From the mid-nineteenth century to the early 1950s, Chinese society underwent rapid and unprecedented changes. How did these transformations differ from the social movements and dynastic changes in its imperial past? Why emphasize a specific period when some historians consider it part of a broader continuum from the eighteenth century to the present day? Does this periodization reinforce the idea that change in China was the result of Western influence? Our proposal is to examine the social transformation in China through the lens of the nature and role of elites over the long century (1830s to 1950s), characterized by significant political and cultural overhauls: the abolition of the imperial examination system, the rise of modern schools and universities, the abdication of the Qing Dynasty and the birth of the Republic, Western intrusion and the opening of treaty ports, the Taiping Civil War, the Sino-Japanese wars, and the collapse of the Nationalist republican regime, and the establishment of the People’s Republic of China.

While the imperial system that dominated China and shaped its social structure for centuries was never ideal or trouble-free, the magnitude and depth of the nineteenth- and twentieth-century upheavals brought about a complete overhaul of the social structure. The collective ruling elite faced enormous challenges both internally — how to face and adapt to unforeseen, rapid, and radical changes —  and externally — limited though it was, the growing democratization of society nurtured tensions and competition from various organized groups that challenged the configuration of elite groups. While political and military history cast a shadow over this period, the study of elites reveals their remarkable resilience and capacity for rejuvenation. In fields such as business, academia, technology, and even diplomacy, Chinese elites capitalized on the opportunities provided by new education, technologies, and forms of social organization to shape the country’s future. Wars severely disrupted this momentum, with foreign countries bearing a significant share of responsibility for driving China into a corner, while the political failures of the elites led China into a deadlock.

The conference on “Rethinking Modern Chinese Elites” aims to bring together contributions from diverse scholarly perspectives regarding the period (18th-20th century), the subjects (elites, from top to bottom), and methodologies (print/digital sources; data/computational methodologies).

How does the study of elites shed new light on issues that have permeated academic debates, such as Westernization and modernization, and does it contribute to reframing the terms of the debate? Similarly, how does historical research focused on actors, both Chinese and non-Chinese, and based on new sources or a fresh interpretation of sources (computational analysis of the press, directories, etc.), help overcome the divides regarding nationalism and state/society relations? However useful the division of elites into groups (economic, political, social) from an analytical perspective, as we also lay out below, we need to question and investigate the fluidity and circulation between these groups.

What was China as a geo-spatial entity in modern times, with portions of its territory placed under different regimes (foreign settlements, Japan-occupied territories, Taiwan, Hong Kong)? How did regime changes and economic development (capital relocations, redistribution of activities, migrations) impact the lives of the elites? What was the relationship between spatial disparities (coastal vs. inland China) and the social mobility of elites? How can we assess the repercussions of elite emigration in its various dimensions (education abroad, post-1949 in- and out-migration). How does the study of elites in China contribute to redefining borders?

Methodologically and epistemologically, hstorical research is being reshaped by the increasing availability of digital historical resources and the maturation of advanced Natural Language Processing and data processing methods. In examining the topics outlined below, the organizers encourage contributors to consider the impact of the digitization of historical research on historiography. How does it contribute to the integration of computational methods into the historian’s research practices?