Social Continuity and Rupture in Rural China II

The External Dynamics of the Huizhou Hyper-stability Structure

Tang Lixing

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN: 9781040277188
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: 19th Century History
• Index: History

As the second volume of a two-volume set that examines the distinctive social structure and governance of Huizhou, China, this book focuses on the external factors that influence and renew social functioning.

From the sixteenth century to the first half of the twentieth century, Huizhou, a historic region in what is now Anhui Province in China, was characterized by longterm social stability and prosperity. Even during times of war and unrest, Huizhou was able to quickly restore order. This two-volume study explores the reasons for this stability and its relevance and implications for contemporary society. In this second volume, the author examines a group of 'outsiders' to Huizhou society, who conducted business outside the region while maintaining their hometown and linking their social networks from both urban and rural Huizhou. The book discusses how local tradition and rural governance were sustained through wars and social unrest. It also illustrates how a new, modernized order was re-established after the devastation of war and communist reform in the twentieth century.

The title will appeal to scholars and students of Chinese history, the social and economic history of modern China, and readers interested in China's transition to modernity.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-Title Page
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• 1 The External Dynamics of Village Autonomy
• 2 Reconstructing Clans after the Collapse of the Internal Cycle
• 3 The Struggles of Village Autonomy after the Collapse of the External Cycle
• 4 The Breaking of Cycles and Demise of Village Autonomy
• Conclusion
• Reigns of the Ming and Qing Dynasties
• Index