Of Camel Kings and Other Things - Softcover

Prazniak, Roxann

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0847690075 ISBN 13: 9780847690077

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 1999

Synopsis

This unique study offers a critical perspective on political and economic modernization during a key turning point in world history. From the perspective of village activists across China, this book tells the stories of farmers and rural laborers who raised the banner of opposition to constitutional reform during the first decade of the twentieth century. The author brings to life the stories of the Camel King of Zunhua county, Qu Shiwen and the Four Mountains of Laiyang county, and many others who criticized government modernization efforts, known collectively as the New Policy. Rural dissidents viewed these reforms as anything but democratic for the majority of the rural population and its local leaders. Lines were drawn between those who gained authority from the reform process and those who organized in opposition through secular intervillage associations, secret societies, and temple networks. Analyzing global economic and political processes from the vantage point of village weavers, Buddhist priests, and others intimately connected with daily life in rural China, the author highlights the tensions between a local democracy defined by material scarcity and economic development structured by remote centers of capital. Using county archivesincluding oral historiesas well as memoirs, periodical literature, missionary records, and official documents both Chinese and foreign, "Of Camel Kings and Other Things" constructs, from fragmented sources, a coherent historical view vital to our understanding of China's twentiethcentury crises and the dilemmas of modernity itself.

About this title

About the Author:

Roxann Prazniak is assistant professor of history at the Robert D. Clark Honors College, University of Oregon, and the author of Dialogues Across Civilizations: Sketches in World History from the Chinese and European Experiences.

Review:

A highly original exploration of an aspect of early twentieth-century Chinese history that has too long lacked full-scale treatment. The research is always impressive and the work is pioneering. (Ernest P. Young, University of Michigan)

A fascinating study of peasants in relation to modern state-building projects. Ambitious in its sweep and rich in detail, it offers new ways to think about the complexities of the Chinese revolution and the history of the subaltern classes. (Partha Chatterjee, Columbia University)

This book is an important contribution to the current literature on rural violence in the history of late imperial China. Prazniak has produced a well-researched study of peasant resistance in various parts of early twentieth-century China. Rich in insightful detail, highly readable and informative, this book is destined to become essential reading for those interested in peasant protests and popular uprisings in China and other parts of the world. (Joseph Tse-Hei Lee Journal Of Parapsychology, April2000)

Makes a positive contribution to understanding peasant protests during the last decade (c. 1900-1910) of Imperial China. (E. H. Kaplan, Western Washington University CHOICE)

In the first detailed monograph in English on rural protests against the Qing New Policy state building reforms of 1901–11, Prazniak examines the behavior of many people like the Camel King and reflects on the significance of their collective action. . . . Prazniak offers a wealth of stimulating observations on village social dynamics in her five case studies. (Journal of Asian Studies)

A valuable historical work. . . . The author offers a fascinating description of the struggles of farmers against the constitutional reform of the late Qing government. (Cai Shaoqing, Nanjing University)

Roxann Prazniak's excellent and pioneering work not only fills a major historical lacuna but does so on the basis of impressive scholarship that includes archives, local gazetteers and oral histories, reports by foreign observers, and a broad array of Chinese and Western secondary sources. Her book is important for specialists on China and should interest everyone who studies popular rebellion. (American Historical Review)

This is an engaging read, which is presented in an original framework. (The Historian)

A valuable contribution to understanding rural politics and peasant rebellion, especially in the modern era. (Journal of Asian and African Studies)

Readers interested in history from the bottom up will find much to like in Roxann Prazniak's new book. A fine study of social history. (The China Journal)

About this edition

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0847690075
• ISBN 13: 9780847690077
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320