The Revolution of 1911 And China’s Nationalism
Qiang Dong, Qiyi Yang, Chengjian Luo
(School of Marxism, Guizhou Minzu University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou Province, People's Republic of China)
 

 
First Author: Qiang Dong, doctor, associate professor, master tutor, vice president of School of Marxism, Guizhou Minzu University.
Corresponding Author: Qiang Dong, School of Marxism, Guizhou Minzu University. Email: jiningdongqaing@163.com.
 
Abstract: With the national crisis increased, the voice of saving China with nationalism had been aroused overwhelmingly since the modern times. During the Revolution of 1911, the nationalism thought with  represented by Sun Yat-Sen had sprung up, and  permeated into every social class, which promoted a great awakening of nationalism for the whole nation. However, there are different  causes of the nationalism during the Revolution.Besides,  Sun Yat-Sen that the represent of the nationalism was changing with the trend of the Revolution. So studying Chinese nationalism in the Revolution is meaningful to us.
Key words: The Revolution of 1911; Manchu Exclusion; Chinese Nationalism
 
1 Introduction
In  nowadays, with the complex international environment and a variety of complicated factors both inside and outside, Chinese intellectual circles went  through a big storm, and bred a variety of social thought. However, The Nationalism in the Revolution was particularly noteworthy. In modern China, Nationalism was the mainstream thought in many of social thought. Actually, all thinkers in modern China were nationalists, at least, their ideology contained nationalism. But Chinese Nationalism began to take shape and figured prominently in the intellectual circles and had a profound impact was in the Revolution. Taiyan Zhang in the ‘ refute Youwei Kang’s book of Revolution’ said: ‘Nationalism, from the ape-man era, it had had a solid root, as far as today it is developed. ’ [1] With the increasing decadency of Qing dynasty, further aggression of imperialists and preliminary development of Chinese national capitalism, The Revolution that a bourgeois democratic revolution broke out in 1911. This was a great revolutionary movement. The Revolution is a relatively complete bourgeois democratic revolution in modern China, and the contribution on liberating  Chinese on politics and ideology can not be underestimated. The Revolution implanted democratic and republic views into people so deeply. The Revolution is a new beginning  of anti-imperialists and anti-feudalism on deeper and larger scale.
2 The origin of the concept of nationalism and interpretation
The first time the term nationalism appeared in the social text was in 1844, its meaning is: devotion one’s loyalty and dedication to one’s own nation; especially refers to a specific national consciousness, namely that their nation is superior to other nations, with special emphasis on the promotion and improvement the national culture and national interests against others. [2] Nationalism as an important social and political thought, on the interpretation of the concept of nationalism is various. Not only due to the different science angle and the understand of nation, but also because of the explanation  of nationalism on different levels.
John Breuilly thought that ‘nationalism is a quest and control of state power and regarding nationalism as reasons to prove this to seek and grasp state power is legitimate.’[3]
Conquest Robert believes that nationalism is a theory of political organisation with the supreme national interest, or a movement aimed at developing national interests.[4]
 Anderson’s definition of nationalism is widely quoted: ‘When residents of a natural territories began to fell in sharing the same destiny, had a common future, or when they felt a deep relationship fellow linked together, nationalism arose.’ From this definition, we see that there is a basic premise of nationalism, that is being consistent with the future common longing. In other words, the basis of nationalism is people looking forward to a clear national outlook.[5]
Anthony Smith believes that nationalism is the product of a European country that is full of freedom and justice, and it has a vary close relationship with the movement of the Millennium kingdom.[6]
According to Mr Wang Yizhou, ‘nationalism expresses a strong, usually ideological, ethnic group. It sometimes acts as as system of thought, attracting group within each individual’s loyalty and serve the enthusiasm, it sometimes becomes a systematic theory and policy, for the actual national growth process provides the principles and concepts.’[7]
According to Marx and Lenin, who discussed, nationalism is a kind of narrow national consciousness, is a nation of their own preference. Nationalism is progressive and reactionary can be divided into two types, but in essence, is the core of bourgeois nationalism. Therefore, as a historical phenomenon, it will gradually die out with social development and programs.[8] When the capitalist powers against invasion and meeting a threat to the people of the nation, the bourgeoisie will often abandon the national banner and betray the national interests.[9]
3 The cause of the rise of Chinese Nationalism in the period of the 1911 Revolution
In modern China, especially after the Sino Japanese War, the nationalism crisis caused the Chinese modern nationalism. In the period of the 1911 Revolution, the trend of thought has been unprecedented development, mainly due to the following aspects:
(1) The contradiction between imperialism and the Chinese nation is the social background of the rise of Chinese nationalism during the revolution of 1911.
 (2) The contradiction between the bud and development of Chinese capitalism and the feudal autocracy is the class foundation of the rise of Chinese nationalism during the period of 1911 Revolution
 (3) The influence of Liang Qichao, Kang Youwei and other nationalism thought is the driving force of the rise of Chinese nationalism during the revolution 0f 1911
4 Nationalism thought during the period of the 1911 Revolution - the evolution of Sun Yat-Sen’s Nationalism
Since ‘the foundation of modern Chinese nationalism’ Liang introduced the theory of nationalism into China, nationalism quickly spread among intellectuals. And combining the national consciousness of the people, forming a flow of narrow sense nationalism and general nationalism. Based on Manchu and Han Chinese in contradiction of history and reality, focusing on the Han of "nationalism" at the time are more likely to be accepted by people, such as Zhang Kaichen said: ‘history shows that in times of national crisis and social crisis is very serious, inciting the mood in the short-term effect is often better than rational appeal. Let Liang Qichao to talk about ‘politics theory', but Chen Tianhua, Zou Rong’s ‘Manchu Exclusion’ booklets are more easy to win hearts and minds.’ [10] The nationalism of modern China, as a kind of emotion, consciousness and thought system which has a wide range of appeal and powerful mobilization, has become the main trend of thought in the period of the 1911 Revolution.
Sun Yat-Sen said: ‘nationalism this thing, is the treasure of nation’s developed and race’s survived.’ [11] Sun Yat-Sen’s revolutionary theory keeping pace with the times, nationalism is through a very important thought of Sun Yat-Sen’s revolutionary activities, from ‘repel invaders, restore the Chinese’. ‘ The first thing is Chinese national self seeking liberation. The second thing is China’s various ethnic groups in equal.’ [12]Specifically, Sun Yat-Sen’s nationalism thought experienced ‘Manchu Exclusion’ to ‘Republic of five nationalities’ to ‘anti-imperialist’ thought transmutation.
5 The enlightenment significance of nationalism in the period of the 1911 Revolution
During the period of the revolution of 1911, Sun Yat-Sen’s nationalism thought, not only inherited the history of the feudal ruling class national ideology ‘Distinct of Chinese and others’, but also absorbed the western bourgeois nationalism which is a mixture of nationalism, racism, revanchism, democratic. Sun Yat-Sen’s nationalism is still having great significance to modern:
(1) National equality and national unity thought
Sun Yat-Sen, the national equality and national unity, and other important content, including the fight against national oppression for political equality, but also including the realisation of economic equality against national exploitation. Especially for the realisation of the national equality and unity of the province county autonomous proposition, it is today’s China’s regional ethnic autonomy thought sprout. All ethnic groups in China can only achieve economic equality based on political equality, so as to unite and work together to achieve the great practice of China’s modernisatio. From this point of view, the period of the revolution of 1911, Sun Yat-Sen’s nationalism thought has far-reaching significance for today.
 (2) To unite the world to treat the Chinese nation equally
The current world is full of njustice, inequality factors on political and economic aspect, there is a long way to go to establish a  fair and equitable new international order. In particular, ‘the three forces’ never stop to our separate country. Those activities seriously harm to our national security and national unity. Even more they played the banner of nationalism. Inheriting and carrying forward the Sun Yat-Sen’s nationalism thought, is to adhere to safeguarding national sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, mutually beneficial win-win on economy and exchange on culture, to build a harmonious world and make unremitting efforts. Nationalism often contains elements of their own national superiority, become the exclusive excuse. In the process of opening up, promote nationalism, but also to prevent arbitrary simple exclusion. Sun Yat-Sen believes that a country should be a national equality, the Chinese nation and foreign national equality of the modern country. Therefore, we should not only unite the nation, but also unite the country which treat the Chinese nation equally.
On the future development of Chinese nationalism, we must adapt to changing by time, effort to overcome narrow nationalism and national nihilism and against national separatism and extreme nationalism, make it gradually from stress, passive nationalism to spontaneous, active nationalism, from the emotional, irrational to moderate, rational and combination of liberalism thought, forming a suitable for China’s new nationalism.[20] Nationalism is not an endangering animal, but the revitalisation of the national spirit. With the principle of patriotism and the realisation of the interests of the Chinese nation, while maintaining the passion and further to the pragmatic and rational return, this should be the way of future development of Chinese nationalism.
 
References:
[1] Taiyan Zhang. Refute Youwei Kang’s book of Revolution, Taiyan Zhang’s Political Selection [M]. Zhonghua Book Company Press, 1977: 194.
[2]Xun Xu, Nationalism [M]. The Chinese Academy of Social Science Press, 2005: 63.
 [3]Breuilly, John. Nationalism and the State [M]. Manchester University Press, 1993: 2.
[4]Conquest Robert. The Last Empire [M]. East China Normal University Press, 1994: 3.
[5]Anderson Banadik. The Present and Future of Nationalism, The End of The World, the fourth period of 1999.
[6]Smith Anthony. Nationalism in Twentieth Century [M]. New York University, 1982: 14-15.
[7]Wang Yizhou. International Political Analysis[M]. People's Press, 1995: 96-97.
[8]See The Complete Works of Engels Marx, the first volume, the 270th page
[9]Xue Xian Zhao. The Nationalist Party National Theory and National Policy Research[M]. Central University for Nationalities Press, 2010: 110.
 [10]Tang Jianbing. On The Evolution and Trend of Chinese Nationalism thoughts[J]. Journal of Southern Yangtze University of Social Sciences, 2010, (3).
[11]Sun Yat-Sen. Sun Yat-Sen Complete Works, Three people’s Principles and Nationalism [M]. People’s Publishing House, 1956: 615.
[12]Li Youren,Guo Chuanxi. Chinese KMT history [M]. Archives Press, 1988: 18.