Page 53 - 《近代史研究》2020第三期

Modern Chinese History Studies

No. 3, 2020

The Early Encounter of u Society" and “shehuV": A Study of Conceptual History
.................................................................................................................................Li Gongzhong)4*
In the aeNitinal Chinese vocabularg, the word “ shehui" mainly means folk associations foe popular religious
gatherings, and is often related to the contemptuous attitude of officials and Confucian elites towards such associations.
Western missionaries first introduced the concept of “society" into China and linked this foreian term to the native words,
“hui" and “she". In the late nineteenth and eagy twentieth centug, the modern concept of “ shakai" in Japanese was
introduced to China and mingled with the experiences and connotations associated with the Waditional term “shehui". Thus,
the Chinese modern concept of “ sJiehuS has intrinsic ambivalence. 111600X(301., it points to the direction of social reform,
but practiaVy it is still associated with neaative connotations of this term as being disdained by officials and elites and
implying dissatisfaction and restissness.

Thr Restoration and Reconstrrction of tUr Jiangnan Garrison aftrr tUr Taiping Movement
............................................................................................................................................Gu Jiangi) 19)
After the end of the Tai ping Movement, the Qing court and the Jiangning General were eayes to restore the old system
of the Jiangnan Garrison, a Waditinyl Manchu mill tag base. However, in the process of raising fund to buil barracks foe
Manchu soldiers and filling in the vacancy of Manchu soldiers in the garrison, the provincial governors often delayed the
orders from the Qing court on the excuse of lacking funds and postponed the Jiangning Generali request to reconstruct the
Jiangnan Garrison. The ot system of the Jiangnan Garrison had not been completed recovered by the reform of the Eight­
banner Manchu militarg system in 1898. There were two reasons for this tailure. First, the fundamental changes in the Qing
financial system caused by the Tai ping Movement provided the provincial governors increasing financial autonomy, so that
they were unwilling to use provincial income to fund the Manchu garrison. Second, the Jiangning General's intention to
restore the Waditinyl horsemanship and archeg in the Manchu garrison lagged behind the Pme too much to fit into the
Liang iang Governor-gene rail plan i develop a modern army equipped with Western guns and cannons. This research shed
some light on the remtionship between the central and provincial governments, between the Manchu and the Han Vicials.

Xiangchang and tUe Mechanism of Sichuan Local Militia in Late Qing ............... Suu Ming)36)

The Regulation and Disintegration of tUe Coin Casting System after 1900 ....... Han Xiang )53 )
The official system of casting copper ccins was severely destructed in 1900. After that, it experienced a complicated
process of restoration, reformation and eventual disiniaration. Facing the shortage of currency after 1900, the Qing
government made some reforms to encourage casting coins and mostly restored the Waditinyl system of casting copper ccins
by 1907. Howe eea, alongwith thepaomotion otthecu aencyaetoam bytheQinggoeeanment, castcoinsweaegaadualy
replaced by minted ccins. As a result, the theme of the Qing currency reform was transformed from the dual system of silver
and copper currency to the uniform system of silver currency. Cast copper ccins were excluded from the new currency
system and the bureau in charge of casting ccins was disbanded. Meanwhile, the copper coins cast by priwi business also
declined and finaVy died out in the Xuaning Reign. By 1911, though cast coins were still circulated, the practicc of
casting ccins had been stopped. This was the end of the Waditinyl ccin casting system that had last for more than two
thousand years since the Qin dynasty.
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