The Street Corps of Changsha around 1920

Abstract

The Changsha Street Corps originated in the local militia during the period of the Taiping Rebellion, and it played an important part in Changsha’s urban social management at the grassroots level. However, the role and influence of the street corps underwent changes during the process of modernization and the building of the modern nation–state. By 1920, although the street corps of Changsha still worked as the agent of the state at the grassroots level, its autonomy had been curtailed, and its social influence weakened. In the new social environment, even the maintenance of neighborhood interests became a challenge for the street corps. This article illustrates the readjustments in geopolitical and industrial relations during the process of urban modernization. It also illustrates how a new form of state power, namely the police, infiltrated the social management system, affected the traditional social structure, and complicated the interaction between modern state and society.

Keywords:

• early Republican period
• Changsha
• street corps
• urban grassroots society
• local state building
• local elite

Notes

¹ We can discern from available materials that street corps appeared in cities such as Changsha, Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Hankow in the late Qing and early Republican period. In early Republican Changsha newspapers, the terms “street corps” and “merchant corps” were often used interchangeably. In fact, street corps and merchant corps were not identical though they were closely related.

² Qiu Jie, “Wan Qing Guangdong de ‘gongju.’”

³ Kuhn, Rebellion and Its Enemies; Zhang Yan and Niu Guanjie, Shijiu shiji; and Yang Guo’an, Ming Qing liang Hu diqu.

⁴ See Shen Weibin and Yang Liqiang, “Shanghai shangtuan;” Qiu Jie, “Guangzhou shangtuan;” Ao Guangxu, “‘Shangren zhengfu zhi meng;’” Zhu Ying, “Xinhai geming shiqi de Suzhou shangtuan;” and his “Guomin zhengfu jianlihou Suzhou shangtuan.”

⁵ Rowe, Hankow.

⁶ Wang Di, Jietou zhengzhi.

⁷ Huang Yonghao, “Pozijie,” 89–129.

⁸ Liu Yangyang, Jindai Hunan shehui bianqian, 181.

⁹ Li Yu, Changsha de xiandaihua qidong, 207.

¹⁰ Zhang Pengyuan, Hunan xiandaihua, 143–144.

¹¹ Changsha xian zhi, vol. 15, 22.

¹² Fu Jiaojin and Liu Lansun, Hunan zhi tuanfang, 2.

¹³ Zeng Guofan, Zeng Guofan quanji, vol. 13, 115.

¹⁴ Li Shuchang, Zeng Wenzheng gong nianpu, vol. 2, 17.

¹⁵ Zeng Guofan, Zeng Wenzheng gong shuzha, vol. 2, 37.

¹⁶ Li Shuchang, Zeng Wenzheng gong nianpu, vol. 2, 17.

¹⁷ Zeng Guofan, Zeng Wenzheng gong zougao, vol. 2, 24.

¹⁸ Zeng Guofan, Zeng Guofan quanji, vol. 13, 115.

¹⁹ Changsha xian zhi, vol. 15, 22.

²⁰ Ibid.

²¹ Shanhua xian zhi, vol. 15, 14.

²² “Fuyuan yuanchao,” 585; and “Fanshu yuanchao,” 479.

²³ Cited in Huang Yonghao, “Pozijie,” 97.

²⁴ Liu Mengjian, “Changsha minban xiaofangye,” 363.

²⁵ Huang Yonghao argues that the corps chiefs were mainly merchants and owners of local shops and the street corps was a local self-government organization that took care of street life and safety with each shop as a basic unit. While Huang emphasizes the close relationship between the street corps and merchants, it seems that the organizers’ identity as gentry elites qualified them better than merchants.

²⁶ Liu Mengjian, “Changsha minban xiaofangye,” 363.

²⁷ Cited in Huang Yonghao, “Pozijie,” 123.

²⁸ Ibid.

²⁹ “Jingting qing jietuan dasao huixie,” 6.

³⁰ “Jietuan shi yinggai xiuli niaojian de,” 7.

³¹ “Kuangwu gongsi yu qiandian zhi jiuge.”

³² “Hunan min dou’ou zhi jiaoge.”

³³ Huang Yonghao, “Pozijie,” 113. See also Rao Huaimin, Changsha qiangmi fengchao, 296–300.

³⁴ Li Shaojun, Wuchang qiyi qianhou, 153.

³⁵ Qiu Jie, “Wan Qing Guangdong de ‘gongju,’” 45–51. See also Liang Yong and Zhou Xingyan, “Wan Qing gongju,” 142–149.

³⁶ Quoted by Huang Yonghao, “Pozijie,” 97.

³⁷ Ibid., 89–129.

³⁸ Qiu Jie, Jindai Zhongguo minjian wuqi, 141–142.

³⁹ “Jietuan fuxing jiancha qiangxie banfa,” 6.

⁴⁰ “Zecheng jietuan jiancha qiangxie banfa,” 6.

⁴¹ “Shanghui handa jiyi xituan xunjiancha qiangjia,” 6.

⁴² “Dongqu chengbao getuan jiancha qiangxie qingxing,” 6; and “Xiqu chahuo junpin duojian,” 6.

⁴³ “Waibeiqu chengbao jiancha qingxing,” 6.

⁴⁴ “Dongqu chachu jiguanqiang,” 6.

⁴⁵ “Jingcha jian zhi xunling size,” 6.

⁴⁶ “Shanghui handa jiyi xituan xunjiancha qiangjia,” 6.

⁴⁷ “Dongqu chachu jiguanqiang,” 6.

⁴⁸ Huang Yonghao, “Pozijie,” 101–105, 122–124.

⁴⁹ “Shenshang cuijiao jingxiang zhi huiyi,” 6.

⁵⁰ “Shenshang weichihui zhaoji getuan huiyi,” 6.

⁵¹ “Jingting choushou fangzu zhi fanxiang,” 6.

⁵² “Zhang tingzhang qing geshenshang weichi fangzu jinxing,” 6.

⁵³ “Changsha shituan yao mian daimu yunfu,” 7.

⁵⁴ Ibid.

⁵⁵ “Changshaxian you choushou yunfufei,” 6.

⁵⁶ “Changsha shituan wei qiujian yunfufei zhi huiyi,” 6.

⁵⁷ “Changshaxian biangeng zhengshou fujuan banfa,” 6.

⁵⁸ “Shangtuan lianhehui chengli,” 6.

⁵⁹ “Guanyu shangtuan lianhehui zhi gongwen,” 6.

⁶⁰ “Quxiao shangtuan zhi jingling,” 6.

⁶¹ “Shenghui tuanwu xiehui zhi zuzhi,” 7.

⁶² “You youren faqi chengtuan lianhehui,” 7.

⁶³ “Zuori ge gongtuan lianxi huiyi ji,” 6.

⁶⁴ “Jingchating qiu shanghui xiezhu,” 7; and “Jingting xiang jietuan jiedian huoshifei,” 7.

⁶⁵ “Shanghui weichi zhi’an guize,” 6.

⁶⁶ Liu Yangyang, Jindai Hunan shehui bianqian, 291–296.

⁶⁷ “Nimu lianghang gongren zixing jiajia,” 6.

⁶⁸ Hunan sheng zhi, vol. 1, 382.

⁶⁹ “Nimu hang yi guiding gongjia,” 6.

⁷⁰ “Shengzhang heding nimu lianghang gongjia,” 6.

⁷¹ “Nimu lianghang rengqiu zhangjia,” 6.

⁷² “Shengzhang heding nimu lianghang gongjia,” 6.

⁷³ “Zongshanghui taolun nimu lianghang zengjia gongjia zhi wenti,” 7.

⁷⁴ “Qudi nimu lianghang shanjia gongjia,” 7.

⁷⁵ “Shengyuan you you fandui nimu gonghang jiajiazhe,” 6.

⁷⁶ “Zongshanghui taolun nimu lianghang zengjia gongjia zhi wenti,” 7.

⁷⁷ “Guanyu nimuhang jiajia zhi zhiling yu piling,” 7.

⁷⁸ “Nimuhang zengjia zhaozhun,” 6.

⁷⁹ “Jietuan fandui nimuhang jiajia zhi liyou,” 6.

⁸⁰ Hunan sheng zhexue shehui kexue yanjiusuo xiandaishi yanjiushi, Wusi shiqi Hunan renmin, 79–80.

⁸¹ “Nimuhang zengjia zhaozhun,” 6.

⁸² “Changsha ge gongtuan taolun nimuhang zhangjia huiyi,” 6.

⁸³ “Nimu gongren you bagong yi,” 6.

⁸⁴ “Nimugong yaoqiu jiajia zhi jianjue,” 6.

⁸⁵ “Nimugong bagong zhi diqiri,” 6.

⁸⁶ “Nimugong bagong fengchao kewang jiejueyi,” 6.

⁸⁷ “Changsha nimu gongren jinxi zhi zhuangkuang,” 7.

⁸⁸ Yuan Fuqing, Changsha nimu gongren de nuhou.

⁸⁹ Hunan sheng zhexue shehui kexue yanjiusuo xiandaishi yanjiushi, Wusi shiqi Hunan renmin, 405.

⁹⁰ “Jingting fu Guanghua diandeng gongsi han,” 6.

⁹¹ “Guanghua diandeng gongsi zhi jingting han,” 6.

⁹² “Shengzhang duiyu liang diandeng gongsi zhengzhi zhi panjue,” 6.

⁹³ “Ge jietuan fandui Hunan diandeng gongsi,” 6.

⁹⁴ Ibid.

⁹⁵ Ibid.

⁹⁶ “Ge jietuan fandui diandeng jiajia zhi jilie,” 6.

⁹⁷ “Shimin fandui diandeng jiajia zhi zuowen,” 6.

⁹⁸ “Shanghui yijue tiaoting ‘diandeng jiajia wenti’ zhi diyibu banfa,” 6.

⁹⁹ “Liang diandeng gongsi fandui shanghui tiaoting banfa,” 6.

¹⁰⁰ Scholars have not yet reached an agreement regarding the state’s penetration of local society. Some scholars argue that the state’s ability to penetrate was rather limited and that the buffer zone built by civic groups made it hard for any political forces to infiltrate, transform, and mobilize local society, see Feng Jing, Zhongjian tuanti, 126–127. But Philip Kuhn stresses the penetration and influence of the state, arguing that the new regime replaced the various autonomous institutions founded in the early twentieth century with a new administrative bureaucracy, which suspended the call for a civil society in the cities. See Kuhn, Zhongguo xiandai guojia de qiyuan, 119–120.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Wenping He

HE Wenping is a professor of history at Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou. His main research interests include modern Chinese social history and military history, and he has published Local Powers and Their Influence in Transition: Social Order and the Bandit Question in Late Qing/Early Republican Guangdong (Guilin: Guangxi Normal University Press, 2011), “From Bandit Chief to Mayor: Li Fulin in the Republican Revolution,” Modern Chinese History Studies, no. 6 (2011), and “State and Society in the Local Militarization of the Late Qing Period: A Case Study of Guangdong Local Militias,” Academic Research, no. 9 (2009).