The  Spirit  of  1911

The Taiwan National Day celebration on October 10 later this year is of significance as it marks the 100th anniversary of Wuchang Uprising 武昌起义, which lead to the 1911 Revolution, known in Chinese as the Xinhai revolution 辛亥革命.

 The hard won revolution, led by Dr. SUN YAT-SEN, ending not only the Qing dynasty, but four to five thousand years of rule by Chinese emperors.

These historic events are etched in the mindset and psyche of the Chinese people for the past century.

 Prior to 1911, the dynasty system featured absolute rule by decree, the Nation’s destiny in the hands of the Emperor and his court officials, and power passed from father to son, however incompetent the son was. Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, came to

the throne at the age of 3, and he “ruled” for 3 years. Throughout Chinese history there were numerous instances whereby Court officials, including eunuchs, wield tremendous power.

Indeed the “Ten Court Attendants of the Eastern Han” 东汉十常侍 who assumed enormous power within the palace, making it one of the most morally corrupt era of Chinese history.

As the saying goes, “Power corrupts, and absolute powers corrupt absolutely”.

At the end of Qing dynasty China was regarded in the West as the “Sick Man of Asia” 东亚病夫. These desperate circumstances could best described by the Chinese saying “Cry out to the heaven, the heaven does not respond; Plead to the earth, but the earth is ineffective” 叫天天不应，叫地地不灵.

 Mass exodus occurred, which started the first wave of migration of

ethnic Chinese to South East Asia, the U.S., Australia, as well as other countries.

Few people realise that the “Sick Man of Asia” 东亚病夫was the pen-name of ZENG Pu 曾朴(1892 - 1935), novelist and author of “Flower in the Sea of Sins” 孽海花, one of the four novels in Qing dynasty that denounced existing situations; others include WU Jianren 吴趼人(1866 - 1910), who exposing the corrupt state of society towards the end of Qing dynasty, in “Eyewitness account of bizarre events over the past two decades” 二十年目睹之怪现状; LI Boyuan 李伯元, in his “Observations on the current state of governance”官场现形记, “Living Hell” 活地狱, etc, which described the turmoil after the 1900 Eight Nations intervention.

The once powerful “Middle Kingdom” was in a sorrow state. After the Yuan Dynasty (ended in 1368), China struggled to maintain its economic advantages. Though there were economic gains significant technological impetus which marked earlier epochs was lost. As a result of relative decline in technology, the economy and defence capability was steadily weakening.

Over the centuries China was managed by elite bureaucrats through the Imperial Examination for Civil Servants. This ensured that top scholars were recruited into positions of power throughout the country. However the syllabus for Imperial examinations was largely confined to Confucius classics and academic excellence, ensuring that “cultivated gentlemen” 君子became ministers and premiers. In contrast the Japanese blended Confucian teachings and Chinese literary traditions with samurai traditions, resulting in a

military-Confucius mindset.

Interestingly enough, part of the reason for the technology decline was due to the Imperial Examination for Civil Service. The examination syllabus had too heavy an emphasis on

philosophy and the humanities, while totally ignoring science and technology. This became an obvious defect and liability when China faced the West as well as Japan.

Subsequently Europe started the Industrial Revolution, which provided the Europeans with the technological, then economic and military edge.

 In Asia, Japan after Emperor Meiji acquired technology from the West to become the regional power in the East.

The other factor would be the lack of communication with the rest of the world, in particular advances in Europe. The Chinese were too contented with their political system and cultural

heritage, oblivious to the threat from the West.

By 1800s, China was economically subjugated by the West, culminating in a series of humiliating territorial concessions.

The First Opium War (1839 - 1842) fought between the militarily powerful United Kingdom / Ireland and the Qing Dynasty over forcing China to allow free trade, particularly in opium

trade. The Treaty of Nanjing, the first of the unequal treaties, granted an indemnity to Britain, the opening of five treaty ports, and the cession of Hong Kong Island. The war marked the

end of China's self imposed isolation and the beginning of foreign influence in Chinese history.

Western Colonisation, culminating in the ceding of Hong Kong to Britain, is perhaps one of the most important events affecting the Chinese psyche, a “National Humiliation” 国耻until

Hong Kong was returned to China. It is of such fundamental importance to the Chinese (in particular those from China) that a brief description of their perspective is warranted.

In the 18th century the Portuguese discovered that huge profits could be made by selling opium from India to China, a relatively rich country. In 1750 the British colonised India

through the East India Company (EIC). In 1773 the EIC obtained the exclusive trading agency in China and in 1797 the monopoly to purify opium from India.

The trade grew exponentially. In a period of 20 years (by 1800) the same silver bullion that had been shipped to China to purchase tea had been shipped back to Britain.

Subsequently trade significantly drained the Chinese treasury. By 1839 opium became the largest export from India.

The Chinese demanded to end the drug trafficking was protested by the British, in the pretext of “A Violation of Free Trade” To protect this lucrative “Free Trade” British declared war and sent gunboats to Canton in 1840. This gun boat diplomacy forced open

the enormous Chinese market, created new ports for trade, allowed Britain to demand a cash indemnity of $21 millions, as well as the ceding of Hong Kong to Britain.

The Chinese learned from history that without strong military presence throughout the country the Warlords were forces to be dealt with. Without technology, the country could not

compete with countries such as Japan or the West, in the areas of military, trade, or otherwise. Without financial resources nation building was difficult, particularly when most of the population was illiterate. It was obvious that threats from Japan and European countries could not be effectively handled, as well as opium peddling by the British as well as a series of “unequal treaties”, progressively created the “Sick Man of Asia”.

The Wuchang uprising 武昌起义on October 10, 1910 set the 1911 revolution on train.

Indeed the 1911 revolution was only achieved with much blood and sacrifice. Dr. SUN Yat-Sen the “Father of China” 国父in both China and Taiwan was able to galvanise the people in China and the collective energies of the Chinese Diaspora to successfully overthrow the Qing dynasty. He made eight trips to Singapore between 1900 and 1911 to drum up support;

he was in U.S. when the Wuchang uprising occurred. A tireless visionary, revolutionary and political leader, he was a uniting figure for the Chinese people, instrumental in raising funds

for the revolution, as well as keeping the spirit of revolution alive, even after a series of failed uprisings.

To understand the Jews, we need to appreciate the Holocaust; to understand events in China we need to know the role of the King; to understand the Chinese we need to have a grasp of a whole range of issues pertaining Chinese civilisation as well as circumstances

leading to events such as the 1911 revolution.

                                                                                     Y.S.Yow