In the late Qing Dynasty period, the country was facing a turbulent situation of internal and external troubles. The territory was trampled on by Western powers and the sovereignty was divided by the invaders. In order to protect the country, batches of patriots emerged, sacrificing themselves for others and being righteous. Selfless, among them, the Six Gentlemen of 1898 were martyred in the line of duty. These six people were full of patriotism. They tried their best to save the country and save the people. Why did the people not only reviled the Six Gentlemen when they were executed, but also threw rewards to the executioner and applauded them? What is the situation that makes the Six Gentlemen so unpopular?
The Reform Movement of 1898 started in June 1898. It was a reform movement of the bourgeoisie. It did not cut off the conservative forces at their roots. It is simply a fantasy to maintain national sovereignty through some reforms. With the support of Emperor Guangxu, the Six Gentlemen began to go to war to kick off the reform. At that time, people were in dire straits, and it was difficult to have enough food and clothing. They had to cooperate with the various reforms made by Liang Qichao, Kang Youwei, Yan Fu, and others. The so-called "encouraging the people's strength and enlightening the people's wisdom" was impossible to implement at that time. How could thousands of years of feudal tradition achieve the effect of emancipating the mind through reforms!
During the reform period, the Six Gentlemen of 1898 offended the interests of many conservatives and opposition groups. They regarded the Six Gentlemen as a thorn in their side and a thorn in their flesh; the common people did not understand what the Six Gentlemen did during the so-called Enlightenment . Their series of measures only brought all kinds of troubles to the people during the war years, and the actual results were not obvious.
Compared with the people's previous life style, the Six Gentlemen's reforms made them a little more constrained. It was even more difficult for the six of them to liberate the people's minds, but these calls were just regarded as "noisy" that had no effect by the people. When the six of them were executed, some conservative forces actually clapped their hands and applauded. Although the Six Gentlemen have passed away, this movement to emancipate the mind has left an indelible contribution in Chinese history! What do you think of the Six Gentlemen of 1898?
