Historical Studies (Chinese Edition)

No.4, 2017

 

The Assassination of the Governor of Anhui in 1907 and the Late Qing Political Situation

(Abstract)

 

An Dongqiang and Jiang Fan

 

The unforeseen assassination of the Manchu governor of Anhui in 1907 had an impact on the late Qing political process. At the top level, it affected the direction of political trends at the time, indirectly driving the Qing government’s decision to establish a Political Consultative Council (Zizheng Yuan) and a planned Consultative Bureau (Ziyi Ju); turned the spotlight on ManchuHan relations, revolutionary parties, etc. in public opinion and outside the court; and prompted the Qing government to change the earlier defense pattern in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in order to resist the development of revolutionary forces, a move that triggered a game between the Qing government and local governors of areas along the river. This paper provides comprehensive picture of the contests and influence involving the Qing government, revolutionary parties, and other political forces, showing in detail the historical “interactive” influences between revolution and reform in the late Qing period.