Shen Pao-chen and China's Modernization in the Nineteenth Century

by David Pong

Overview

The Opium Wars ushered in an era of intensive Western imperialism in China, at a time when the Ch'ing dynasty was already in decline, forcing a small number of Chinese officials to come to the realisation that China must protect itself by adopting the same military technology that had brought it national humiliation. Shen Pao-chen was one such official. Abandoning the comfort of his successful career, Shen devoted his life to building China's first modern naval dockyard and academy. His successes and failures shed new light on the story of China's efforts at modernization - a story that has not come to a conclusion. As China engages in new rounds of economic and industrial modernization in the post-Mao era, many of these issues acquire new meanings and significance.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521531269
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	02/13/2003
Series:	Cambridge Studies in Chinese History, Literature and Institutions
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	416
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 1.02(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction; 1. Early Years; 2. A Local Official in Kiangsi 1856–59; 3. TheGovernor of Kiangsi 1862–65; 4. First Encounters with Foreigners; 5. Director General of the Foochow Navy Yard; 6. The Foochow: Early Developments1866–67; 7. The Foochow Navy Yard: Adminstration and Personnel 1867–75; 8. The Foochow Navy Yard: Building and Training Programmes; 9. The Foochow Navy Yard: Financial Crises; 10. The Next Steps in Defence Modernisation: Ma-wei and Beyond; 11. Towards a pan for Self-Strengthening; Conclusion; Glossary of Chinese characters; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

'… an important case study in the debate on the reasons for the long-term failure of the modernization drive in the late nineteenth century.' Michael Dillon, Royal Society for Asian Affairs

'… as apt a portrayal of the dilemma of the late Qing modernizer as any.' Michael Dillon, Royal Society for Asian Affairs

'The case that is built here for Shen as a major figure of his time is unassailable.' Michael Gasster, The China Review International

From the Publisher