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Liang Qichao, when elaborating on the core principles of the reform proposed by his teacher Kang Youwei, said that China “cannot adhere to the old ways and must pursue reform; it must change rapidly rather than gradually, and aim for a complete transformation rather than minor tweaks.” What did he mean by “minor tweaks” and “complete transformation”? |
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See answer below. |
Kang Youwei achieved renown as an advocate of the Hundred Days’ Reform, yet he was also staunchly pro-establishment and in favour of a constitutional monarchy. In his twilight years, he became stubbornly orthodox. This made Kang and Liang Qichao went their separate ways. In 1917, Kang worked with the Beiyang (北洋) warlord Zhang Xun (張勳) to reinstate Puyi (溥儀), the deposed emperor, to revive the Qing dynasty. Liang managed to thwart Zhang’s plan by teaming up with Duan Qirui (段祺瑞), the then Premier of the Republic of China. With the team’s counterattack, all hope for reviving the monarchy was dashed, which also spelt the end of Kang’s political life.
Liang’s entire life was spent in the cause of his country. He was a key figure in numerous major historical events such as the Hundred Days’ Reform, the movement opposing Yuan Shikai’s (袁世凱) attempt to declare himself emperor, and the movement against Zhang Xun’s Manchu Restoration (張勳復辟). A rare polymath, Liang was a politician, thinker, educator, and historian, all combined in one person. Known for his many outstanding achievements, he exerted great influence in many sectors from the final years of the Qing dynasty to the Republican era. He was also a respected teacher to countless students. Among his students were Cai E (蔡鍔), who sparked off the National Protection War (護國之役) against Yuan; and Xu Zhimo (徐志摩), the celebrated writer.
During the Han dynasty (漢朝), public horse-drawn carriages were commonly used by candidates who travelled to the capital for the civil service examination. Thus, the term “public vehicle” became synonymous with those candidates taking the examination in the capital. The incident initiated by Kang Youwei was later known as the “Public Vehicle Petition”. Volume two of Mr Nanhai’s Collection of Poetry (《南海先生詩集》) (Nanhai being Kang’s nickname) titled the Hanmanfang Poetry Collection (《汗漫舫詩集》) contains a poem’s preface that reads, “with China’s defeat in the war with Japan, juren from 18 provinces, some 3,000 in number, issued a joint petition. On the following day, Charles Denby, the diplomat of the United States in China, acquired a draft of the petition, made numerous copies, and displayed them throughout the country. He prefaced it the “Public Vehicle Petition”.
The founding of modern schools was one of the initiatives planned by Chen Baozhen (陳寶箴), the governor of Hunan, to modernise the province. In 1897, he released a piece titled Circumstances Leading to the Establishment of the Academy of Current Affairs in Hunan (《湖南時務學堂緣起》) in which he expounded his objectives in establishing the school and cultivating talent for supporting China’s reform. He tasked Huang Zunxian (黃遵憲) and Xiong Xiling with its establishment. Xiong Xiling, Liang Qichao, and Li Weige were appointed as the school’s headmaster, chief Chinese instructor, and chief Western language instructor respectively. The Academy of Current Affairs played a key role in promoting reform. After the Wuxu Coup (戊戌政變) and the dismissal of Chen and other reformist officials, the school was forced to close.
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Liang Qichao, when elaborating on the core principles of the reform proposed by his teacher Kang Youwei, said that China “cannot adhere to the old ways and must pursue reform; it must change rapidly rather than gradually, and aim for a complete transformation rather than minor tweaks.” What did he mean by “minor tweaks” and “complete transformation”? |
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The Self-strengthening Movement, China’s first reform movement in the early modern age, was used in this case as a reference for the level of change. “Minor tweaks” referred to efforts limited to emulating the superficial aspects of Western civilisation, for example by procuring its military equipment and establishing similar industries, while ignoring the fundamental political system that gave rise to the successful traits. The idea of “complete transformation”, referred to a comprehensive approach that called for political, military, economic, and cultural reform. The reformers of the Hundred Days’ Reform were in favour of pursuing political reform modelled on Japan’s Meiji Restoration and establishing a constitutional monarchy. |
