Breaking the Bonds of Precedent: The 1905-6 Government Reform Commission and the Remaking of the Qing Central State
Author(s)
Horowitz, Richard S.
Abstract
Examines the significance of the 1905/06 Qing government reforms following the Boxer uprising and invasion of northern China. These reforms constituted a major shift in Chinese public administration, leaving behind the late imperial system in favor of a European-style ministerial one. While the attempt to establish constitutional monarchy proved transitory, the shift to a ministerial system has lasted. The focus here is on the attempts to transform the uppermost level of the central government. Also considered is the relation of the 1906 reforms to attempts to express criticisms and reform proposals as early as the 1860s, and the roles of both external pressures and a burgeoning Qing challenge of the old system in bringing about the reforms. K. Coddon.
