Zhangzhidong Looking at the successfully built Hanyang Iron Factory , he clapped his hands and smiled happily. The " Westernization Movement " he advocated was officially on track.
and then built the formal operation of Hubei Guns and Cannon Factory , which made Zhang Zhidong's eyes shine. The successful construction and formal operation of the Guns and Cannon Factory made Zhang Zhidong understand that now the Qing Dynasty has its own military industrial production factory, and guns and cannons can be self-sufficient.
Zhang Zhidong touched his half-long beard. He thought that when more military industrial factories such as Hubei Guns and Cannon Factory were successfully built, the development of the Qing Dynasty would inevitably be able to move forward a few steps, so that the Qing Dynasty could expel foreigners and enter its peak period again!
Deeply rooted thoughts
Industrial Revolution is a major historical change that caused huge changes in the world situation. It is precisely because of the emergence and implementation of the Industrial Revolution that Western powers have gradually moved to the forefront of the world. However, China, with five thousand years of historical and cultural heritage, has been unable to implement a successful industrial revolution.
In the mid-18th century, the transformation and development of ideas and entities such as enlightenment, expansion, and innovation in Britain reached a certain level, and under objective necessity, an industrial revolution emerged. China on the other side of the ocean is different from it. China, dominated by Confucian culture and extensive land and resources, does not have the same demand for expansion as the UK, but is more of a self-sufficiency small peasant economy.
Western countries led by the United Kingdom will use a large number of iron products for life and war due to their national characteristics and nature. This has also led to the gradual development of the iron industry. China, which does not need to expand outward, restricts ironmaking technology and production to the hands of the state to prevent the people from using iron items to resist and affect the rule of the regime.
If you want to fully meet the basic needs of industrialization and officially start industrialization and develop industrialization, then several extremely important basic conditions must be missing.
The first is to defeat the feudal land ownership system, that is, to defeat the landlords. Such a system will affect the ownership of land and will be very difficult to implement in the process of industrialization. During the Qing Dynasty, the feudal society was still in a backward feudal society. The landlord forces and feudal regimes were too strong and it was difficult to eradicate them with their strong strength.
Second, there is a need for sufficient scientific theories as the basis for industrial development. On the other hand, the Qing Dynasty at that time regarded Western knowledge theory as a barbarian law. Even those in power believe in the "Immortal Art" of " Boxer ".
The third is that there is enough wealth to support industrialization. The Qing Dynasty was in extremely chaotic and turmoil. The invasion and plunder of the great powers led to the outflow of gold and silver and the fall of the country. The Qing Dynasty was too busy to even rule, so how could it develop industry?
The fourth is to have a large area of basic education. First of all, we must know that the process of industrialization must be linked to the most basic knowledge. At that time, the education of the Qing Dynasty was mainly based on the Confucian and Confucius' ways. There was no scientific method mentioned at all, and there was not even a female school. Severe educational imbalance is also a lack of basic conditions.
counted carefully. None of the Qing Dynasty could meet these basic conditions.
Although my country's economy and industry and agriculture have developed rapidly in the relatively open and open Ming Dynasty, its long-standing Chinese civilization and its inclusiveness have made such a China look like it under the leadership of Confucianism : it has a long time, and politics is a centralized, politically stable empire.
Although before the industrial revolution in Western countries led by Britain began, it was economically developed and technologically advanced in the world. However, due to long-term ideological and social reasons, the development of the entire society is extremely slow.
plus the iron smelting production mentioned above was greatly suppressed. Although in the middle and late periods of the Ming Dynasty , " capitalism budding " appeared in many aspects such as industry and agriculture, commerce, science and technology, social development, economy and culture, and it was an opportunity to create the development of the industrial revolution.
However, because Confucian culture has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people for thousands of years, it has long been deeply rooted, so that such an opportunity for the development of the industrial revolution has been suppressed by the Confucian tradition from beginning to end.
In China, whether it was the Qin and Han dynasties or the Qing dynasties, the people's consciousness was mainly based on respecting Confucian scholars. Industrial and commercial categories were just "strange skills and tricks" of the lower grades, and it was difficult to reach the elegance of the people, and even this category belonged to the bottom of society.
It is precisely because of this reason that many inventions and innovations are sneered, saying that they are "not doing their jobs". This idea greatly suppresses the development of technology.
Such repression continued until the Ministered rule. In addition, the various operations of the Qing rulers to consolidate their own "feudal rule", causing the entire society's ideology and social structure to regress visible to the naked eye. Even when Emperor Qianlong faced the British envoy, he arrogantly said: "Our Qing Dynasty has rich resources and vast land. What is the world that I don't have in the Qing Dynasty?"
so that under such a regression, this opportunity for the development of the industrial revolution gradually disappeared, and eventually completely lost the opportunity of the early industrial revolution leading to Britain.
It is difficult to develop Westernization
During the battle with Western powers, they clearly understood that there was a big gap between themselves and Western powers. However, the desire for the country to develop and stabilize the rule of imperial power and shorten the gap with Western powers made the Qing government urgently need an "industrial revolution" to maintain their rule under the attack of foreigners and social turmoil.
The easiest and simplest thing can have a strong foundation of force, so on this basis, the Qing government extremely needed powerful weapons.
Factory that manufactures guns, ammunition, cannons, warship manufacturing factories with a large number of turrets, and other military-industrial industrial factories are exactly what they need.
So under such conditions, the Qing government shouted the slogan " learn from the barbarians' strengths and skills to control the barbarians". Under the instruction of the rulers, the group reached a group of people and began to set up factories with great enthusiasm. In order to learn from the excellent Western industrial technology and military industrial technology far beyond our own.
is exactly this, and the vigorous "Western Affairs Movement" has officially begun.
Even though the two sides have been fighting and signed a series of unequal treaties before, the exchanges between China and the West regarding culture, industrial technology and commerce have not stopped due to the battles and disputes between the two sides.
Even in the Qing Dynasty, which was closed to the country before the First Opium War , many foreign cultures and foreign objects still poured into China.
experiencing the failure of Reform Movement in pursuing change, and under the influence of the invasion of Western powers. A large number of ambitious people realized it later and abandoned their superior attitude of being a "Celestial Power, such as foreigners and barbarians", so as to calmly absorb the excellent knowledge and industrial technology of Western countries with a modest attitude, and learn Western ideas and culture from the perspective of learners.
Westernization Movement This is a feudal ruler's self-rescue movement for the sake of national development and stability, stabilizing the rule of imperial power, and shortening the gap with Western powers.
Many bureaucrats have also begun to contact Western ideas and industrial technology. He even wanted to use these available ideas from the West to be inclusive and integrate them into feudal rule. Zhang Zhidong, an important official in the late Qing Dynasty, was one of the members who had this idea. Although Zhang Zhidong was a member of traditional Confucian education, he was also an extremely important prime minister in the entire court in the late Qing Dynasty. But he was not constrained by the stereotyped thoughts of Confucian , and was not as pedantic as other ministers or scholars who were deeply influenced by Confucianism.
As the main person in charge of this Westernization Movement, Zhang Zhidong believed that if the Qing Dynasty wanted the people to be healthy, remove the great powers, and stabilize the government and the country, it would not only learn the military industrial technology of Western foreigners, but also appropriately learn the Western ideological and political system.
Zhangzhidong
In his opinion, Western academic system and laws are part of what the Qing Dynasty deserves to learn from, which can make the Qing Dynasty go further in such a political system. Zhang Zhidong even said that many people's livelihood content, ideas and practices in the West, including "agricultural, mining, industrial and commercial ships", etc., but not limited to this, are worth learning, absorbing, and learning from.
Zhang Zhidong's various views were summarized and expounded after he understood the West and understood the West when he was presiding over the Westernization Movement. The cognition and thoughts derived from these views gradually became the mainstream thoughts in the late Qing Dynasty under the continuous practice and dissemination of Zhang Zhidong.
Under the promotion of Zhang Zhidong, many laws and academic systems in the late Qing Dynasty that were no longer in line with the times were reformed. Based on traditional laws and academic systems, they absorbed Western laws and academic systems and developed new, applicable, new laws and academic systems.
Liang Qichao Regarding the change of Zhang Zhidong Westernization Movement, he said: "High school is the body, Western learning is the purpose."
What the rulers of the Qing Dynasty and their feudal bureaucrats wanted was to rely on the Westernization Movement to gain strength enhancement. They needed cannons, guns, and a new political system, but they did not need "the people to open up the wisdom of the people" or "the civil industry and commerce can develop."
After all, this is a self-rescue movement by feudal rulers, so they do not want to see any behavior of "popularizing education" and "enhancing the strength of the private economy".
However, the ministers of the Westernization Movement headed by Zhang Zhidong have absorbed and learned a large amount of Western ideas and done things that have "damaged" the interests of feudal rulers such as setting up new schools.
The feudal rulers of the Qing Dynasty hoped to run industrial factories well in this movement and improve their strength. They need to "learn from the barbarians' strengths to control the barbarians."
However, these ministers of the Westernization Movement failed to do what they wanted. Many new schools based on middle schools and Western learning have been established one after another.
For example, Jingshi Tongwenguan , Fuzhou Naval Academy , Beiyang Naval Academy , etc. These schools with extremely famous reputations. However, since the Western Ministers set up a school, they mentioned that it is for the country. These bureaucratic feudal rulers also failed to find something wrong.
and the Westernization Movement invested a lot of money. With the support of such favorable conditions, many students studying in the school crossed the ocean to study in Western countries under the support of the Qing government. These new schools have also cultivated many patriotic and capable patriots and technical talents, such as Zhan Tianyou. .
Zhan Tianyou
These new schools not only teach students traditional Chinese subjects in teaching, but also take into account military technology. At the same time, advanced Western culture is also promoted among students to inspire their thoughts.
The hindered industrialization
I originally thought that this method would allow the Qing Dynasty to gain a large number of technical talents who served the country in the following days. But the facts were not as they wished.
Under the influence of the Westernization Movement, these outstanding talents accepted the advanced Western ideas and culture and questioned the current feudal culture and ideas, so that the talents trained by the Qing Dynasty stood opposite to the Qing Dynasty in order to save the country. The Qing Dynasty was often debated in various newspapers and magazines.
, these outstanding talents, were deeply influenced by Western culture, denied the old concept and even began to question the Westernization Movement. So in order to seek a way to save the country, they opened up another way they believed could save the nation, that is, Reform and Reform .
These outstanding talents who have opened up a new path to save the country have gradually become the new party mentioned by the ministers of the Westernization Movement, which is the "reformist faction" corresponding to the " Westernization Movement " of the Westernization Movement ministers.
Obviously, the concept of " Reformation " seems to be more advanced than the officials of the Qing Dynasty "Western Affairs" who supported the Westernization Movement. The "Western Affairs" seem to simply believe that this Westernization Movement was just to allow the Qing Dynasty to catch up with the West in terms of industrial technology and military technology, or even surpass them.
However, in 1984, the failure of the Beiyang Navy brought a heavy blow to the "Western Affairs Office". The failure of the Beiyang Navy this time also led to the final result of the Westernization Movement to failure. The Westernization Movement, which lasted more than 30 years, completely failed.
However, this vigorous Westernization Movement, whether it is science and technology, military industry, or the road to saving the country, has a profound impact on future generations.
Beiyang Navy
Historically, this Westernization Movement was not only a movement by the feudal rulers of the Qing Dynasty to consolidate their rule in order to learn Western military and industrial technology, but this movement also provided a clue to the road to saving the country for many people at that time.
Westernization Movement allowed many outstanding talents and more citizens to see the world. It was also the influence of the Westernization Movement that the early national capital class in China was born.
However, the implementation of the new policy in the late Qing Dynasty made the national capitalism of our country develop tremendously during this period, just like a dry pond.
In 1902, the Qing government seemed to have discovered the necessity of industrialization, so it adopted many policies to put the development of industrial and mining industries and railways on the agenda and achieved great results.
and even the total amount of private investment far exceeded that of the state during the Westernization Movement. This period is even called the golden period of the history of the development of national capitalism in China.
During this period, the Qing government learned from the previous experience and lessons of industrialization during the Westernization Movement, adjusted and modified the wrong reforms, and strived to make progress in failure.
This time, the Qing government focused its main reforms on the economy. Such a decision allowed businessmen who had always been in a lower position to rise and gain the right to operate freely.
plus the " company-made " implemented by the Qing government for this purpose, such a system provides national legal protection for the development of industrialization and provides an excellent development environment for national enterprises.
All these things have broken the bureaucratic monopoly on an objective level and removed many unnecessary obstacles to the process of national capitalism development and industrialization.
plus in terms of the people, due to the invasion of Western powers, the people's sentiment towards resisting foreigners and boycotting foreign goods has increased, and domestic industrial products have developed unprecedentedly during this period. It pushed the industrialization of the Qing Dynasty to its peak.
The so-called: the rise and fall of business is the safety of the country. In order to maintain its rule, the late Qing government could only compromise with the general trend of the times. We have carried out new policies, constantly revitalizing industries, and using various factors to stabilize our rule.
It is precisely because the Qing government vigorously promoted that the industrialization trend of "revitalizing industry" has gradually begun to prevail in China, and many officials have joined this ranks. This also makes the entire industrial group unprecedentedly powerful.
In addition, after the great powers invaded China, they used foreign capital to establish many factories in China to produce products, which also attracted many people to invest.
This time the new policy is not only exploring the law and academic system but also industry and commerce, but also starting from society, official system, etc. The Qing Dynasty's reforms were huge this time, and even affected remote areas such as Mongolia and northwestern Tibet.
However, the reform involved the official system, which aroused dissatisfaction among many conservative factions. Although they agreed with a verbal smile, they were very "perfunctory" when they were implemented seriously.In the end, the reform was shattered.
Conclusion
These changes in the Qing Dynasty involved many aspects. In fact, when we look at it from the current perspective, we can find that when they reformed, many things were not concentrated, which eventually led to the slow progress of industrialization and did not achieve much success.
plus the war launched by Japan against the Qing Dynasty at that time, such external factors attacked the Qing Dynasty, which was equivalent to "robbing" the industrial capital that the Qing Dynasty had finally established.
can only be said that the Qing government's several reforms and reforms to save the country through industrialization, although every idea was very good, in the end, due to various factors, the opportunity to become stronger was not completely successful.
We cannot criticize the Qing government's various industrialization behaviors with a simple perspective. You should know that in such an era, the Qing government did not refuse industrialization, but instead continued to develop industrialization in order to fight against the West and consolidate its rule.
It’s just that because feudalism is too deeply rooted in people’s hearts, conservative bureaucrats and many landlord class forces are in conflict. With the efforts of a generation, there is no way to completely eradicate such a situation at once.
However, these reforms and reforms had a profound impact on the society at that time, and made great contributions to the subsequent complete crushing of feudalism, developing industrialization, and accelerating modernization.
