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I read in a brief article that Kang Youwei returned to China in 1913 and continued to advocate for a return to Qing's monarchy.
Does anyone have any reference to his reasonings?
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How did Kang Youwei justify return to monarchy?
康有为主编“不忍”
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#2
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Posted 05 March 2006 - 01:48 AM
Just happened to read this thread, what is written here is what I read from several sources in the past (can't remember the titles).
After the failure of the 103 days reform, Kang escaped to Japan. Sun Yat-sen did approach him for political alliance, he just had no respect of Sun and refused to collaborate with him. In 1899, he set up Baohuang Society 保皇会 (with branches in America, Southeast Asia and Japan), advocating constitutional monarchy against the bourgeois democratic revolution led by Sun Yat-sen. When he returned to Shanghai in 1913, he was the editor of the publication of “Buren” (“不忍” ) magazine, advocating reverence to Confucianism and restoration of the old order. He was not the actual initiator of advocating a return to Qing's monarchy in 1917. But because he was a reputable figure and he was known to oppose the Republic, the restoration group led by Zhang Xun 张勋 made Kang a leader (as a strategy). But of course you know that that effort in 1917 failed miserably and quickly.
I have the feeling that Kang wanted to beat Sun more than anything else. The restoration effort serves as a mean to defeat him.
BTW, there is an interesting article on his later life (in Chinese)
http://www.chinapres...00601110287.htm
After the failure of the 103 days reform, Kang escaped to Japan. Sun Yat-sen did approach him for political alliance, he just had no respect of Sun and refused to collaborate with him. In 1899, he set up Baohuang Society 保皇会 (with branches in America, Southeast Asia and Japan), advocating constitutional monarchy against the bourgeois democratic revolution led by Sun Yat-sen. When he returned to Shanghai in 1913, he was the editor of the publication of “Buren” (“不忍” ) magazine, advocating reverence to Confucianism and restoration of the old order. He was not the actual initiator of advocating a return to Qing's monarchy in 1917. But because he was a reputable figure and he was known to oppose the Republic, the restoration group led by Zhang Xun 张勋 made Kang a leader (as a strategy). But of course you know that that effort in 1917 failed miserably and quickly.
I have the feeling that Kang wanted to beat Sun more than anything else. The restoration effort serves as a mean to defeat him.
BTW, there is an interesting article on his later life (in Chinese)
http://www.chinapres...00601110287.htm
#3
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Posted 05 March 2006 - 02:38 AM
I don't believe that Kang Youwei was trying to compete with Sun Yat Sen but rather that he was truly devoted to having a constitutional Qing monarchy. However I've read that Kang Youwei was financial inept and lost considerable sums of money in failed investments most notably investments in Mexico and also lived a extravagent lifestyle. So there were definate support for Constitutionalism and given a more capable leader the constitutional side might have succeded.
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