HIS284H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Taiping Rebellion, Sun Yat-Sen, Yuan Shikai
Document Summary
Centralization of power nationalization of the railway network: the local provincial elites put down the rebellions since the central government didn"t have the power. This caused a shift in power, elites gained power. Vital in the collapse of the dynasty. Elites tried to save the empire by modernizing the industry and military, but done by their own hands. Everyone built their own railways with their own standards, this prevented trains from going between areas: needed coordination. In the final years they tried regaining power. Tried taking it from elites, even though they were trying to save the empire: the court tried centralizing the power after this decentralization. The constant attempt by local elites to have more say was constantly rejected by the court. Alienated the people trying to save power. Both groups shared the same agendas, but conflicts because who wanted to rule: the qing"s attempts to take back the railways systems.
