Li Hongzhang in the Late Qing Dynasty
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Summary
This book offers a comprehensive examination of the evolution of Li Hongzhang's practice of "statecraft and institutional reform," aiming to trace, from a dynamic perspective, his personal transformation amid the clash between China and the West, as well as the efforts and limits of an era in transition. The author argues that from traditional statecraft to the "borrowing" of foreign guns and warships, from the "self-reliance" of the machine age to economic reform in pursuit of national wealth and power, and from "learning the superior techniques of the barbarians to control them" to "learning the superior systems of the barbarians to control them," Li Hongzhang's New Policies constituted a gradual and constantly adjusted process. This process reflects how his absorption of Western learning guided and propelled his foreign affairs practice, and how that practice in turn prompted him to explore and select Western learning.
Editor's review
This book places Li Hongzhang back within the dynamic process of Sino-Western confrontation in the late Qing, focusing not on judging his merits and faults but on tracing how his practice of "statecraft and institutional reform" advanced and adjusted step by step. The author traces a trajectory from traditional statecraft to the "borrowing" of foreign guns and warships, then to the "self-reliance" of the machine age and economic reform in pursuit of national wealth and power, and identifies a shift from "learning the superior techniques of the barbarians to control them" to "learning the superior systems of the barbarians to control them." The book examines how the absorption of Western learning guided foreign affairs practice and how that practice in turn prompted him to explore Western learning, presenting the intertwining of personal transformation and the limits of the era. Readers interested in late Qing history, the Self-Strengthening Movement, and Sino-Western relations will find here a more concrete Li Hongzhang with a stronger sense of process; in reading, pay attention to the author's analysis of "gradual change and adjustment," which is more valuable than simply memorizing conclusions.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Enthusiasts of late Qing and modern Chinese history who want a deeper understanding of the Self-Strengthening Movement
- General history readers interested in Li Hongzhang and the evaluation of late Qing figures
- University students in history and political science for topical reading
- Readers concerned with Sino-Western exchange and paths to modernization
Not a good fit for
- Readers who prefer light, story-driven history books; this book is more scholarly in its analysis
- Readers seeking a concise biography of Li Hongzhang or quick conclusions
- Beginners with little interest in late Qing politics and foreign affairs terminology
Reading tips
- Read the introduction or conclusion first to grasp the main thread of "statecraft and institutional reform" and the dynamic approach, then move on to the discussions of each stage.
- While reading, trace the turning points in Li Hongzhang's adjustments from "borrowing" to "self-reliance" to form a timeline.
- Read alongside basic historical facts about the Self-Strengthening Movement, and look up key concepts as you go to avoid merely memorizing conclusions.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 前言 李鸿章及其时代的困与变
- 第一章 开局：上海起步 初涉西学
- 第一节 抵沪前心路历程
- 一、性格与事功：担当大任者，必布大格局
- 二、学而优则仕的人生之梦：一万年来谁著史，三千里外欲封侯
- 三、改换门庭与命运之变：对曾国藩事之如严父，敬之如神明
- 四、儒学根基与经世思想：旧式教育下的继承与超越
- 第二节 赴沪之使命
- 一、军事使命
- 二、洋务使命：体察洋人之性，设法笼络
- 第三节 西学之最初感知
- 一、与洋人的最初接触：竟如李陵、王嫱之入匈奴
- 二、对西洋武器的最初感知
- 三、第一支现代化军队建成：“宁缺正饷”配备洋枪、洋炮
- 第二章 识局：“自强”思想的萌生及初步实践
- 第一节 “自强”方针：“外敦和好、内要自强”
- 一、“外敦和好”：于涉外事务的最初思考
- 二、“内要自强”：“新政”的最初心声
- 第二节 李氏“自强”之最初实践
- 一、造西式武器：开创“机器时代”
- 二、育新式人才：创上海外国语言文字学馆育“制器之人”
- 第三章 变局：总督直隶任内“自强”思想之深化
- 第一节 “西学”认知之深化
- 一、国际认知之深化：由“大而化之”到萌生“以敌攻敌”之念
- 二、军事认知之深化
- 三、经济认知之深化：“设机器自为制造、轮船铁路自为转运”
- 四、教育认知之深化：“试贴小楷，丝毫无与时务”
- 第二节 李氏之“变局”观
- 一、晚清“变局”的由来及初步因应：于外事颟顸无知的两朝君臣
- 二、李氏“变局”观与时人之异：遇“数千年来未有之强敌”
- 第三节 “自强”纲领：外须和戎，内须变法
- 一、“和戎”以力谋和平
- 二、冀“变法”以臻“自强”
- 第四章 掌局：“自强”实践之渐次深入
- 第一节 军事实践
- 一、扩充津局
- 二、建北洋水师
- 第二节 经济实践——转“贫”为“富”，方可求强
- 一、创设招商局：与“洋”商争利，“别树一帜”
- 二、朱其昂主事：经理“未尽得诀”
- 三、唐廷枢入局：股份制企业初步成形
- 四、李氏对招商局之扶持：“开办洋务四十年来最得手文字”
- 第三节 教育实践——派“幼童留美”
- 一、留美幼童派遣之由：学齐语者须引而置之庄岳之间
- 二、留美幼童管理之病：幼童“美化”，盛举夭折
- 第五章 败局：日清两国 同途殊归
- 第一节 同一命题下的差异选择：国家向何处去？
- 一、中国：中国文物制度，事事远出西人之上，独火器万不能及
- 二、日本：睹西邦文明成果，“粲然夺目，始惊，次醉，终狂”
- 三、一次引人深思的对话
- 第二节 互相认知之差异
- 一、李氏于日本之矛盾认知：“目前惟防日本尤急”
- 二、日人于中国之认知：“方今之世，仅以和汉之学识，远为不足”
- 第三节 中日“自强”实践之比较
- 一、经济：中国，左支右绌；日本，热潮涌动
- 二、教育：两位“留学生之父”的不同人生际遇
- 三、军事：琅威理去职与北洋舰队命运剧变
- 第六章 收局：游历欧美 反思半生洋务
- 第一节 迟来的出访：百闻不如一见
- 一、出访动机：以备他日东山再起，冀“改弦而更张”
- 二、亲历西洋，“顿扩灵明”：“生平未见之奇且永不能忘者”
- 第二节 老骥伏枥 砥砺“自强”：“以一人之所知，补一国之所缺”
- 一、“根本至计，尤在变法自强” ：“前半生行事，于此已作一大结束”
- 二、“自强”未已，死不瞑目：梁倾栋折，骤失倚恃
- 结语
FAQ
Is this book a biography of Li Hongzhang?
It is not a standard biography. Taking the evolution of Li Hongzhang's practice of "statecraft and institutional reform" as its thread, the book examines his personal transformation amid Sino-Western confrontation and the limits of his era; it is closer to a thematic historical study than a biography narrating his life in full.
How much background in late Qing history is needed to read it?
A middle-school level of general knowledge about the late Qing and the Self-Strengthening Movement is enough to get started. The book involves considerable analysis of institutions and terminology; prior familiarity with the basic outline of the Self-Strengthening Movement will make reading smoother, while specialist readers can focus on the author's analysis of the process of practical adjustment.
What does "in the Late Qing" in the title emphasize?
It emphasizes understanding Li Hongzhang within the specific historical environment of Sino-Western confrontation in the late Qing. The author focuses on how he advanced foreign affairs and adjusted strategies in this era, and on the interaction between personal transformation and the conditions of the times, rather than offering an isolated evaluation removed from context.
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About the author
冯杰
Author
Feng Jie, about whom relatively limited public information is available, writes across military history, essays and miscellaneous prose, biography and social fiction; six of his works are included in this collection. He is equally at home in archival and battlefield detail—Steel War: A History of Chinese Field Artillery, 1900–1937 traces the development of Chinese field artillery in the early twentieth century—and in everyday and local experience, as shown by A Strolling Handbook of Life in Dongjing Kaifeng, Carp Turning the Bend, Painting Sentences and A Boy Keeps Bees. These works display a flexible style that combines the ease of the essay with narrative warmth. Li Hongzhang in the Late Qing further reflects his sustained interest in late Qing figures and their historical context. Overall, Feng Jie balances documentary research with personal expression, and his wide-ranging subjects will appeal to readers interested in military history, local life and late Qing personalities.
