure,but at the same time they also took more interest in the development of their hometowns and contributed to them.In summary,the Li Hung-chang clan was a typical sample of the transformation of many modern clans,the clan can adapt to the social situation and make the clan flourish for a long time through these positive changes.The transformation of the clan is a microcosm of social change.Therefore,exploring the transformation of Li Hung-chang clan helps to enrich the relevant research on the transformation of modern clans and to understand the changes in modern Chinese society.