As a standard genre for classical essays in the civil examination,the contemporary prose(also known as the eight-legged essay during the Ming and Qing dynasties)combined classical exegesis and literary creation.Due to the"representative speech style"of the genre,scholars could represent the classics without rigidly adhering to the classics,and thus could accommodate the classics to their own literary theory.The style of contemporary prose was determined by multiple factors,such as ideology,academic trends,and a scholar's background.During the Ming-Qing transition,the style of contemporary prose changed rapidly.By rediscovering ancient texts beyond Neo-Confucian orthodoxy,scholars competed to find knowledge sources to renew the paradigm.As a result,the knowledge world of the scholars expanded,and the orthodox interpretations were also counter-influenced.The style of contemporary prose was not merely changing with the academic trends step by step but rather had its own agenda,showing an alternative narrative to the elite intellectual world,which had taken Confucian-Classicism and Neo-Confucianism as the main line.
外国列强在第一次鸦片战争后的晚清中国推行了一种"绝对责任"制度,用"炮舰外交"迫使清政府对外国人在"排外"争端中所遭受的损失和伤害进行赔偿并严惩涉事中国人和案发地区的官员,而并非照国际法惯例或中外法规来判定中方人员是否应被如此惩处.这种政策和西方国家在殖民地实施军事管制法和现代国家实施"紧急权力法"等现象在法理和政治哲学上有紧密联系,其理论核心就是将中国作为一个法治和程序正义的"例外之地".列强最终借1901年《辛丑条约》将这种政策变成有法律效力的国际条约.本文通过考察这个此前极少被学界关注的重要现象及其历史成因和国际背景,来剖析相关的霸权政治和殖民实践的运作逻辑.
清代台湾官绅积极通过方志书写强化地方社会对清王朝的国家认同.康熙年间统一台湾后,修志者对此标志性事件予以突显,并大力称赞清王朝的统治政策对台湾社会发展的积极作用,以此树立清王朝的正统地位.雍正至道光年间是清王朝在台湾地区开拓经营的重要时期,地方官绅充分利用方志编修弘扬教化,宣扬国家观念,渗透国家意志.同治光绪年间,列强环伺,地方官绅积极借助修志唤起人们的危机意识与爱国意识.清代台湾地方志的大量纂修以及修志者作出的努力,一定程度上增强了地方社会对中央王朝的向心力,对于边疆治理与国家认同具有重要意义.
川汉铁路租股抽收方案脱胎于四川本省办理捐输和积谷的成案,其议定和奏准则有赖于川籍京官乔树枏的支持和运作.租股章程经地方州县"酌夺更改"后方得实行:就田查租改为以粮计租,按租(收成)抽谷也变为依据粮册及所载粮额进行征收.租股粮额起征点的设置使得粮册所载之内的起征点以下的大量小额粮户和粮册所载之外的大量"无粮住民"都不必负担租股,租股的实际征收范围因此大为缩小.而部分民众因缴纳租股而与川汉铁路发生的关联,未必能够充分解释四川保路运动中较为广泛的群众参与和民众动员.
清代察哈尔地方盛产可延年益寿的黄芪,颇受内地民人青睐,但清廷在蒙古地区厉行封禁政策,内地民人只能私赴口外活动.把尔头(雇主)带领山东、山西、直隶等内地民人,在察哈尔地方民众协助下挖采黄芪,始于乾隆年间,盛于嘉庆时期.所获黄芪或在当地囤积售卖,或驮载偷运入关分销各地,直隶祁州便是药材周转枢纽之一.察哈尔黄芪的采挖一定程度上破坏了草场,损害马政、易滋事端,但也促进了边疆地区的药材资源开发,增进了不同民族区域的经济文化交流.嘉庆时期清廷对内地民人私采黄芪的行为由放任默许转为积极管控,推动了律例完善和社会变迁.
