National Movement in Modern China (An Old and Rare Book)

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The main part of this book is the summary of a thesis approved by the University of Calcutta for the award of a Chinese Cultural Research Scholarship to me in 1946.

I worked under Professor Tripurari Chakravorti and I am deeply indebted to him for his guidance and supervision.

The resurgence of the colonial and semi-colonial countries of the East has brought about a significant change in the scope of our study of Modern History and Political Science. Students of History, Political Science and International Affairs are now finding it difficult to do without a deep under- standing of the motives, activities and achievements of the peoples of the East.

The colonies and semi-colonies of the East have attained a status of sovereignty and equality. Imperialism is on retreat and, in spite of its best efforts to stage a come-back, it is not likely to succeed. The force that has overthrown imperialism, after a long period of storm and stress, would certainly thwart even the tortuous attempts of the imperialists to re-establish their control. That force is the spirit of nationalism. A study of the national movements in the colonies and dependencies would make it abundantly clear that the fate of the suppressed peoples of the East can no longer be decided simply by an adjustment of inter-imperialistic relationships.

It is, therefore, necessary to study the nature and progress of the national movements in such countries as China. In view of this, the present work may not, I hope, be regarded as superfluous.

A nation is a people having a common residence and commonr political aspirations or achievements. A particular effort acquires national importance if it has aimed at what is historically proved to have been the common political good of the people in a country and has been directed against what is historically proved to have been their common political antagonist. Viewed in this light, many a group endeavour that appears to have been local or sectarian is really found to have been national in character. Irf fact, in a study of national movement, we should consider rather the bearings of an incident-direct or indirect than the number or the class-character of the persons concerned. Nationalism, as a distinct political concept, grew practically out of the Polish people's struggle for independence. But, in the Polish insurrections of the 19th century, the broad masses of the Poles-the peasantry-rarely took an active part. Only a small number of Poles-some of the soldiers, priests and land-holders were the active participants. Yet, we characterise-and rightly characterise-their insurrections as national endeavours. This is because these insurrections aimed fundamentally at a common good and were directed against a common enemy. The subject of national movement in any country should be approached from the same stand- point, and we think it reasonable to study the national movement in China from this general perspective.

The Chinese nation has grown out of a composite civilisation. In the process of its growth and development, the Chinese civilisation absorbed and assimilated all foreign elements, it came across, and thus became revitalised without losing its identity. Han and Man, Mong and Miao, Hui and Tsang, all the different peoples mingled together and evolved a civilisation that is distinctly national but, at the same time, cosmopolitan, being the product of a racial and cultural fusion.